Maggie Siggins

This is the story of a reserve in northern Saskatchewan in the 1920s. The community is trying to hold on to its traditions and culture even as the Hudson's Bay Company has set up a trading post and the Anglican and Catholic churches have sent missionaries to the community. We have all the drama found in small-community stories: illicit affairs, theft, inter-racial romance; inter-faith rivalries; along with the excitement/stress brought on by a visit of the Indian Agent along with the famous author, Sinclair Lewis and his brother.

The writing is sharp and clear; the author has done work with film and it shows in her style. The book painted a picture of the place and era more than told a story...by that, I mean that neither the characters nor the plot seemed to really drive the book....it almost felt like a series of vignettes, but not quite because there is a plot that comes to a satisfying conclusion. It was, I thought, very realistic.… (mer)