Book 19 of 2023
Summary
Through the voices of five individuals Michelle Good crafts the stories of residential school survivors. What their lives were like while attending the schools and the lives they created afterwards. Each child experiences a different range of horrors that we know so well from the stories of residential schools here in Canada. Through the lives of these children and the histories they are forced to carry with them the residential school history of Canada takes on a new life. One that instead of merely being words on a page bring the history to life. It is a story that has so much horror and yet so much love and self-discovery spilling over from the pages. From Maisie to Lucy to Howie to Clara and to Kenny the stories and character reach out to you hoping you will understand and view them as more than just characters but as just one of the many faces that are Canada’s residential school legacy. They reach out together and as individuals to be the voice of the voiceless and those unable to speak.
Thoughts and Review
I chose to pick up this book with the intention of attending a gather at my public library under the theme of the reconciliation programs being encouraged by the government of Saskatchewan. Although I keep my reading of residential school themed books to a minimum I thought reading one this time would be beneficial with the group discussion being held. Sharing the thoughts and experience of a book can release the thoughts that build up while reading. It isn’t that I avoid the genre of books out of a desire to hide from history but rather that the books are so brutal in nature that they are just too much. From the books I have read so far on the topic, my own Kokum’s horrible stories, and from the news articles and experiences read from residential school survivors I have to limit my intake. This book is different though. This book is an experience. Certain things the author through the characters states are happening are left to your mind to interpret but the details are left out. We know what happened. By revealing the horrific details again and again it just feels like re-victimization of any and all survivors living or dead. With each of the characters you feel such a sense of sadness of all that could have been and of what they endured personally. But at the same time with each character there are surprises and you feel so much strength rise from them as they navigate and create their lives. By the end you feel so invested in each one that they now live on within you in their own way. Especially with the character you connect with most. From my book discussion group each of us had a pull towards one character out of the five that just spoke to us; we each had different reasons to choose the character we bonded with the most but there was a common sense of love beneath it.
Recomendation
I will be recommending this book to anyone and everyone for always. This book touched me in unexpected ways. After reading this book I feel so much more connected to my Kokum than I ever have and I think she would have found this book beautiful. It wasn’t just a segment of Canadian history it was a beautiful story of survival and what people can do to cope with it. How the choices made impact outwards and inwards and although we may not understand another persons choices we may find the grace to respect them. It isn’t enough to know history. We must find it within ourselves to feel it. By connecting feeling with history we are obligated to the fight to guard against it and the repetition that can be found when the feeling has been lost. Once you finish I would suggest going back to the beginning and reading the prologue again. The story of Lily coming home was so much more powerful reading it the second time. Happy Reading!
Important Links
Michelle Good talking about her book, “Five Little Indians.”
Indian Residential Schools Government Support in Canada. (Not just pertaining to residential schools.)
First Nations Health Authority
Purchase the book: “Five Little Indians.”