An extraordinarily accomplished debut, Smoke River follows two families on different sides of a crisis with deep roots in history and territory through one fateful summer. For readers of Lori Lansens and John Bemrose's The Island Walkers.
After a proposed subdivision becomes the site of a Mohawk protest - the land, which has long formed a kind of neutral border between a reserve and the neighbouring town, is contested - tensions escalate through three sweltering summer months, exposing old wounds, as well as forging new and sometimes surprising connections.
This compelling contemporary story is told in the voices of several vivid, unforgettable characters, from the restless young Mohawk woman dreaming of adventure and fame in the wider world; to the successful businessman who has made good use of his position between two communities, and who harbours a surprisingly tender secret; to the high school hero whose inner life would shock his admirers, especially his ambitious mother; and to the unexpected lovers, who must weigh happiness against history and fierce pride.
Smoke River is wise and tender, fearless and often very funny. It heralds the arrival of a vibrant, original, and intrepid new voice in Canadian literature.
