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This is about trauma and the long road of healing. It's not a fast read, despite its page count (about 220 pages). The narrative is rich, intense, and because it deals with racism and Canada's residential schools, often brutal. This is the kind of book you read slowly, sitting with what's happening and what the implications will be for the character's life. This was my first time reading Wagamese's work, and it won't be my last. #nativeauthors

This book broke my heart. Painful story of a native Ojibway Canadian taken to an abusive and horrific residential school who finds some solace in playing hockey, but even that joy is tainted by experiences he must confront. Saul‘s story and what so many children went through will stay with me. Beautifully written. #indigenousauthor #booked2019.

Indian horse is about a indigenous child from the Ojibway tribe, Saul Indian horse survives the Indian residential school system and grows up to become a star hockey player, the story follows Saul on his journey through residential school and his love of hockey.

#7days7covers Day 6

The story of an Ojibway man sent to residential school in the 1960s and his struggles to find a way to build a life for himself and deal with multiple traumatic events in his life. You'll probably get more out of it if you like sports and especially hockey, although that's certainly not necessary to understand Saul's overall journey.

💔💔💔💔💔
Bless you, Richard Wagamese.

Only at chapter three and the tears are coming

😊 😊Are there any other littens here located in Canada? I see all the beautiful book swaps and whatnot going on and wonder if there is anyone else out there dependent on Canada Post who might want to start a group or a book swap or something similar? 😊

Another lunch break, another trip to the book store 🙆🏻‍♀️🤩
In honor of our Canada National Indigenous Peoples Day (21.06.2019) I got this little gem! Did anyone have the chance to read it?

#indianhorse #richardwagamese #bookobsessed

Happy Canada Day!! 🇨🇦 Hoping to get to this novel by a First Nations author later this month. It is also my pick for #booked2019 #indigenousauthor #canada #letstraveljuly @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620

The forcible removal of First Nation children and placement in residential schools is a sad and dark part of our history and difficult to read about. Saul, an Ojibway boy placed in a residential school endures beatings and abuse. The only bright light in his life is playing hockey. I wanted to like this more than I did. Too heavy on the hockey and light on the emotional and historical issues. ⭐️⭐️ #booked2019 #booked2019spring #indigenousauthor

Indian Horse takes you on a journey of Saul‘s life, the Ojibway tribe and how the government took the kids, hockey, and other moments leading up to him being in the treatment center. Filled with so many emotions – love, hope, fear, sorrow, despair, anger, etc. – Indian Horse is a novel that you won‘t forget anytime soon.

Overall an excellent read. I loved the parts about the Ojibway tribe but could have done with fewer hockey sections.

Wow, this might have been one of the best books I have ever read. At first thought this was a typical coming of age story with some heartbreak but then it took a turn I never expected which changed the essence of the book for me. This is a very relevant and such a poignant book. This should be required reading.

New set of picks from Book Riot‘s TBR service. I have never heard of this, but apparently this is the most read book in Canada. Looks interesting.

These are my 3 recommendations from my first Tailored Book Recommendation sub!

Starting off with Indian Horse first.

I wanted to love this more than I did. I was totally absorbed by the story of an Ojibway family trying to keep their children safe from the Canadian government and the journey of Saul into his new life. I was surprised when half the novel was suddenly a sportsing hockey novel, almost like the author got bored. Slow reveal of sexual abuse felt added in for the wrong reasons. I still want to read more by this author; any recommendations?

“If we want to live at peace with ourselves, we need to tell our stories.”

This is a hard but beautifully written book so far. The arrowheads were all collected by my grandfather at the family home farm when he was small.

I highly recommend this book. ❤
#potterspicks #canadianauthor

This is our current selection for my book club, The Munrovians!

I have no words to express how much I loved this book and the subsequent movie. It shook me. Stunning and sad.

After his last drinking binge almost kills him, Saul Indian Horse begins his journey of recovery by going back through his history and getting in touch with his roots as a northern Ojibway.

Such an excellent book. Even though I never went through the same stuff that these kids went through at the residential schools, through this book I can get a sense of what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is about. There are some hard truths that I think Canadians have come to. And I hope books like this can do that. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sometimes ghosts linger. They hover in the furthest corners, and when you least expect it they lurch out, bearing everything they brought to you when when they were alive.

Books had been my safe place all the time I‘d been in the school and they still represented security, and whatever corner I huddled in to read was a safe one to me.

This chapter made me so mad at the descriptions of residential school life. Made me sick to my stomach. Made me want to hug those kids and tell them that what happened to them was wrong.

“From the pages of those books I got the idea that hockey had an alchemy that could transform ordinary men into great ones.”

Heartbreaking chapter.

My afternoon read. Looking forward to this read.

Reading list for the week. Starred books are ones I have to read this week.

Saw the film adaptation yesterday and I liked it even better than the novel. An Anishinaabe story of healing after surviving residential school.

Evening reading. 📚

Indian Horse was un-putdownable. I ended up getting up at 1.30am and reading til 3.30am because I knew I couldn‘t sleep til it was done. Beautifully written, heart aching, nourishing.

“I knew it was a mystery and I honoured it that way.”

This was a beautiful, amazing book. I am so sad that I am done. I cried reading this book, and felt agonizing sadness while reading it. I felt betrayal, grief, joy, exhilaration...emotions ran the gamut.

What an incredible story of survival!

As my journey to read all Richard Wagamese‘s writings progress I can‘t help but feel the sadness of knowing that he is gone. #alltimefave

Such a good book, so difficult to read. I have to take breaks to ease the pain in my gut.

I liked this, but there was too much hockey.

Gotta share this list, especially as it has what I consider to be THE #mustread of #CanLit as #1. #readthenorth

http://www.cbc.ca/books/the-great-canadian-reading-list-150-books-to-read-for-ca...

(Is there a way to embed links in Litsy?)

Saul Indian Horse makes a name for himself on the #iceicebaby but talent can not shelter him from the harsh realities of life in a Northern Ontario residential school.

#90sinJuly @Robothugs @Cinfhen

I'm reading too many books right now but oh well. Started Indian Horse last night, probably starting the LM Montgomery book tomorrow. My oxalis plant is coming back to life after three months of hibernation and I want to shout my excitement from the rooftops, but I've resorted to Litsy instead. 😉

#junebookbugs Day 7: #indigenousauthors
Borrowed Indian Horse and Green Grass, Running Water from a friend, who instructed me to read the latter after the former because one would break my heart and the other would cheer me up.

The story told by Wagamese is so important. More books should bring these stories into the light. The suffering endured by the children forced into residential schools, and the families who were broken by the theft of their children can not truly be understood. We need to read these stories again and again.

This is my first square for #bookbingonw2017.

#canlit

RIP Richard Wagamese...You left a mark on Canadian literature in your short 61 years

We were hockey gypsies, heading down another gravel road every weekend, plowing into the heart of that magnificent northern landscape....We never gave a thought to being Indian. Different. We only thought of the game and the brotherhood that bound us together off the ice...We were a league of nomads, mad for the game, mad for the road, mad for ice and snow, an Arctic wind on our faces and a frozen puck on the blade of our sticks.