Welcome to Litsy!

A very poignant book, especially in the last year due to the finding of unmarked graves of residential school students in several locations. It‘s a book I need to purchase and mark up. Lots of warnings for this book, especially for sexual abuse. #letteri #alphabetgame

Heartbreaking, but so good. Definitely had me in tears.

#MadeYouCry #BookMoods
@Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Incredibly difficult, but ultimately hopeful. Knowledge if this history, even if it is fictionalized here, is so important and needs to be more widespread. It really wasn‘t that long ago in the scheme of things. I wish I could have appreciated the parts about hockey a little more, but I am not a huge fan.

I'm really glad I finally read this, even if it was a bit hockey-heavy for me. I think it's an all too common story for many Indigenous people in Canada. It was difficult to read, but also very necessary, especially with all the discoveries of mass graves at residential schools.

I'm posting one book per day from the ever growing unread stacks in my personal library. No description or explanation, just books I own and plan to read. #tbr

Day 55 (Audible edition)

Beautifully told and devastating. Whatever else I could say about it would be totally inadequate. So just read it.
#ReadCanada #Ontario
#ShutdownRound3 book 2

Day 6 #12DaysofBooks This is a brilliant book about a young Indigenous man, his love of hockey, and his life at a residential school. This book left a profound impression on me, and should be required reading for Canadian high schoolers.

This is a powerhouse of a book- and most certainly for those who understand the love of hockey- BUT don‘t think this is a hockey book. The writing is superb, evocative and authentic encouraging me to find solace and heal where so much anger should be holds the value for forgiveness above the destruction of revenge. Books like this enlighten and offer clarity- should be on everyone‘s TBR pile.

🇨🇦🇨🇦Happy Canada Day🇨🇦🇨🇦

To celebrate I‘m sharing books by some of the Canadian authors on my many shelves 📚 (Full disclosure - I haven‘t read all of these)

Who is your favourite Canadian author? Mine is Susanna Kearsley.

Today also marks the official start to the #ReadCanada challenge, which requires participants to read at least one book set in each of Canada‘s ten provinces and three territories. All are welcome to join 😊

Sol tells the story of his life growing up and his family's experience with colonization. Sol tells this story as a reflection of his life and his family's struggles. I like this book so far, but I haven't read enough of it to get a really concrete understanding of the whole novel. A theme present in this novel is the theme of overcoming adversity.

French-langage lovers, today is the beginning of the annual Combat National des Livres (Canada Reads, but in French).

The defenders are:
Richard Wagamese's Cheval indien (Indigenous territories)
J.R. Réveillé's Le soleil du lac qui se couche (West)
Marguerite Anderson, Mauvaise mère (Ontario)
Nadine Bismuth, Un lien familial (Québec)
Gérald Leblanc, Moncton Mantra (Atlantic)

Go vote now! https://ici.radio-canada.ca/fiches/572/combat-des-livres

It's been a while since a book made me cry. A very shameful part of Canadian history. This should be mandatory reading in Canadian schools, it was very eye opening. I always thought the schools occurred in the late 1800s (and they did), but this book is set in the 1960s. And according to Google the last federal residential school closed in 1996! I had no idea, how recent this all was. A very important read for any Canadian.

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? 😊

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.