LoveReading Says
Emily is subjected to a horrific attack where she is raped with a glass bottle that breaks inside her. This story, peopled by Native ~Canadians, part of a Métis community, does not centre on the ghastly attack but on the reactions to that attack by all members of the family, bringing them closer together. Each chapter is narrated by a different person: relative, friend, enemy, cop, and crosses the generations where backstories are told and friends met. It is a big tale in only 368 pages, a tale of tragedy yes, but of inspiration, determination and hope, a stunning read, not a quick one but when the tension starts mounting you do feel an urgency to turn those pages fast. A family tree is included, essential as a reminder of who is speaking in each chapter. The best, in my opinion, is the family story and how they interact with each other. Highly recommended. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
Sarah Broadhurst
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The Break Synopsis
Winner of the Amazon.ca First Novel Award and a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award, The Break is a stunning and heartbreaking debut novel about a multigenerational Métis-Anishnaabe family dealing with the fallout of a shocking crime in Winnipeg's North End.
When Stella, a young Métis mother, looks out her window one evening and spots someone in trouble on the Break - a barren field on an isolated strip of land outside her house - she calls the police to alert them to a possible crime.
In a series of shifting narratives, people who are connected, both directly and indirectly, with the victim - police, family, and friends - tell their personal stories leading up to that fateful night. Lou, a social worker, grapples with the departure of her live-in boyfriend. Cheryl, an artist, mourns the premature death of her sister Rain. Paulina, a single mother, struggles to trust her new partner. Phoenix, a homeless teenager, is released from a youth detention centre. Officer Scott, a Métis policeman, feels caught between two worlds as he patrols the city. Through their various perspectives a larger, more comprehensive story about lives of the residents in Winnipeg's North End is exposed.
A powerful intergenerational family saga, The Break showcases Vermette's abundant writing talent and positions her as an exciting new voice in Canadian literature.
About This Edition
ISBN: |
9781487001117 |
Publication date: |
6th March 2018 |
Author: |
Katherena Vermette |
Publisher: |
House of Anansi Press |
Format: |
Paperback |
Pagination: |
352 pages |
Primary Genre |
Crime and Mystery
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Other Genres: |
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Recommendations: |
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