Welcome to Litsy!

January has been a heavy month…in ways expected & in ways that have blindsided me. Friends & family are engaged in some pretty dramatic fights for their health. As a consequence, I‘ve found myself reaching for lighter books.

All that to say, I made it through 4 books from @Christine ‘s #AuldLangSpine list (and no more). My clear favorite was Fire Exit. I‘m listening to “Says Who?” at the moment, which is providing both levity & substance.👇🏻

There needs to be a rating above Pick for a book like this. Morgan Talty‘s writing is soooooo good. Even though he writes about painful topics (like dementia, alcoholism), it feels like a gift to be able to read his words. Fave read of 2025 and the bar is set high.

Despite being raised by a Native man and accepted fully into his family by the tender age of 2, Charles must leave the Rez the moment he comes of age because he does not have Native blood. When he fathers a child with a Penobscot woman he‘s been friends with since childhood, she leaves him and begs him to keep his parentage a secret — “for their daughter.” This secret turns his own life to ash and burns through the lives of others. 👇🏻

“Louise,” I said. “Do you know where you are?”
She looked at me again. “Where I am?” she repeated.
“Yes,” I said. “Do you know where you are?”
Never before had I heard such certainty in a voice. “I‘m in my bones,” she said, and she rolled back onto her side.

#AuldLangSpine @Christine

This was a sad story but I enjoyed it. Charles is a Native American living in Maine. He‘s taking care of his mother who has dementia. He lives across the lake from his daughter and her mother, keeping tabs on them though his daughter doesn‘t know of his existence. Charles is a storyteller and tells us about his life through various stories about himself. There are a lot of layers to this one and it is thought provoking.

There is a quote I heard somewhere about how “to mother“ and “to father“ have such different meanings. This book had me thinking about that. It is about fatherhood, heritage, indigenous rules about native status, hardship, depression, dementia and love. While it is a rather sad read, it is beautifully written, entertaining and thought provoking. Thanks to Goodreads for the copy of the book. I really enjoyed it. 4/5 stars!

“I almost dropped her in the snow but I didn‘t because the fierceness with which we love gave me enough strength.”

#bookhaul Part 3

“‘Do you know where you are?‘
“Never before had I heard such certainty in a voice. ‘I‘m in my bones,‘ she said, and she rolled back onto her side.”

https://youtu.be/c4Y-AN47z7o?feature=shared

Alice Munro, persona non grata

The Hamilton Review of Books podcast

Mystery guest

Week in Review

Patreon news

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty

The Deluge by Stephen Markley

Fatherhood and who gets to claim Indigeneity, mental health, addiction, grief and guilt are all explored in this
quiet, poignant novel set in and adjacent to a Penobscot reservation in Maine. Audiobook read by Darrell Dennis (who is Secwepemc).

Is there a word that means something is both true and false? I‘ve looked and I‘ve yet to find one. I can come up with statements that are the example. “I am your father,” is one that comes to mind.

In my latest episode of Friday Reads: Alice Munro‘s daughter Andrea; the Victoria Pride parade; travel; the colour blue; speculative fiction, LGBTQ & Indigenous stories

https://youtu.be/Ne7f1JVqJOM

“For days after hearing that story, I felt strange. There was this history I was a part of, but I never knew it. It made me wonder how much I didn‘t know.”

“But one thing is for certain, I thought: you are who you are, even if you don‘t know it.”

Charles grew up on the rez with his mom and Native stepdad but was not longer allowed to live there after 18, as he lacks Native blood. Exiled from his community, he is now caring for his mom as she slips further into dementia and grapples with the concepts of family and blood. Searing and very good.

Dementia, alcoholism, loneliness, guilt, longing, grief, family, and heritage makes for this excellent story of Charles and the Penobscot people.

Loved Morgan Taltys debut book of short stories really excited to read his first novel Fire Exit.My weekend reading drawn right in.