King, T. (1991). Medicine River. Toronto, ON: Penguin Books.
Medicine River by Thomas King is a very engaging novel written by an Aboriginal author who is of Cherokee and Greek ancestry. It is a very well-known book in the world of Canadian literature and is appropriate for grade 11 or 12 students. While the book does not shy away from difficult issues, such as abuse, suicide, racial stereotypes etc., the power of it lies in its portrayal of a First Nations community. Many Canadian`s have a certain perception of Aboriginal people that contrasts with the reality. This novel displays the strong family ties and sense of community that are hallmarks of native culture in a contemporary setting. The characters are portrayed as hardworking, intelligent, funny interesting and resilient, and the community not so different from any typical small town. The homecoming of the main character Will to Medicine River to open the only native photography studio is an opportunity to learn through flashbacks about his childhood. The emphasis on storytelling offers a chance to explore the oral tradition of First Nations peoples. Students would find it to be a fairly easy novel to read with enough humour to keep them engaged.
This seems like an interesting book that would share the culture of Aboriginal people. I really like the idea of becoming engaging students as well and I think this book would fit well into ELA.
ReplyDeleteI structured my mini-unit around this novel. I really enjoyed and appreciated the conversational style of the prose. it is an fluid read that really pacts in a lot of content within its multiple layers. I hope you enjoyed it!
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