Through Black Spruce - The Library of the Uncommons

English language

Published Nov. 19, 2009 by Viking.

ISBN:: 978-0-670-02057-7

(2 reviews)

A haunting novel about identity, love, and loss by the author of Three Day RoadWill Bird is a legendary Cree bush pilot, now lying in a coma in a hospital in his hometown of Moose Factory, Ontario. His niece Annie Bird, beautiful and self-reliant, has returned from her own perilous journey to sit beside his bed. Broken in different ways, the two take silent communion in their unspoken kinship, and the story that unfolds is rife with heartbreak, fierce love, ancient blood feuds, mysterious disappearances, fires, plane crashes, murders, and the bonds that hold a family, and a people, together. As Will and Annie reveal their secretsthe tragic betrayal that cost Will his family, Annies desperate search for her missing sister, the famous model Suzannea remarkable saga of resilience and destiny takes shape. From the dangerous bush country of upper Canada to the drug-fueled glamour of the Manhattan club scene, …

A haunting novel about identity, love, and loss by the author of Three Day RoadWill Bird is a legendary Cree bush pilot, now lying in a coma in a hospital in his hometown of Moose Factory, Ontario. His niece Annie Bird, beautiful and self-reliant, has returned from her own perilous journey to sit beside his bed. Broken in different ways, the two take silent communion in their unspoken kinship, and the story that unfolds is rife with heartbreak, fierce love, ancient blood feuds, mysterious disappearances, fires, plane crashes, murders, and the bonds that hold a family, and a people, together. As Will and Annie reveal their secretsthe tragic betrayal that cost Will his family, Annies desperate search for her missing sister, the famous model Suzannea remarkable saga of resilience and destiny takes shape. From the dangerous bush country of upper Canada to the drug-fueled glamour of the Manhattan club scene, Joseph Boyden tracks his characters with a keen eye for the telling detail and a rare empathy for the empty places concealed within the heart. Sure to appeal to readers of Louise Erdrich and Jim Harrison, Through Black Spruce establishes Boyden as a writer of startling originality and uncommon power.

2 editions

JohnnyCache reviewed Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden

Review of 'Through Black Spruce' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

I will buy every Joseph Boyden book that he releases. They are all that good. It is hard to put my finger on exactly why his writing is so mesmerizing. Here are some thoughts: the characters are generally all quite realistic, the stories are believable (and don't follow the traditional "hero falls in love, hero fights bad guy, bad guy almost wins, hero emerges victorious" format of so many other books), the use of multiple perspectives which alternate with each chapter... what else? I think that Joseph Boyden has some of that "je ne sais quoi" that a reader doesn't encounter very often. I am crossing my fingers that The Orenda, his latest book, wins Canada Reads 2014 and Joseph Boyden becomes a household name in Canada. His writing is really that special and he deserves to be recognized as one of the best, unique, magical authors alive today. …

I will buy every Joseph Boyden book that he releases. They are all that good. It is hard to put my finger on exactly why his writing is so mesmerizing. Here are some thoughts: the characters are generally all quite realistic, the stories are believable (and don't follow the traditional "hero falls in love, hero fights bad guy, bad guy almost wins, hero emerges victorious" format of so many other books), the use of multiple perspectives which alternate with each chapter... what else? I think that Joseph Boyden has some of that "je ne sais quoi" that a reader doesn't encounter very often. I am crossing my fingers that The Orenda, his latest book, wins Canada Reads 2014 and Joseph Boyden becomes a household name in Canada. His writing is really that special and he deserves to be recognized as one of the best, unique, magical authors alive today.

If you are unsure where to start with Boyden, do not start with Through Black Spruce. If anything, you must read Three Day Road before this one, as it is a sequel of sorts. The Orenda is fantastic and can be enjoyed before or after these two. Born With a Tooth can similarly be read before or after the others.

MaidMerry reviewed Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden

Review of 'Through Black Spruce' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Whew. It took me a long time to read this book, mostly because I've been really busy and haven't been reading.

However, I did not find this book to be as un-put-downable as Three Day Road. So I was not compelled to stay awake until 4:00 am some night to finish it.

That said, it's still a great read. Boyden has wonderful way with imagery, and his characters are well-developed, if a little rough around the edges. I confess I did find it hard to relate to Annie, though, and I didn't care at all about the missing sister, who meant nothing more to me than a retouched face in a magazine ad. The uncle, though--Will--was a sympathetic character.

This novel portrays a fascinating cocktail of traditional bush life, rez life, street life, and the high life, exposing the contrasts and contradictions of life for Aboriginal people today.

Subjects

Cree Indians -- Fiction
Coma -- Patients -- Fiction
Ontario -- Fiction