Blue Hand Books

  All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac All the Quiet Places is a novel by Brian Thomas Isaac. (Touchwood Editions) In All the Quiet Places , it's 1956 and young Eddie Toma lives on the far edge of the Okanagan Indian Reserve with his mother and little brother. In the summer, he tags along with his mother, his nephew and her friends to farm in Washington state. After tragedy strikes, Eddie comes home grief-stricken, confused and lonely. As he grows up, his life is governed by the decisions of the adults around him. And every time things start to look up, circumstances beyond his control crash down around him — and the effects of guilt, grief and despair keep piling up, threatening everything Eddie has ever known or loved. When you can read it: Oct. 12, 2021 Brian Thomas Isaac was born on the Okanagan Indian Reserve, in south central B.C. He's worked in oil fields, as a bricklayer, and he had a short career riding bulls in local rodeos. As a...

  The Strangers by Katherena Vermette The Strangers is a novel by Katherena Vermette. (Vanda Fleury, Hamish Hamilton) In The Strangers , readers are brought into the dynamic world of the Stranger family, the shared pain of their past and the light that shines from the horizon. After spending time in foster homes, Cedar goes to live with her estranged father. Being separated from her mother, Elsie, and her sister, Phoenix, is painful, but she's hoping for a new chapter in life. The three women diverge, reconnect, and fight to survive in a system that expects them to fail. When you can read it: Sept. 28, 2021 Read an excerpt and see the cover of Katherena Vermette's upcoming novel The Strangers Katherena Vermette is a Red River Métis writer from Winnipeg. Her debut poetry collection, North End Love Songs , won the 2013 Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry. Her first novel, The Break , won the Amazon First Novel Award, Margaret Laurence Award for F...

  Manikanetish by Naomi Fontaine Manikanetish is a book by Naomi Fontaine. (Kizzy E. Steve, House of Anansi Press) In  Manikanetish , a young Innu woman, Yammie, returns to her home in the Uashat nation on Quebec's North Shore after 15 years of exile. She plans to teach language and drama at the community's school, but finds a community stalked by despair. When she accepts a position directing the school play, she sees an opportunity for her students to take charge of themselves.  When you can read it: Sept. 28, 2021 Naomi Fontaine is a member of the Innu Nation of Uashat. Her debut novel, Kuessipan , was made into a film that was featured at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival. The French language edition of Manikanetish was a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Awards and Radio Canada's Combat des livres 2019 .

The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour by Dawn Dumont The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour is a novel by Dawn Dumont. (Thistledown Press, Freehand Books) The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour  is about the trials and tribulations of a touring dance group. Right before a 15-day tour through Europe, all the performers in The Prairie Chicken dance troupe come down with the flu. So, John Greyeyes, a retired cowboy who hasn't danced in 15 years, is thrust into leading a hastily assembled group of replacement dancers. As the gaggle of amateur dancers make its way from one stop to another, nothing goes as planned and the tour becomes a string of madcap adventures.  When you can read it: Sept. 27, 2021 Dawn Dumont writes about the ups and downs of the modern Indigenous experience Dawn Dumont is a Plains Cree writer, comedian and actor who lives in Saskatoon. She is the author of Rose's Run , Glass Beads , and Nobody Cries at Bingo , which was shortlisted for the 2012 Alberta...

  Probably Ruby by Lisa Bird-Wilson Probably Ruby is a novel by Lisa Bird-Wilson. (CBC Books, Doubleday Canada) In Probably Ruby , Ruby is placed in a foster home shortly after birth. She is finally adopted by Alice and Mel, a less-than-desirable couple who can't afford to complain too much about Ruby's Indigenous roots. After her new parents' marriage falls apart, Ruby ends up in vulnerable and compromising situations — self-destructing on alcohol, drugs and bad relationships — that lead her to search for her Indigenous identity in the unlikeliest of places. When you can read it: Aug. 24, 2021 Lisa Bird-Wilson on the role of art in reconciliation Lisa Bird-Wilson is a Saskatchewan Métis and nêhiyaw writer whose book Just Pretending won four Saskatchewan Book Awards. She's also the author of the poetry collection The Red Files .