Publisher: Harper Collins Canada, September 13th, 2022
Format: ebook
Pages: 192
Rating: 5/5 stars
Synopsis (from Goodreads):
In the stark expanse of Northern Alberta, a queer Indigenous doctoral student steps away from his dissertation to write a novel, informed by a series of poignant encounters: a heart-to-heart with fellow doctoral student River over the mounting pressure placed on marginalized scholars; a meeting with Michael, a closeted man from his hometown whose vulnerability and loneliness punctuate the realities of queer life on the fringe. Woven throughout these conversations are memories of Jack, a cousin caught in the cycle of police violence, drugs, and survival. Jack’s life parallels the narrator’s own; the possibilities of escape and imprisonment are left to chance with colonialism stacking the odds. A Minor Chorus introduces a dazzling new literary voice whose vision and fearlessness shine much-needed light on the realities of Indigenous survival.
My Review:
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Read if you like: character-driven stories.
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The book’s main character is an Indigenous Ph.D. student from northern Alberta who begins to question his dissertation and puts it aside to work on a novel. The book then follows a few important conversations with people for his book.
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The novel is a short, quick read but so good. The writing is beautiful and I love how the author played around with the structure of the novel. The author explores the themes of Indigenous Queer experiences and, youth, and residential school survivors. I highly recommend this poignant book.
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CW: death, residential schools, trauma, sexual content, homophobia, racism, police brutality, incarceration.
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