Book description
Fifteen years after the death of their patriarch Xavier, the Bird Clan
finds itself struggling to survive on the hardscrabble reservation they
call home. On Christmas Day, the youngest of the clan, a beautiful young
woman called Suzanne leaves by snowmobile with her boyfriend Gus
Netmaker, against both families' wishes, hoping to find purpose and a
better life in Toronto. When word from Suzanne and Gus suddenly ceases,
the Netmakers and Birds fear the worst and tensions between the two
families escalate to violent levels. Suzanne's sister Annie, a loner and
a hunter, decides to leave home for the very first time to search for
them, leaving behind their uncle Will, a man haunted by loss. While
Annie travels from Toronto to New York, from modeling studios to A-list
parties, Will encounters dire troubles at home. Both eventually come to
painful discoveries about the inescapable ties of family. THROUGH BLACK
SPRUCE paints aboriginal life in a contemporary world, full of the
dangers, desperation and harsh beauty of both the forest and the city.
It's an utterly unforgettable consideration of the search for identity
and the strength of family love.
