Book Review: The Orenda

RATING:

5 cookies out of 5 cookies!

What's it about?

The Orenda follows the story of 3 characters, Bird, a Huron warrior, Snow Falls, his adopted Iroquois daughter, and Christophe, a Jesuit missionary as they interact and weave together a complicated masterpiece about Canada’s early formative years.  

Favourite Quotes:

Too many! This book is such a piece of literary brilliancy that every line could find a place in my favourite quotes. Its poetic pose was an absolute joy to read.

Who would enjoy it?

Anyone with a brain and a passion for literature. Anyone who enjoys reading, period.

What I liked:

I liked everything about this novel. I’ve said this already, but it is truly a masterpiece. Now, when I say that, let me be clear: it’s not a comfortable read. It’s not easy, or pleasant, and it won’t inspire good dreams. It is troubling and haunting and left me shaky long after I’d closed it. But it is an absolutely necessary read. The world the author creates is infallibly real, and so are the characters, and despite the fact that the chapters jump between them, Joseph Boyden somehow manages to make them all equally captivating and seductive which shows his immense skill. The journey they embark on together is complex and bittersweet, an epic odyssey that grows and changes over a period of many years, and we have the pleasure of experiencing it with them through each startlingly unique perspective.

As well, the history relayed here between Canadian settlers and the First Nations tribes they mingle with is disturbingly uncomfortable and made me question not only the actions of my own ancestors, but the beliefs I have about my society and my life. It is terribly sad to see the devastating affect European colonialism had on the First Nations, and the ugliness within the story is only digestible because it is counteracted with incredible beauty and love. Be prepared to laugh, cry, sweat with anxiety, and nearly vomit with horror. The writing is MASTERFUL, and The Orenda is destined to become a Canadian, if not international classic for the ages. There is no forgetting this novel once you have picked it up, and pick it up you MUST! There is a very good reason it won the 2014 CBC Canada Reads competition.

Overall:
If you do one thing this summer, if you choose to read just ONE book, let it be The Orenda. You will not regret it, though you may lose sleep over the haunting images and ideas it leaves behind.