BOOKS FROM CANADAFor Joshua: One Ojibway Father Teaches His Son
Tags:
Set in Canada
Male author
Description:
“An expansive work about healing, resilience, humanity, respect, inheritance, Indigenous teachings, and most of all, love” from the author of Indian Horse (Literary Hub). “We may not relight the fires that used to burn in our villages, but we can carry the embers from those fires in our hearts and learn to light new fires in a new world.” Ojibwe tradition calls for fathers to walk their children through the world, sharing the ancient understanding “that we are all, animate and inanimate alike, living on the one pure breath with which the Creator gave life to the Universe.” In this intimate series of letters to the six-year-old son from whom he was estranged, Richard Wagamese fulfills this traditional duty with grace and humility, describing his own path through life—separation from his family as a boy, substance abuse, incarceration, and ultimately the discovery of books and writing—and braiding this extraordinary story with the teachings of his people, in which animals were the teachers of human beings, until greed and a desire to control the more-than-human world led to anger, fear, and, eventually, profound alienation. At once a deeply moving memoir and a fascinating elucidation of a rich indigenous cosmology, For Joshua is an unforgettable journey. “Told lyrically and unflinchingly, For Joshua is both a letter of apology and another attempt at self-identification for the writer. A must-read for Wagamese fans, and a good primer for his novels.” —Minneapolis StarTribune “A well-written, introspective book on fatherhood and loss that will especially interest readers and students of First Nations life and literature.” —Library Journal
Reviews:
(1 year ago) |
01 Dec, 2023
Celebrated Ojibway author Richard Wagamese shares the traditions and teachings of his people, entwining them with an account of his own life-long struggle for self-knowledge and self-respect.
Richard Wagamese stares the modern world in the eye and takes careful note of its snares and perils. He sees people coveting without knowing why, people looking for roots without understanding what might constitute rootedness, people looking for acceptance without offering reciprocal respect, and people longing for love without knowing how to offer it. And underneath all lurks the seductive oblivion of substance abuse. These are the pitfalls of his own life, dangers he hopes his estranged son, Joshua, will be able to navigate with the guidance afforded by this heartfelt memoir.
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(6 months ago) |
01 Apr, 2025
I categorize this book as Canada/Indigenous (hence 2 books under Canada).
This is an honest account of a father trying to explain, but not excuse, the actions and choices in life. It touches on the generational abuse and mistreatment of the Ojibway people, as well as other marginalized communities. What I liked most about this account was that it wasn’t just a litany of finger pointing and blaming (which, in fairness, would be justified but is nonetheless tiresome to read). Wagamese eloquently and with amazing insight recounts the physical and emotion impact of abuse and discrimination, but also recognizes how his own free choices contributed to his life. It is a remarkable read and one I highly recommend. |
