Michelle Good's Five Little Indians is the 2022 Canada Reads Winner! The book follows five Mission, B.C. residential school survivors and their struggle to adapt after leaving the school when they reach adulthood. With compassion and insight, Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these friends to come to terms with their past and, ultimately, find a way forward.
Whether you are waiting for your turn with the book or already read it and want to explore more coming of age stories featuring themes like chosen family and Indigenous voices, try one of these selections.
The Break by Katherena Vermette
A multigenerational Métis–Anishnaabe family deals with the fallout of a shocking crime in Winnipeg's North End.
Glass Beads by Dawn Dumont
Short stories interconnecting the friendships of four young people, who are among the first of their families to live off the reserve for most of their adult lives. Readers are intimately connected with each struggle, whether it is with racism, isolation, finding their cultural identity, or repairing the wounds of their upbringing.
Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga
The shocking true story of the seven young Indigenous students who were found dead in Thunder Bay from 2000 to 2011. Talaga delves into the history of this small northern city that has come to manifest Canada’s long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities.
The Round House by Louise Erdrich
An exquisitely told story of an Indigenous boy on the cusp of manhood who seeks justice and understanding in the wake of a terrible crime that upends and forever transforms his family.
Going Back Home by Marie Hess
Written by a Mohawk Institute Residential School survivor, this is a fierce and candid story that reveals the heartbreaking trauma of that tragic time in our history.
Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
For Saul, taken forcibly from the land and his family when he's sent to residential school, salvation comes for a while through his incredible gifts as a hockey player. But in the harsh realities of 1960s Canada, he battles obdurate racism and the spirit-destroying effects of cultural alienation and displacement
