Another of her books was described as a "collection of linked stories",and that fits this book also. Beginning with a description of Duluth's environment and history, Grover tells us of the Anishinaabe presence, and of the French and Italian who come later. Other sections focus more on her own family's history and on Anishinaabe wisdom stories as they relate to current lives. There is some repetition of details in subsequent chapters-- tho whether this is simply a means of setting the locale or a storyteller's reinforcement of important points, I'm not sure.
While reading the first section, I wasn't sure there was enough to impel me to buy the book, but by the end I knew there were enough jewels tucked in to be of value. For example, she tells the story of the birth of Nanaboozoo as a rabbit, beginning with how his grandmother came to earth. What I had not previously heard was that he had a twin brother, a wolf, who was tossed out during the difficult birth. Later the wolf & Nanaboozoo meet, but the wolf chooses not to stay with the family "it was understood by all that the trauma he had experienced...could not be undone. It had become a part of [them]...and of the earth...it has become apart of us all...[since then, wolves] have lived with the self-reliance and contemplation that comes with solitude. This is not a bad thng or a good thing; it is simply the way of the world." (p.96) As happens other times in this book, this chapter giving a traditional tale is followed by one with that same lesson being played out in a family member's life.
One of her last chapters, Homeland, presents her feelings when [white] people comment on Native people's spiritual connection to the land, or make 'land acknowledgement' statements in her presence. But she has also commented on a cultural belief that not all things are knowable. "Within this mystery are perhaps keys to understanding the reasons for the redemption and renewal of the Earth, our purpose."(p.140) ( )