Joseph Boyden has written a WWI novel of magnificence and splendor. Told alternately by Niska an Oji-Cree medicine woman and her nephew, Xavier Bird we learn of a side of the war of which little has been written.

When the story opens, Niska is traveling from her home in northern Ontario to reclaim her nephew, who has returned from the Great War. During the trip back to her home by canoe, Xavier relates the story of his time overseas alternately with his years growing up with his boyhood friend, Elijah Whiskeyjack. Elijah and Xavier enter the army and serve together. It soon becomes apparent to those in charge that the two are skilled shooters and they are soon utilized as snipers, aiming to eliminate their German counterparts.

Niska, at the same time, tells the story of her life, growing up in Northern Ontario and trying to maintain her life as a Cree living in the bush and depending on the earth for sustenance. Most of her relatives abandon that lifestyle and succumb to the charms of city life, which she finds reprehensible.

The author weaves the story back and forth in time and place. From the war-torn fields of France to the fields and streams of northern Ontario we follow the story of the two life-long friends, whose relationship undergoes tremendous strain as Elijah becomes more and more addicted to both morphine and war. Boyden does a masterful job of creating and nurturing that metaphor. The two friends grow further and further apart as the strains of combat overcome them both. On page 285 Xavier remarks:

“Elijah seems to have no more need for food. He is thin and hard like a rope. He is a shadow that slips in and out of darkness. He is someone I no longer know”

In the end, it is Niska who has to use all her skills to save Xavier from addiction, from loneliness, and from himself. Prose that sings and a compulsively readable narrative combine for a mesmerizing read. Highly recommended. ( )

One of my favourite books! It's an excellent example of historical fiction, and it's incredibly interesting to read about WW1. Who knew about the morphine addiction? ( )

War is ugly and always has been; people die and usually gruesomely. But there seems to be a general consensus that the most horror-filled war was The Great War, The War to End All Wars--World War I. Not before or since have armies been mired down in trenches, where it was possible to die from drowning in mud, never mind from bullets or artillery. Being static--unable to move, to have at least the illusion of dodging incoming artillery--did something to the psyches of the soldiers who fought in that war that wasn’t seen until Vietnam, and for different reasons.

Two young Crees from northern Ontario enlist in the Canadian army and become part of the Southern Ontario Rifles, an outfit, that although fictional, mirrors the courage and horror of the Canadian participation in the war. In addition, being First Nation (as indigienous people are known in Canada), Xavier Bird and his best friend, Elijah Whiskeyjack, have additional challenges. Each was marked by the events in which they participated.

But this is far more than a war story with an interesting twist. It is also the story of the Crees in the early 20th century, especially those who were “bush Indians”, refusing to accommodate to the white ways and living the traditional Cree way. And that we learn from Niska, a medicine woman, who leaves her home in the wilderness in her canoe to bring back her nephew Xavier, who has survived the war--but as a broken man addicted to opium. The story unfolds during the journey back to the wilderness.

Throughout is the theme of the windigo, a creature of evil that can spread like an infection. Niska’s father and Niska herself are windigo killers, those recognized by the tribes as having the power, which is a gift, of ridding the tribe of these humans turned into monsters. Windigos are made, not born, and therein lies a tale.

It is a remarkable story, profound. It is told in a circular fashion, through flashbacks that are not linear--to the days when Xavier and Eilijah were hunters as boys, to the war to Niska’s childhood to the present. The prose is spare, dispassionate, but the impact is searing.

This is a debut novel for Boyden, and an extremely powerful one. Highly recommended. ( )

Prachtig indrukwekkend verhaal, waarin de ellende van de eerste Wereldoorlog goed beschreven wordt. In het Nederlands gelezen "de driedaagse reis".

This is one of the best novels I read in a while. The story of two Native Canadians fighting in the Great War is on par with anything that has been written on the theme and than some. The story and the characters are unforgettable. The narrative is precise and unflinching in dealing with enormously complex issues. There are scenes that have kept me up at night. The story brings to light a piece of Canadian, and indeed world history, that is often overlooked or dealt with in superficial manner (movie Windtalkers comes to mind). Boyden throughout the book allows his characters to remain complex and, which is even more important, he allows them to draw strength from their Native spiritual and cultural background. Highly recommended. ( )