Kiss of the Fur Queen

"I found the story to be enjoyable, linear, and compelling. Both brothers were compassionate, intriguing, and unique. The prose is quiet and beautiful, the story is emotional and powerful. But as a very literal person, I had trouble following the Cree cosmology. We did discuss some of it in class‚Äîparticularly the Trickster—which I found very interesting and helpful in understanding the backstory. However, some readers may find this a difficult thing to get past, trying to explain the “why” in the interactions with the Fur Queen or Maggie Sees." ( )

The Kiss of the Fur Queen tells the story of the struggle to hold on to traditional culture and beliefs in a world of racism and discrimination. It is the story of two Cree brothers, renamed Jeremiah and Gabriel by the Catholic church, who are taken from their home in northern Manitoba and sent to residential school hundreds of miles away. There, like so many actual students in this sad chapter of Canadian history, they were sexually abused by the priests and brothers who ran the school.

Following their mandatory stay at residential school, Jeremiah and Gabriel attend high school in Winnipeg, where they witness and are the victims of racism and stereotyping of the worst kind. They see first hand the devastating effect of city life and alienation on other indians in the city. It is their art that helps the brothers survive. Jeremiah is a concert pianist and Gabriel a dancer.

Interwoven with the usual narrative of the story, the author has woven mystical elements of Cree legends and the Cree method of of story telling to teach morals and spirituality.

This is a great book. Sometimes funny, often tragic and with glimpses of hope, it is highly recommended. ( )

This beautifully composed book follows the lives of two Cree brothers from their birthplace in northern Manitoba, to their school years when they were forced to attend an abusive Catholic residential school, through their adult years as artists (one became a concert pianist, the other a dancer). The novel covers some pretty rough areas, but the storytelling is absolutely lyrical. I would expect a book that covers sexual abuse, drug and alcohol abuse and homosexual struggles to be completely depressing, but Highway's use of magical imagery and humour made this a wonderful read.

Recommended for: I highly recommend this book to mature readers who appreciate well-crafted prose and aren't squeamish about difficult subject matter. It will definitely make my top five reads for 2009. ( )

I absolutely loved this novel. I found Tomson Highway's writing to be lyrical, descriptive, and engaging. His novel has the power to express truths about racism and colonialism while also engrossing the reader in a moving narrative. ( )

This novel is much more boring and pretentious than I ever expected. Highway is a way better playwright! ( )