The Circle

And so we are back with the Metis family Vermette introduced us to in The Break and then expanded on in The Strangers. It is perhaps three years since we last saw them and people have tried to move on. Some have succeeded more than others.

Phoenix Stranger, who was jailed for a violent assault in the last book, is about to be released from jail. Her sister, Cedar Sage, has been dreading this event because she is sharing a house with one of Phoenix's victims and hasn't told her Phoenix is her sister. We move from Cedar Sage's point of view to Jake, an uncle to another victim, M. And we keep on moving from person to person in the wide circle of relationships. We see how this violent act affected so many people and some of those people have show more moved past the trauma and some have not. M, although still unable to go outside, has built a life for herself online and she seems content there. Elsie, mother to Phoenix and Cedar Sage, has moved out of the city to a healing center. And so on; it's like what might come out at a restorative justice healing circle which is the point of this novel structure. We even see how Phoenix has developed during her time in jail. She was seen watching her son, Sparrow, in the daycare yard and then she just disappeared. Jake was charged as a result because it was thought he had killed her. He had not and Phoenix had just taken off to Alberta but Jake was killed in lock up before anyone could ascertain that. It's not really Phoenix's fault that he died but there is a moral here. It's sort of like that chaos theory idea about the butterfly flapping its wings in the jungle causing a huge storm continents away. You never know what effect your actions will have.

For me, the structure didn't quite work. I felt like I wanted to know more of some of the stories that were shared. I think this might be a book that would benefit from a reread. We'll see. show less

The Circle by Katherina Vermette is the third book in a trilogy after The Break and The Strangers but it can be read as a standalone. It provides both a powerful and poignant look at the long-term effects of colonization and cross generational trauma as well as how the actions of one person can spread like ripples, touching the lives of so many others within the circles.

Phoenix, a young Metis woman is being released from prison after serving time for horrendous assaults on other young girls. It begins as Phoenix’s sister, Cedar, learns of her release, a day she has both looked forward to with anticipation and dreaded because she loves her sister but Ziggy, her best friend and perhaps someday more, was one of Phoenix’s victims. The show more story is told through mostly short chapters with each chapter devoted to the POV of a single character, each more or less affected by Phoenix’s release until returning to Cedar and Ziggy closing the circle. The Circle is a beautifully written story, the kind that will stay with the reader long after finishing the last paragraph and I recommend it highly.

I received an arc of this book from Netgalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review show less

This novel completes the trilogy, following The Break and The Strangers. It's a good story, dealing with the lingering after-effects of a violent action by one character on two young girls. We see how their families continue to have to deal with the consequences of the attack, set in the context of ongoing racism and colonization.

About five years have passed since Phoenix attacked Emily and Ziggy and Phoenix is being released from prison. Phoenix's younger sister, Cedar, has formed a strong friendship/romantic interest with Ziggy, who doesn't know they are related. Jake feels responsible for protecting his cousin, Emily, and other family members, worrying that they will see Phoenix in the neighbourhood.

This book, in particular, looks show more at the idea of justice and the bonds of family and friendships. show less