Librarian’s Book Review

“A Grandmother Begins The Story,” by Michelle Porter.

Some books are simply magical, and this is one of them. When I picked up the book, it was relatively light (330 pages), so it definitely not useful for weightlifting; I was intrigued by the cover, beaded work with a bison prominently featured. The book was magical and heartbreaking. It’s funny, poignant, and laden with flawed but lovable characters. A rich tapestry is woven with the strands of generations of Metis women, bison, grasslands, and two irresistible dogs. This is an extraordinary novel, told by a variety of characters trying to make sense of this world and the next. Yes, the bison and the grasslands are characters, too, and their story is integral to the story.  Read and enjoy, but consider keeping and notebook handy to sort out the many wonderful characters. At the end of the book, I wanted to read it again; it was so beautiful. But it will have to wait a bit, because as you know, so MANY books, not enough time!