Hi friends, happy Friday! I hope you’ve all had a good week. Today I’m reviewing Michelle Good’s novel Five Little Indians.

This book was nominated, and won, Canada Reads 2022.

Five Little Indians by: Michelle Good: Taken from their homes as children and forced to go to residential schools, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are finally released years later with no money and no support after being detained. Now, they must fend for themselves to try and survive, and try to forget and heal from their trauma. This novel was poignant and hard-hitting; it showed the realities of Indigenous children and how children were taken from their homes, how they were treated, and how their lives were affected and changed forever. Good was able to effectively communicate everything in a way where it wasn’t overwhelming but still harrowing and important to read. Her storytelling was powerful and commanding, which made the reader want to listen. The way this was told in a back and forth sort of way worked because the flashbacks really helped to shape not only the story of each of the characters, but the characters themselves. The way that each of the five of them weaved in and out of their lives was done really well; it was never confusing as to who was who as each character had their own voice and they were extremely developed, which made the reader care for them and want to know what would happen to them. This was fast-paced and read so easy; the reader found themselves so engrossed in each of the characters’ lives. This was well worth the read, even though it’s a work of fiction, it truly depicted a lot of truths that are only just starting to find the light. Brilliantly written, and wonderfully told.