Review: The Break

The Break by Katherena Vermette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So glad to finally read a book my Canadian friends have been discussing since the start of 2016! A violent crime occurs in a small community that is an offshoot of the Métis Nation (in Manitoba, Canada.) It's told from alternating perspectives, allowing for multiple generations and connections to speak for themselves. I was struck by the importance of family, how secrets were kept from people to protect them in different ways, how trauma is passed down.

When Shawn Mooney first came on the Reading Envy Podcast in January 2017, he discussed this book. That episode is even named after a quote from the book.

Thanks to the publisher for approving my request in Edelweiss. It comes out in the USA on March 6, 2018, but can we please work toward a speedier USA pub date from such lauded Canadian titles?

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