I’ve been curious about his book since I saw it in a bookstore in Montreal. I mean, just look at the cover, it’s beautiful!

I know, never judge a book by the cover. But in this case, you won’t be disappointed. “A Grandmother Begins the Story” is a tale about indigenous heritage, but written in a different format. There are close to 100 short chapters, all written in various voices. At least 5 generations of members of this family, some living, some dead, take turns sharing their fates.

I’ve listened to this book in audio format, and I must say that in the beginning this threw me off and I considered not even finishing it. It was a lot of jumping back and forth and a new narrator was introduced every five minutes. But once I got used to it I started seeing the beauty in this approach.

The author, Michelle Porter, is very skilled in giving a unique voice and personality to each of the different characters. And we’re not just talking about people. There are stories told from the perspective of animals, and even a car. This is a very tricky move that can go wrong easily, but the author pulled it off. I loved listening to the perspective of the buffalos, those are some of my favourite chapters.

This plays into the close relationship that Indigenous people have with the land and the animals that live in it. Michelle Porter can make even the grass sound alive. In the end, consuming this story in audio format was a blessing, because the voice actors (there are 15 of them, including the author) are really good and make all the different characters come to life.

The characters face several challenges and none of them have what you would call an easy life. They deal with suicide ideation, alcoholism, adoption, abandonment and domestic violence. And yet, the book is somehow light. The thing that unites them all is the love for music, and this is expressed in different ways in each generation. It’s when they all are at their happiest.

This was my second book by an Indigenous Canadian author, and I’m planning to dive more into this universe. But one thing has been bothering me though. It’s the same issue that I’ve encountered when looking for books from countries torn by war (Syria, Iraq, and Iran, are some examples). I feel like most of the books and movies I encounter tell the same story. In the case of some Middle Eastern countries, this is the story of families devastated by war and forced to flee their homes. In the case of indigenous literature is the story of families devastated by colonization, subjugation and the loss of their culture.

And those stories are important. Dealing with the trauma of both war and colonization will have to involve listening to those stories in a compassionate way, these stories need to be shared. However, I frequently feel like this is the only option available to me if I want to read a book written by an Indigenous author. It starts to feel like their whole identity is tragedy, while I’m sure there’s so much more.

I believe this is also a problem created by the publishing industry. It’s almost like the only space reserved for Indigenous authors on the bookshelves are stories in which their characters are the victims of colonizers. And because this is a space that White people can’t occupy, then they are “allowed” to take it. But what about other niches, such as Romance, Sci-Fi, and Mystery thrillers? Shouldn’t Indigenous authors be welcomed in those niches as well? Is the only story Indigenous authors are allowed to tell the one that is permeated by tragedy?

I’m still in my first steps exploring this side of Canadian literature. Maybe there’s more to it that I haven’t discovered yet. Or maybe the trauma of colonization is so extensive that there’s no way to tell a story in which this is not a big part of it. I don’t know. What I know is that I’m open to suggestions to explore different perspectives of this rich universe. Maybe I’ll get my hands on some Inuit Mythology books!

*Narrators: Tantoo Cardinal, Jani Lauzon, Tara Sky, Monique Mojica, Lisa Cromarty, Jenny Pudavick, Kiawentiio, Michelle Porter, Alison Deon, Jacob MacInnis, Elle-Màijà Tailfeathers, Bernard Starlight, Dakota Ray Hebert, Yolanda Bonnell, Wesley French, Brefny Caribou