The Strangers: A Novel [Paperback]

The Strangers, a breathtaking companion to Vermette's bestselling debutThe Break, is a fierce exploration of of bonds that refuse to be broken even in the most traumatic of circumstances. Cedar, Phoenix, and Elsie—these are the strangers, each haunted in her own way. Cedar grapples with the pain of being separated from her mother, Elsie, and her sister, Phoenix. From a youth detention center, Phoenix gives birth to a baby she'll never get to raise. And Elsie, struggling with addiction and determined to turn her life around, is buoyed by the idea of being reunited with her daughters and striving to be someone they can depend on, unlike her own distant mother. Between flickering moments of warmth and support, the women diverge and reconnect, fighting to survive in a fractured system that pretends to offer success but expects them to fail. Facing the distinct blade of racism from those they trusted most, they urge one another to move through the darkness, all the while wondering if they'll ever emerge safely on the other side.Katherena Vermetteis a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She is also author of the book of poetryNorth End Love Songs, the novelThe Break, and the children's graphic novel seriesA Girl Called Echo.The Strangersis a unique and essential triumph of a novel. It is revelatory in its artistry--in its constellating of family against violent separation, in its austere poetics of voice and consciousness. Katherena Vermette has proven once again that she is among the most gifted and relevant writers of our time: someone with everything to teach us about the telling of necessary stories, about grieving the fallen, honouring survival, and revealing the fiercest beauty.--David Chariandy, author ofI've Been Meaning to Tell You: A Letter to My DaughterReminiscent of the hardscrabble tales of the Métis l3-