Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Medicine River


By Thomas King

Will is a photographer that lives in the town of Medicine River in Canada, his home town. Although he was raised there, when he grew up he moved to Toronto, but came back home to live after his mother died. Will's mom was a Blackfoot and his dad was an Anglo but his dad was not part of Will's life and Will's mom raised him and his brother on her own.
Anyway, Will moves back home and opens a photography studio and reestablishes himself in the Blackfoot community, with the help of Harlen Bigbear, a man who knows everybody and their business and loves to manage the lives of his friends, including Will and his girlfriend Louise and her baby daughter.

A sampling of tales from the life of Will and other members of the Blackfoot community in this northern Canada town, this story doesn't exactly have a happy ending but it doesn't have a bad ending either. Like real life, the folks of Medicine River muddle through. Sharing their trials and triumphs made for an enjoyable and entertaining and often amusing read.

For another review see Books & Quilts.

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