by JosephBoyden (Author)
THREE DAY ROAD is a First World War novel told through the eyes of two Canadian Cree Indians: Niska, the last Indian woman living off the land in Canada, and her nephew, Xavier, who reluctantly joins the far-away war at the urging of his only friend, Elijah - a Cree boy raised in the reservation schools. Weaving between the horrors of the trenches and the wastes of No-man's land (where Elijah and Xavier hone their hunting skills as snipers and react in their very different ways to the never-ending carnage around them), and Niska's memories of growing up in the snowy wilderness of the Canadian North, the stories of aunt and nephew counterpoint each other forming a rich and spellbinding tapestry.Powerful, poignant and utterly compelling, THREE DAY ROAD is a novel about war and loyalty; ancestors and history; friendship and family, and the dark secrets of the human heart. It tells the story of the unknown, and unsung Indian snipers of the Great War, offers a unique and unforgettable account of life in the trenches and paints an evocative portrait of wilderness existence and the death of the Indian way of life.
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 352
Edition: First Edition
Publisher: W&N
Published: 09 Jun 2005
ISBN 10: 0297847929
ISBN 13: 9780297847922
Book Overview: The novel is inspired by the legend of Francis Pegmahgabow, the great Indian sniper of the First World War. The writing is exquisite, and should make the novel a real contender for literary prizes. Think Cormac McCarthy writing BIRDSONG. Rights have sold at auction to Penguin USA and Canada, and in France, Holland, Italy and Spain. '[A}n extraordinary novel... written with great skill and passion. [It] presents a wholly new view of the Great War... I was deeply impressed by it and would urge anyone who think they have read enough about 1914-1918 to think again... they won t find anything better than this.' Susan Hill 'Three Day Road is a devastatingly truthful work of fiction, and a masterful account of hell and healing. This is a grave, grand and passionate book.' Louise Erdrich