The powerful and moving life stories of two Métis sisters who suffer the breakdown of their family relations and the injustices of the social services system. Ten critical essays accompany one of the best-known texts by a Canadian Aboriginal author.
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About the Author
Beatrice (Culleton) Mosionier was born in the St. Boniface area of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The youngest of four children, she grew up in foster homes, but says she had a “reasonably happy childhood.” When she was 17, Beatrice moved to Toronto where she attended George Brown College. Her sister Vivian committed suicide in 1964; after a second sister, Kathy, committed suicide in 1980, Beatrice decided to write a book. In Search of April Raintree, based loosely on her own experiences, was published in 1983, and has become a Canadian classic. A revised version, April Raintree, is taught in schools around the world. In 1999, In Search of April Raintree, Critical Edition, was published by Peguis Publishers (now Portage & Main Press). Beatrice is the author of several children’s book including: Spirit of the White Bison, Christopher’s Folly, and Unusual Friendships: A Little Black Cat and a Little White Rat. Her second novel, In the Shadow of Evil, was published in 2000. Beatrice has travelled nationally and internationallyb to speak to organizations, schools, and universities. In her spare time, she pursues her other long-time interest—designing and building woodworking projects
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Darlene M.
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time. It addresses denial of self, denial of culture, and.... and just read the book! It's a fantastic read.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By Illyria Fey
Format:Paperback
This story was written and set in my hometown of Winnipeg. I'm writing a review not because I feel the need to examine or analyse, but rather because this book had a major impact on me when I was around 13 and I think its incredible that it has not gained greater recognition/appreciation.
To summarize in brief, this book is a told through the eyes of April, a young Metis girl whose parents are caring but neglectful alcoholics. The story follows April and her sister, Cheryl, as they are taken from their parents and enter the foster care system. Passed from white family to white family, their lives are comfortable at best, hell at the worst; never are they truly at home, rarely do they see their parents. Their experiences differ because they are split up almost immediately. Their difference in experience lead them down divided paths - one of them extremely tragic.
As a teenage white girl, this book shocked and horrified me. Out of all the books I read during that time period, I think this one drew the most empathy and the most lasting reaction. I can still recall the nightmarish rape scene from this book and cringe at the memory. Culleton is an amazing writer. She draws you into the story and the hearts of the characters. Its impossible to put the book down and simply forget about what you've read. I believe Culleton based the book on her own experiences, but I'm not certain. What I do know for a fact is that this book is realistic. I live in this city, I grew up in the neigbourhood written about, and friends of mine work for CFS (Child & Family Services). This book is not an exaggeration and knowing that for a fact when you read it makes for even more of an impact.
The story is dramatic and touching. I reread it a number of times - first the "censored" version and then In Search of April Raintree (uncensored) after my school librarian told me about it. I'm almost tempted to say its not a book for kids, but then I don't think it did me any harm. It woke me up a bit, definitely. I remember sobbing in an armchair after finishing it.
The characters stay with you. Like all well-written books, this one is literally mood-altering. The writing is so well done that you become the main character and feel almost a physical pain over what she endures and suffers. If anything, this book should be read to encourage simple empathy. At best, it could be hoped that it would provide greater understanding and insight into the experiences of many children and over the well... no other word but 'plight' is coming to mind right now, so the 'plight' of many Native/Metis Canadian people.
(I'm sleepy as I write this but I'm hoping my recommendation will hold up. Also, I just checked online and found this: "Although only loosely based on Culleton's own childhood experiences as a foster child, the book is dedicated to her two sisters, who, like Cheryl Raintree, commited suicide as adults.")
~illyria
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
I think this is a very strong novel, it had touched me. But some people are misunderstanding what it's about. The timeline of the novel was through 50's to 70's. Beatrice wasn't relating to the present, she was relating it from the past. All incidents may not have occured to just one person, but to different people, and maybe she wanted to put it all in one story to get it out for the people that had happened to. You need experience to know and feel the story. Not only first nation, but to people who have experinced racism or predjudice. To the people who were picked on beacuse the way they looked like, where their background came from,the way they sound differently, dressed differently.....and so on. There are people who haven't seen everything yet in their lives, then that's when they make assumptions on the way they will treat the different person they see in their eyes poorly.
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4.6 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolutely amazing
I couldn't put this book down once i started reading it. It is absolutely amazing and inspiring. Some parts were so heartbreaking, but i would definitely recommend this book to... Read more
Published 17 months ago by Ray Ray
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good read.
Everyone seemed to be talking about this great book. While I found this book to be a good read, it's not the best that I have read. Read more
Published on Jun 20 2009 by R. Vivier
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hitting close to home.
Great Read. I'm just curious as to whether this book is used in highschools? Although fiction, do the majority of non-natives get the stereo-typical impression of natives here?
Published on Dec 16 2004 by Angeline Jamieson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Review: In Search of April Raintree
Beatrice Culleton Mosionier's "In Search of April Raintree" is a masterfully written fiction novel about two Metis sisters seperated from their family and each other at a... Read more
Published on Feb 11 2001 by Tim Klein
3.0 out of 5 stars
Rewarding for some...
This book is by no means uneffective , but it seems to me that Culleton attempts to evoke emotion in the reader as a literary device, rather than as a logical cathartic response to... Read more
Published on Nov 23 2000 by 7th Angl
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Awesome Book!
I am a high school student that just finished reading "In Search of April Raintree" and I must say that it is the one of the best books ever written! Read more
Published on Jun 13 2000
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