I enjoyed reading this multigeneration family saga. I can't get enough of those stories. But it's also hard to find ones that are well written.

This was a story that I enjoyed immensely in some POV'S and was meh on others.
I loved the interconnectedness and generational storytelling. How we got to see different generations of women, and what they faced, and overcame.
I also enjoyed how animals played a pivotal role in the storyline, and how we were able to see events from their perspective, and how that added nuance to the story.
If you want a story of complicated relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters and friends in the context of Indigenous identity, then this story might be for you.

This story blends multiple perspectives and formats to tell a story that spans generations. It was endearing, aggravating, heartfelt and a beautiful story to experience. The themes can be quite heavy and it’s best not to split up your readings too far apart, or you can easily get lost, but I’m glad to have read this novel.

A fantastical, layered, dynamic story of five generations of Métis women, from a young single mother to her ancestors who have crossed into the Afterlife. This book beautifully weaves together so many different perspectives, emotions, and themes. It's a really unique story that is tough to describe and best experienced by just diving right in!

“All I know to say is we've got to play our music no matter who leaves us and no matter who fails us, no matter the memories preying on us in the small hours of the night.”

A Grandmother Begins the Story is a character-driven novel that illuminates the voices of five generations of Mètis women as well as the animals and land that surround them. The slim but impactful tales in the novel are woven together to explore the characters connection to nature, family, identity, intergenerational trauma, grief, addiction, death, and the afterlife. This book was captivating, raw, humorous, and full of beautiful imagery. I really loved the addition of non-human voices.

Michelle Porter’s first foray into fiction brings the complex history of the Métis peoples and their jig musical style to the public. Following five generations with complex individual and shared histories, Porter brings some of the challenges faced by the Indigenous peoples of North America to life, dealing with complex if potentially sensitive topics. Porter weaves in Métis mythologies and stylistic elements into this novel, and she does so in a way which adds to the overall narrative and style of the novel. For readers unfamiliar with the Métis people, this novel may be confusing, but the narrative as a whole is compelling and fascinating -- and understanding these narratives (through a fictional or nonfictional lens) is incredibly important for the readers. Porter’s characters -- Carter, Allie, Lucie, Geneviève, and Mamé -- all have fascinatingly unique perspectives, and their separate narratives are complex and compelling, while their familial and generational ties add further complexity to the novel. These characters are wonderfully imperfect, and their difficulties (both personally and interpersonally) add tension and narrative depth to the novel. Porter’s debut fiction novel A Grandmother Begins the Story is a masterpiece that introduces readers to the Métis and their modern struggles through a vibrant, detailed narrative.

Michelle Porter's writing is exquisite--and so is her choice to write A Grandmother Begins the Story as fragments. This made me think so much of my grandmother and her talk of her grandmother. The stories in this book and the way they are told feel very real. I look forward to sharing this book with my writing students.

This book wasn't for me. The story itself was good, but keeping up with the short story format for each chapter and differentiating each character from the other was not an easy defeat. It took me a while to find the enjoyment to finish the book. I did like how this book expanded on several generations of women and how they are connected to the land. I am hoping to read this book again as an audiobook to get a more clear understanding of the importance of the story.

I can do no better than the publisher's blurb to describe this astonishingly good book: "a Métis jig" of a tale about the interconnected stories of five generations of First Nations women, and, not coincidently, generations of a bison family.

Near the end of the first chapter/story, when the great-grandmother of the clan prepares to check herself into rehab, despite her recent diagnosis, I gasped in surprise, turned back to the start and read the whole thing aloud to my long-suffering husband: I needed for someone else to have the same sense of wonder at how subtly and beautifully the author turned a narrative corner. I savored this story, and while I did have to chart out the generations -- from Mamé in the Afterlife, through her child, grand, great-grand, and gr-great-grand, plus the bison –– I love this book.

This book offers gorgeous prose, wonderfully eccentric and lively characters, and the rhythms of a storytelling culture that cannot be kept down even by generations of residential schools, wholesale cultural appropriation, and marginalization. It's going on my best of list for the year.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for this eARC in exchange for my unfettered opinion.

The book started slow and was a little bit tough to get into with all the vignettes, However, I liked the aspects as a generational story of women

𝐀 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
𝐁𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫
𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫: 𝐀𝐥𝐠𝐨𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
𝐏𝐮𝐛 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝟏𝟏.𝟕.𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑

The cover perfectly represents this novel. The stories of these Métis women and bison (yes, bison) are woven together like a beautiful needlepoint or beadwork. Each story, as each color, is separate and distinct, but they create a vivid picture together.

I loved that this followed the generations of these women - even into the afterlife, as Mamé watches from beyond, knowing that all the stories began with her. But she realizes she must not keep herself tethered to them so they may find their way. I was confused but delighted that one story was that of a bison.

It was so wonderfully imaginative to hear this kind of traditional storytelling. You feel all the different emotions between the stories - it’s haunting and mystical, but it is grounded in very deep feelings, too, as these women struggle to hold onto what is theirs.

𝐹𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠

Thank you @algonquinbooks for a gifted copy.

I enjoyed this book. I have zero Indigenous ancestry but I've always loved the story telling of other cultures. There are a lot of stories going on at once that all interconnect in some way. I very much loved the stories from the point of views of the animals... Perkins and Lottery specifically (I do wish there was more from their story!). I also loved that because the story covers 5 generations, part of those are those in the afterlife watching and keeping an eye on their loved ones. Each of the generations has their own type of stubborn... which I can relate to as that's a trait that runs in my family that we joke about. I will say that the youngest generation was a bit more on the crass side, but it also accurately reflects changes in modesty over the generations. There are also patterns that seem to follow each generation, however, the way the come together for each other even when they don't really know each other was heartwarming.

There are a lot of really positive reviews about this book, so it’s quite possible that this just went over my head. I found it insanely difficult to follow and I couldn’t keep track of the characters. There were no quotations or breaks in paragraphs in a lot of places, which made it even more difficult for me to stay focused and connected to the story.

I was intrigued by the concept of this book and the storytelling aspect, but it just didn’t work for me at all.

CONTENT WARNING: alcoholism, grief, mention of cancer, sexual assault, depression, discussion of assisted suicide, mention of death, grief, mention of miscarriages, child abuse, suicide attempt, substance use, domestic violence, mention of murder, brief mention of residential school

Here in the United States, it’s Native American Heritage Month, making this the perfect read for this month. I always try to check out Indigenous authors as often as I can, especially ones that are new to me, and particularly during this month. I wasn’t sure what a crooked Métis jig is, but having read some Native American and First Nations stories before, I went into this knowing that their style of storytelling isn’t always the same as what mainstream literature has readers used to, but is nevertheless intriguing and helps me learn more about the cultures of the many Indigenous tribes.

This is a family saga told through the eyes of multiple characters—Mamé from the afterlife, Mamé’s daughter Geneviève who is trying to get sober, Geneviève’s daughter Lucie who wants to die and has recruited the granddaughter she never met for help, Lucie’s daughter Allie who is working to connect with the daughter she gave up for adoption, and Allie’s daughter Carter who desperately wants to learn more about the heritage she only recently learned of, dealing with her anger, a recent separation, and trying to care for her son.

We also get to hear from a few characters who are bison, and while it sounded strange at first, it made perfect sense during the reading. At times, it felt like the bison were symbolic of the Indigenous people themselves, such as when talking about the importance of sharing knowledge and stories with the younger generations, treaties, and land. It made a lot of sense, knowing how closely linked the survival of various tribes were with the bison’s presence. One quote that really stood out to me was this one, and it really shows how applicable it can be to both the bison and the human characters, as well as to our own lives:

“The way the world was for this youngest generation, she wasn’t sure what the right time for anything was.”

Although it can be easy to get lost in a story with this many characters, but at no time did I ever feel lost or confused. Each of the characters is so beautifully rendered. They’re all so realistic, with their very human flaws on full display in this story, as well as their assets. The emphasis on family bonds and traditional arts, such as music and beading, is present in this story, showing exactly how resilient these women are on their search for healing of their intergenerational trauma. I loved how the story was told, and while I admired each of these women throughout the story, I have to admit that my favorites were Geneviève, Allie, and Solin. I’m absolutely blown away that this is a fiction debut, and will definitely be checking out more for Porter, both her nonfiction backlist, and any upcoming fiction that she puts out.

A GRandmother Begins the story
by Michelle Porter
Pub DATE: Nov. 7, 2023
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Award-winning author Michelle Porter makes her fiction debut with an enchanting and original story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them.
Captivating book! Rich and Full! I recommend this for readers who have an interest in indigenous culture and who enjoy family sagas.
4 stars

If I could, I'd give this a 4.5. A very multi-pov story about 5 generations of women in the same family, along with the stories from a family of bison, and even earth made for such a rich story! With so many narrators and the often short vignette cadence of the chapters, it was easy to get lost and need to stop to remember where each placed in the family. And I am always not a fan of the lack of quotation marks. Though if there were a book where that made sense, I suppose this was the one. So despite technically being a book I wouldn't enjoy reading, I relished this family's story and the connection I felt to them, and the bison family. The beauty of the story overcame my reluctance at the presentation style. That is saying a lot!

If you go into this book understanding that it's composed of fragments, I think fans of literary fiction will enjoy it.

Five generations is a lot to keep up with. Carter is struggling with her identity after having grown up adopted. Her mother, Allie, is trying desperately to make up for time lost when she gave her up for adoption. Allie's mother, Lucie, wants Carter to help her die. Genevieve is wrestling with alcoholism and cancer. Mamé, Genevieve's mother, speaks from the afterlife.

The characters are where this novel really shines. Porter has crafted each one so beautifully and carefully. The theme of interconnectedness is one that will stick with me.

I especially admire how Porter also includes perspectives from the bison.

The prose is lush and lyrical without being overwrought.

I recommend this to readers who don't require a conventional a-to-b plot structure and who can appreciate literary writing composed of fragments/vignettes.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the advance copy; all opinions in this review are my own.

READ IF YOU LIKE...
• Multi-generational stories
• Interpretations of where we go when we pass on
• Exploring our connection to nature

I THOUGHT IT WAS...
A thoughtful tale of two fractured families, one Métis and the other bison. Five generations of Métis women have each struggled alone. Now that several of them are close to the end of their lives, it's time to make peace in whatever way they need to. Meanwhile, Dee is a bison, left by her mother for the wilds and yearning for the father of her calf. She attempts to search for what she needs.

I can tell Porter crafted this novel carefully and intentionally, making some interesting narrative decisions. The story unfolds in short narrative fragments. Among the living generations of this family, we only get perspectives from the oldest and the youngest woman. I think this works, as it emphasizes this desire to close the loop on the family, and to bring the youngest, Carter, truly into the fold, after having been given up for adoption. A little harder to intuit is why some narrative fragments are in third person and some in first. That being said, the POV shifts don't impact the storytelling too much, as long as the reader is paying attention.

My favorite part, and one I found most surprising, was the incorporation of bison. They are an important part of Indigenous folklore, but the herd also has its own stories and families struggling to feel complete. Just as Indigenous people have had their land, children, and freedom taken away, so too have the herd, who once roamed freely but now live with fences. There's a beautiful circle that connects the two in both life and death.

This book is it! The perspectives in this story are so wild to conceive and yet they are formulated on the page beautifully. I fell in love with the characters and the story, I'm not ready for this story to end!

This is a beautiful and heart wrenching book. It follows five generations of Métis women and the traumas they are working to heal from. I find it hard to really describe without giving too much away, but I loved it and will read anything Michelle Porter writes.