I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I knew nothing about the Haisla Indians in Canada, and as Lisa comes of age, we learn about the culture and traditions through her grandmother Ma-ma-oo. Ma-ma-oo is my favorite part of the novel, full of wisdom and humor. Magical realism dances throughout the story as Lisa has visions of a little man that comes before misfortune befalls her family. She doesn't understand her gift, resents and fears the man who visits her. While Lisa struggles with this gift, it doesn't dominate the novel by any means. Monkey Beach manages to be a story about family, history, growing up and the wilds of their home. A pleasurable part of the reading is feeling you are walking along with Lisa and her Ma-ma-oo as they collect certain foods from their surrounding wilds. The characters are fully formed, every single one of them, so the reader begins to feel these are real living people. There is so much beauty that seeps in with the reading. Lisa herself is tough, and there are moments when she is in her own way, particularly when she loses people that were vital to her upbringing. Every character also has a story of their own, so while Lisa is the narrator, she does not carry this novel on her shoulders alone. The novel is heavily populated with family and friends but it adds to it rather than distracts, as some novels do. The metaphorical tales her grandmother shares are rendered always at important times to her journey into adulthood. There is so much I enjoyed about this novel, even when I felt dizzy with confusion because I wasn't always sure what was happening. It is mystical and strange but also grounded in reality with all the surrounding tragedies. Such a strange literary cocktail! The ending isn't solid, and yet it seems fitting for the chaos of everything that happens. I was hoping to find more novels by Robinson, the only other fiction I see is Traplines, which I am going to purchase. I will certainly recommend this to my friends. Will it be everyone's 'cup of tea', maybe not, but for those of us who enjoy lush story telling you can't go wrong with Monkey Beach. I look forward to more.

By Eden Robinson Available now from Open Road Media Review copy

In the comments of my review of GREAT SHORT STORIES BY CONTEMPORARY NATIVE AMERICAN WRITERS, Aarti (of BookLust) asked me if I had read MONKEY BEACH by Eden Robinson. I actually hadn't even heard of it (it comes from Canada), but just a few days later the American edition popped up on NetGalley. Clearly, I needed to read this book.

MONKEY BEACH is one of those books were I am honestly unsure about how I feel about it. I suspect Robinson prefers it that way. MONKEY BEACH slips and slides between the past and the presents, tying the disparate parts of heroine Lisamarie's life together in unexpected ways. The nominal driving force of the novel is the disappearance of Lisamarie's older brother, Jimmy. He was on a fishing boat that disappeared; however, he is a great swimmer and there are tons of islands, so there's a small chance he died. At first it seems odd that Lisamarie would disgress so much, pondering her uncle Mick (for example) instead of focusing on Jimmy. But it all works together, in a rough sort of way.

This is a hard novel to describe, because nothing much happens in MONKEY BEACH, yet it is a very tumultuous novel. Life is enough to provide humor and tragedy without big events. MONKEY BEACH is also a very dark novel. Education in boarding schools looms over the heads of the previous generation. Other injustices against the Haisla and other First Nations people continue. The heroine is date raped, in a thankfully non-explicit scene. Secrets bubble out of every corner. Death, drugs, alcohol, sex - they're never far. At the same time, Lisamarie has an incredible, loving family, a real shot at the future, and a few good friends.

I really loved Lisamarie. She's angry, prickly, and too foolhardy for her own good. She also sees things - a little man who fortells deaths, for instance. Lisamarie never has much hope of Jimmy's survival. It's a power she seeks to learn more about, but she's still not the type to bear it with grace.

I may not entirely know how I feel about the novel, but MONKEY BEACH was an absorbing reading experience. I felt a little like I was in Kitamaat, especially when Lisamarie described fish grease in detail.

Eden Robinson is a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations, which makes her a wonderful writer for you to give a chance during A More Diverse Universe, hosted by Aarti. This will be my third year participating, and I highly recommend it. I always find new authors that fit my interests among the many reviews it generates.

3.5 rounded up to 4

Originally pub in 2002 and , nominated for multiple awards, this coming of age story is a powerful story of place, of family, of grief, of one's roots. The setting is the amazing geography of the Pacific Northwest on the coast of British Columbia. It is the land of the Haisla Indian in Kitamat Village ,

At the start of the novel, we meet 20 year old Lisa Marie Hill, who is struggling along with her family in trying to deal with the disappearance of her younger brother Jimmy. Lisa's story unfolds through a series of flashbacks to her child hood years and then her troubled teens. It is through these flashbacks that we learn more about the Haisla history and traditions, kept alive by Ma-ma-oo her grandmother, a wonderful wise woman. We see Lisa trying to come to terms with her gift , her ability seeing beyond into the spiritual world - ghosts and ominous predictions.

The story was a bit too dark for me at times and it had more of a young adult feel, but I found Lisa’s journey to find her brother gripping, as she looks for Jimmy and in the end finds herself. Recommended to those interested in this history ..

Thanks to Open Road Media and NetGalley

Eden Robinson has written a book that is both deeply emotional and deeply intelligent. Her imperfect, damaged narrator, Lisa, guides us through her Haisla culture without condescension and with a great deal of pride, and as a reader I was drawn to the intricacies of her world and the universality of her family's struggles. A very enjoyable book that I recommend highly.

Greetings Bookworms!

You may have noticed over the past month or so that I’ve been on a little bit of a Native American author kick. Since it’s been such an awesome ride so far, when I was contacted by Open Road Media to check out Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson, I jumped at the offer. *I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This in no way reflects opinions expressed on the novel.*

monkeybeachMonkey Beach centers on a Native American family in British Columbia. (I can still say Native American when referring to native peoples who reside in what is now Canada, right? I mean, the US kind of bogarted the term “American” despite the fact that there are TWO FULL CONTINENTS who have a claim on it.)

20 year old Lisamarie Hill had a crazy childhood. She finds herself reliving her life’s journey in a speedboat while she travels to meet her parents in the place her brother Jimmy went missing (and is presumed drowned.) The Haisla community Lisa hails from has seen its own share of trials including alcoholism, poverty, domestic violence. and untimely deaths. Lisa’s own predicament is complicated by the fact that she deals not only in the physical world, but the spiritual world as well. She doesn’t understand her “gift” and struggles to reconcile Haisla traditions with contemporary Canadian life.

This book was pretty intense. I mean, what IS IT with the Native American authors bringing the pain? Travelling back and forth between Lisa’s past and present was a bit jarring, but I think it stylistically served to demonstrate how scattered Lisa is feeling while reeling from yet another potential loss. Robinson also has some mad skills with describing scenery. I felt like I could see the beaches and channels and forests described in this novel. Plus the cuisine? I mean, I can’t say that I’m aching to try oolichan grease, but you’ve got to respect a writer who can describe fish grease, soapberry foam, and the intricacies of blueberry picking and make it INTERESTING. Respect.

If you’re looking for a book to break your heart and teach you more than you ever really wanted to know about fish grease, Monkey Beach is where it’s at!

Talk to me Bookworms! What’s the last gut-wrenching book you tackled?