Joseph Boyden‘s latest novel, ‘The Orenda’ won the Canada Reads competition sponsored by CBC Radio and hosted by Jian Gomeshi.
Five books are selected for the annual competition, to be defended by five well-known Canadians. This year the honour is particularly powerful, as the thematic question was “What is the one novel that could change Canada?”
Boyden’s story explores the relationships between the Huron and the Iroquois First Nations and the European settlers during the tumultuous 17th century. And while scenes of torture and warfare make it a challenging read, it is a beautiful historical novel that may reshape Canadians’ understanding of their history and illuminate the plight of many First Nations today.
“I’m shaking. I’m in Thunder Bay and I’m shaking not because of the cold,” Joseph Boyden responded when reached by telephone with the news earlier today. “What an amazing group of writers to be surrounded by and the panellists were all amazing,” he told the CBC.
The other novels in contention were:
- Margaret Atwood’s The Year of the Flood, defended by Stephen Lewis.
- Esi Edugyan’s Half-Blood Blues, defended by Olympic gold medallist Donovan Bailey.
- Kathleen Winter’s Annabel, defended by actor Sarah Gadon.
- and the semi-finalist, Rawi Hage’s Cockroach, defended by writer, comedian and The Daily Show correspondent Samantha Bee.
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