RMWB: It’s Time to Read Book Club to explore award-winning saga
Press Release
(Fort McMurray, AB – March 17, 2022) – Join the It’s Time to Read book club in April as it explores its second book: The Strangers by Katherena Vermette.
Featuring the works and voices of Indigenous authors, the book club is a partnership of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) and the Wood Buffalo Regional Library (WBRL) and is part of ongoing efforts to build more understanding and awareness of Indigenous culture, history, and current issues.
Through a virtual platform, book club members regularly explore and discuss story themes and share thoughts through discussion forums, polls, and other methods. All are welcome to join; however, it is important to note that books may contain adult content, including but not limited to adult language and themes, and violence.
“Reconciliation is not possible without knowing truths, people of all walks of life and at all levels of society are required to self-educate and engage willingly,” said Terry Lin Fedorus, Indigenous Educator and Services Liaison, Wood Buffalo Regional Library. “As a public learning institution, we recognize our unique position to meaningfully support education and Truth and Reconciliation. We know the power of literature to change mindsets. We’re honoured to be part of strengthening the capacity of our community toward genuine transformation through It’s Time to Read book club series. We look forward to continued growth together and warmly encourage all community members with interest to willingly join us on this journey.”
In January, the newly launched club delved into its first book, Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley.
“We have had amazing success so far, with more than 50 people joining as we read Firekeeper’s Daughter, and we hope to build on that success as we take on The Strangers by Katherena Vermette,” says RMWB Indigenous and Rural Relations Director Dennis Fraser.
Interested in joining the book club? Visit participate.rmwb.ca/it-s-time-to-read for more information and to subscribe.
Join the Book Club
About The Strangers by Katherena Vermette
Winner of the 2021 Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Prize for Fiction, longlisted for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize, and #1 Indigo Book of the Year, The Strangers is an intergenerational saga that explores how connected we are, even when we’re no longer together – even when we’re forced apart.
A breathtaking companion to her bestselling debut, The Break, Vermette’s The Strangers brings readers into the dynamic world of the Stranger family, the strength of their bond, the shared pain in their past, and the light that beckons from the horizon. This is a searing exploration of race, class, inherited trauma, and the matrilineal bonds that – despite everything – refuse to be broken.
You can read an excerpt of The Strangers here.
- Please note, this book is not for young readers and may be triggering and unsuitable for other readers. The book contains disturbing content, including physical violence, drug and alcohol use and addiction, thoughts of suicide, child apprehension, solitary incarceration, as well as adult language. Please take care.
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