The Break by Katherena Vermette
Published by Atlantic Books, 2018
My rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
When a teenage girl is brutally attacked, her extended family – made up almost entirely of Métis women – rallies to her side. Mothers, daughters, grandmothers, aunts, nieces, cousins; the perspective shifts between these many women, weaving an intergeneration family saga that explores the ideas of identity, community, and the shared process of healing.
This all sounds fantastic, and there’s certainly a lot to admire in Vermette’s intersectional look at the concept of inheritance; be it racial, familial, or gendered. Though not heavily plot focussed, the attack forces the characters to reflect on their own experiences of violence and loss as women from a marginalized ethnic community, showing how tragically commonplace they are. Vermette champions the power of women supporting other women, but also touches on the socioeconomic conditions that can coerce some women into turning on their own, and the horror that comes with that betrayal.
I struggled, however, with the sheer number of viewpoints. Though a large cast of characters was integral to the themes being explored, the narrative voice was too one dimensional. This meant that even by the end, I was still finding it difficult to place and connect everyone within the wider context of the family. I was also a little underwhelmed by the prose itself. Though there’s nothing particularly wrong with it, it lacks a lyricism that would have better carried the slower, ruminative pace, and the understandably heavy subject matter.
It’s worth pointing out that I went into this fully expecting to adore it. It sounded exactly like my cup of tea thematically, and it has glowing reviews online. In that respect, I’m willing to concede that my high expectations may well have contributed to my somewhat lukewarm response. I still think this is a solid novel, well worth the read for those interested in a tender look at the dangers of womanhood, and the beauty of women coming together in search of mutual healing.
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Oooh this sounds interesting, and I’m all for supporting Métis stories. I’ll definitely have to check it out. Too bad it didn’t live up to your expectations, though
It feels like one I should have loved more than I did, so maybe I picked it up at the wrong time? It’s definitely a solid book and it has amazing reviews on Goodreads, so I’d certainly still recommend it!
Great review! I read this one a couple of years ago (it must have come out earlier in Canada) so my memories are a little fuzzy but I recall it as being intense but very good. I think you’re right about the number of characters and never being quite clear on how they were all connected. In Canada, this was a very timely book as it was published shortly after the official inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women and I think it did an excellent job of casting a light onto the lives of Metis women and just how prevalent violence can be for them. Vermette has a new book coming out next year that is supposed to be connected to this one so I’ll be interested to see where she takes it.
Thank you! I would definitely be open to trying more from the author. Though I didn’t quite gel with the prose/voice, I thought she handled the subject matter with suitable sensitivity and honesty, and I loved the themes she explored.
I often think something is exactly my cup of tea, when I read the blurb or even other reviews. But actually, I don’t have a very good hit ratio. Just shows how difficult it is to pick the five star reads!
Very true! It’s often surprising which books underwhelm and which ones surpass our expectations. I suppose that’s the joy of picking up a new book – you never know when you could discover a new favourite! 😊
Ah, too bad this didn’t live up to expectations, it sounds like it had a lot of potential! The excess of perspectives does sound hard to manage, though. Great review!
Thank you! There’s still a lot to admire and I’ve seen glowing reviews online, so I’d say it’s still well worth checking out if you’re tempted.
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