Book review: The Barren Grounds: Book 1 of the Misewa Saga
Reviewed by Karl Hele
David A. Robertson, member of Norway House Cree Nation and an award-winning author, has created a fun page-turning read: The Barren Grounds: Book 1 of the Misewa Saga. The novel follows the adventures of two foster care children in an alternate world known as Askí. Morgan and Eli find themselves in the care of a non-Indigenous couple in Winnipeg. Both children are disconnected from their Cree culture and each other, while struggling to deal with being in care, school, and their new home.
Having lived for years in care, Morgan is seemingly filled with anger, self-doubt, and a reluctance to make friends while revelling in books. Eli, longing for his home, land, and grandfather, finds solace in drawing. After discovering a room behind a door sealed by decades of paint in the attic, Morgan and Eli share the space. Eli creates a wondrous drawing that when stapled to the wall, opens a portal to Askí and the village of Misewa. Here the children meet animals that walk on two legs and speak Cree as well as English. The land is stuck in a never-ending winter. Together, Morgan and Eli, along with Ochek, a Fisher, and Arik, a Squirrel, set off on an adventure to return the seasons – spring, summer, and fall – to the land. Along the way both Morgan and Eli learn about the land, ceremony, and eventually themselves. The Barren Grounds ends with the promise of a new adventure.
The Barren Grounds is a wonderful read that spins Indigenous (Cree) stories into a modern tale, bending and re-mixing reality, time, and story. Within the pages of the book, the reader learns about ceremony, living with the land, and the importance of not being alone – in fact, the children in the story and the reader, learn the importance of community, respect, and bravery. Yet the book is neither preachy nor moralizing. It is simply a story inspired by Robertson’s Cree culture, designed to spark imagination, place Indigenous characters and story at the forefront, and most importantly, add to the growing number of contemporary literary works aimed specifically at Indigenous youth. The book may even speak to a larger audience in an effort to open a small path to understanding.
Robertson has created an excellent story that is both a standalone work and a book that will spark interest in forthcoming volumes in the Misewa saga. The Barren Grounds is really a must-read for youth and adults alike.
David A. Robertson, The Barren Grounds: Book 1 of the Misewa Saga. Toronto: Penguin, Random House, 2020.