Review: Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing

Killing the Wittigo: Indigenous Culture-Based Approaches to Waking Up, Taking Action, and Doing the Work of Healing by Suzanne Methot
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am writing this review, very conscious that, as a late 50s white settler, I have very few qualifications to comment, except some professional education training over the last year, which isn't enough. However, I'm also aware that the author, in their introduction, notes that non-Indigenous teachers etc may find the book useful. And it is.

Based around the metaphor of the Wittigo, a nightmarish, destructive (both self and other) spirit featured in several Indigenous cultures, this book explores the particularly history of trauma among Indigenous peoples- both generational and individual, and explores their origins and the way that Indigenous youths and their communities can heal. The reading is hard a lot of the time (hence, the many trigger warnings interspersed in the book), but important.

The writing is very accessible, clear and compassionate. Methot grounds the discussion in stories, but deepens the experience through sound therapeutic discussion. Well worth the reading.

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Review: The Break

The Break by Katherena Vermette
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another one of our Indigenous Book Club choices and I definitely see why. It is really well written, the characters are compelling and it is, ultimately, a hopeful book. It is also painful and difficult in its telling of trauma, both individual and multi-generational. Set in the North End of Winnipeg, we get a glimpse of ordinary people, struggling to navigate a world steeped in racism and violence. It mirrors the experience of Indigenous peoples in Winnipeg and the struggle of a family to support each other in the face of an appalling assault. Healing, or at least, the hope of it lingers at the end of the story, but not in a saccharine or easy way.

As I said above, this is not an easy book and please really be careful if you have any history of sexual assault. And even if you don't, take this book slow, you'll need breaks. That isn't to say, don't read it. I think you should because it is really good.

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Review: Elatsoe

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another entry in the Indigenous Book Club which my class is now currently are reading. It is a strange, but compelling novel, set in a rather stranger and, frankly, more magical America. The title character is an asexual Lipan Apache girl, who inherits power over dead animals and who finds herself in the midst of a disturbing murder mystery. The world of Elatsoe blends various 'supernatural' traditions, both good and bad, but in such a way that it almost feels normal.

I loved this book because of the way that it weaves story-telling, a coming of age tale and spirituality into a compelling story. Elatsoe, as a character, is funny and awkward and wise beyond her years, guided by her family and her people. The world is a little disorienting in its blend of the mundane and supernatural, but the story is worth it.

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Review: Tantalus and the Pelican: Exploring Monastic Spirituality Today

Tantalus and the Pelican: Exploring Monastic Spirituality Today by Nicholas Buxton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I stumbled upon this book in Google Reads, drawn by the sub-title (of course), but intrigued by the title itself. I'm not quite sure what I expected, but this proved rather a different story from that. It didn't help that I had completely forgotten who the author was and was only reminded about a third of the way in that he had participated in the Monastery reality show in 2005, which had been an influence on my interest in monasticism so evident in my reviews.

The book is part autobiography in which Buxton tells of his spiritual searching, first in Eastern monasticism and eventually in Benedictine monasticism. He, of course, explains his experience on the Monastery, which was interesting because he always came off as the most centred of the bunch. He weaves in monastic teaching sensitively and maintains an amused detachment about his own foibles. The result is an insightful, but not too heavy narrative which manages to teach a surprising amount of wisdom.

This book really is a wonderful book and is interesting not only to former views of the Monastery, but to those interested in monastic wisdom.

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Review: Seeds of Destruction

Seeds of Destruction by Thomas Merton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time, largely because of the first essay in it, the famous Letters to a White Liberal, which is crucial for understanding Merton's understanding of race in the 1960s. Seeds of Destruction collects this essay as well as other essays on race and on peacemaking in the 1960s and reveals much of Merton's social thinking in the last decade of his life. Merton in the 1960s can be a polarizing figure, but I appreciate the clarity of his thinking, which holds up generally quite well more than fifty years later.

The book is divided into two main sections- Black Revolution and the Diaspora. In Black Revolution, Merton considers how white Christians should respond to the revolution building in Black communities in the 1960s as the U.S. navigated the Civil Rights struggle. His discussion takes Black authors and activists seriously and he has an unusually clear idea of white privilege and the way that even white supporters of the struggle find it hard to understand it. Despite its occasionally archaic vocabulary and Merton's own shortcomings, it remains a useful discussion.

The second section, the Diaspora, focuses primarily on peace, the world crisis (i.e. the 1960s version) and the problem of the Christian in a post- Christendom world (my words, not Merton's). The discussion here is rooted in Scripture and Catholic thought and provides insights which continue to be useful today. Again, the lean is progressive and supportive of Vatican II, so remains somewhat controversial among conservatives.

This is an important book for those of us interested in Merton's social thought, which only really was published to the wider world after Merton's death. The view is still rooted in the 1960s, but remains curiously relevant to the world we find ourselves in during the 2020s.

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Review: Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada

Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Issues in Canada by Chelsea Vowel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was part of my spring Indigenous background reading buying and one that I was really excited about reading. Chelsea Vowel is a Metis writer from Alberta, whose blog and other writings have been remarkable for the clarity of thinking, humour and incisiveness. I read a few essays of her in my summer course, but was really looking forward to following up with this book all summer.

So, the book is a collection of essays which literally start with terminology and works its way through the major issues facing many First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, albeit with a Metis spin, as one might expect. Chelsea Vowel has a gift for making complicated issues clear and, even if one doesn't find it comfortable all the time (it isn't), at least, it helps outsiders understand better what is at stake. I found particularly useful her essay on appropriation vs. appreciation.

This is a must read for anyone interested in exploring Indigenous studies!

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Review: Firekeeper’s Daughter

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is another entry in my summer (now fall) of Indigenous fiction and one that appears as a book club choice for the the Indigenous Voices course I'm teaching at my school this year. Firekeeper's Daughter really is a mystery novel, set in the American side, Sault Ste. Marie (I'm more familiar with the Canadian side because it is a stop on your biennial westward trip to Winnipeg). Without doing spoilers, it follows Daunis, an eighteen year old, born of a white mother and an Ojibwe father, who struggles with defining her identity, while also trying to solve a series of murders. The result is a suspenseful, but empathic coming of age story.

What I loved about this book is, first, Daunis herself, who is genuinely kind, but resilient enough to navigate the very complicated worlds she moves in. Her commitment to family and her Ojibwe roots is inspiring, but also that she comes through it all with a stronger sense of herself and who she is. She doesn't do the stereotypical, falling into the arms of the handsome undercover agent (almost, but not really), nor does she rely solely on herself. She is likable, even when she's making mistakes.

The other part I loved was just the community feel of this book. Daunis isn't the heroine standing alone in a hostile universe, but, even when she seems to be going it alone, is supported by a plethora of aunties and elders, who come to her aid, often at the exactly right moment.

A general warning, though, there's violence her including sexual violence, so be warned before you open up.

Yet, this is a genuinely hopeful book and one that is worth reading.

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Review: Moon of the Turning Leaves

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the sequel to the Moon of the Crusted Snow, which I found while I was wandering though an independent bookstore in Winnipeg (McNally and Robinson- go, if you're in Winnipeg!). I'm always a little wary about sequels and whether they'll be as good as the original. In this case, there was no reason to worry. This is a worthy extension of that story.

In this story, our Anishinaabe reserve which had survived that first winter after all power was shut down in the world finds itself at a cross-roads where they realize that they cannot support themselves where they were. So, they decide to send an expedition south to see if they can move to their ancestral lands on the shores of Lake Huron. That expedition find the land largely deserted, testament to the chaos and mass death which gripped the world after the power went off. Unfortunately, it is entirely deserted with some good, often, but not exclusively Indigenous communities and some very bad ones, trying to build up their power. Again, no spoilers, but what results is a reflection on values and how to live which is relevant to all.

What I love about this book, and its predecessor, is that it is genuinely hopeful. Yes, some people make terrible decisions and suffer for it. But, ultimately, our main characters are seeking the good of their community and their people, but also the Land and the world around them. They too may make bad decisions, but they ultimately redeem themselves as they work together to save their people. It is a wonderful story.

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Review: Moon of the Crusted Snow

Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I frankly love this novel-the idea, the characters and the story. So, just putting that out there.

Moon of the Crusted Snow is a post-apocalyptic novel, set in a reserve in Northern Ontario which weathers a mysterious, but total loss of electrical power which, almost instantaneously, removes all the modern conveniences of life- cellphones, freezers, communication with the outside world, a steady food supply. Except, in this community, people also continue to hunt and to gather food, even as these modern conveniences are stripped away.

The novel explores the crucial first winter in which the community struggles to survive in a hostile and lonely environment, and cut off from the rest of the world (which, as the novel indicates, has descended into chaos). I don't want to give away the plot, but it also has to face outsiders, who think they know better how to survive and whose presence destabilizes the community. It is a testament to the resilience of the community and of the individuals who honour the old ways of doing things.

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Review: Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples

Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples by Gregory Younging
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Okay, I know what you're thinking. Are you seriously reviewing a style manual? Well, yes, but, in some way, the title belies the writing within. It is an outgrowth of Theytus Book's style guide, one of the early Indigenous publication houses, but it is more than that. Younging reflects on how Indigenous peoples have been treated in literature and in the publishing world, which is not a pretty picture. He also considers present practices which are problematic and how to create an environment where Indigenous writer's can legitimate expect to be heard and respected. It also gives a practice case studies and practical suggestions for how to move forward.

This book is really an important consideration for anyone who is interested in encouraging the unique voices which come from Indigenous writers. It is a warning for settlers like myself to get out of the way and respect even what I may not understand. It also gives practical examples of how to convey that respect in the way I write. It is an invaluable resource.

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Review: Why Indigenous Literatures Matter

Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was an early purchase, just as the school year was ending in June, because I knew I would be teaching an Indigenous literatures course this fall (i.e. in a few days!). This book kept being mentioned as a must read and, now that I've read it, I definitely understand why. It is the product of wide and thoughtful reading in the complex and vibrant world of Indigenous writing. While I was not familiar with more than a few texts, this book made me want to read more and to explore aspects of Indigenous writing that I didn't realize was out there. It serves an accessible introduction to this neglected, but fascinating field without over-simplifying or confusing.

What I loved about this book is that it really isn't just about books, it's about the stories that we tell, which, as the introduction asserts, can heal or harm. This book doesn't shrink from the difficult stories that Indigenous people tell nor about the difficult realities that Indigenous people have faced and do face as they navigate a world imposed on them by colonization. But it also talks about how a resurgence is beginning to take hold among Indigenous peoples, which are producing unique and valuable literatures. He groups his discussion around four main questions: HOw do we learn to be Human? HOw do we behave as Good Relatives? How do we become Good Ancestors? How do we Learn to Live Together? before going on to a quite personal chapter of reading in the ruptures and his ulti mate conclusion.

If you are interested in examining these literatures, this is a crucial starting point. I can't recommend it enough.

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Review: Why Indigenous Literatures Matter

Why Indigenous Literatures Matter by Daniel Heath Justice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was an early purchase, just as the school year was ending in June, because I knew I would be teaching an Indigenous literatures course this fall (i.e. in a few days!). This book kept being mentioned as a must read and, now that I've read it, I definitely understand why. It is the product of wide and thoughtful reading in the complex and vibrant world of Indigenous writing. While I was not familiar with more than a few texts, this book made me want to read more and to explore aspects of Indigenous writing that I didn't realize was out there. It serves an accessible introduction to this neglected, but fascinating field without over-simplifying or confusing.

What I loved about this book is that it really isn't just about books, it's about the stories that we tell, which, as the introduction asserts, can heal or harm. This book doesn't shrink from the difficult stories that Indigenous people tell nor about the difficult realities that Indigenous people have faced and do face as they navigate a world imposed on them by colonization. But it also talks about how a resurgence is beginning to take hold among Indigenous peoples, which are producing unique and valuable literatures. He groups his discussion around four main questions: HOw do we learn to be Human? HOw do we behave as Good Relatives? How do we become Good Ancestors? How do we Learn to Live Together? before going on to a quite personal chapter of reading in the ruptures and his ulti mate conclusion.

If you are interested in examining these literatures, this is a crucial starting point. I can't recommend it enough.

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Review: Bad Cree

Bad Cree by Jessica Johns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another entry in my summer of Indigenous fiction (and non-fiction) reading. Set in B.C. and Alberta, this novel explores family and, especially, sisters within a context of grief, family breakdown and, well, economic and environmental crisis. The novel also veers into the paranormal horror genre as the lead character, Mackenzie, explores what has gone wrong in her life, her family and her community.

I really liked this novel, although I was really weirded out at first. The early dreams that Mackenzie has as well as the disturbingly pervasive ravens following her around are, frankly, creepy. Well, of course it is, it's horror. But I remember as I was reading it, I actually had to avoid reading it just before going to bed because I kept getting bad dreams (oddly with ravens in them). That is a testament to Johns' evocation of the paranormal, but it's also a warning to anyone not especially used to horror (like me).

Yet, what I really loved about the novel is that, despite the horror motifs, it is ultimately a really hopeful novel. It is about finding resolution and a place to belong and I have so much space for that. Without giving the end away, it also serves as an allegory for the problems we face today in the exploitation of the Land and how communities have to face up to that legacy. Here it was an Indigenous one, but it is a legacy we all have to face up to.

So, yes, definitely, a good read and worth dealing with all those ravens to get through.

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Review: Women of the Fur Trade

Women of the Fur Trade by Frances Koncan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another entry in my immersion into the world of First Nations, Metis and Inuit literature as I prepare to teach my course in the fall. In this case, this is a play, performed several times include at the Stratford Festival in 2020.

The story happens at the key moment of Louis Riel's arrival at the Red River colony in 1869, at least, as far as one can nail down a time. The characters are, primarily, the Ojibwe Eugenia, the Metis Marie-Angelique and the white Cecilia- three women associated with the fur trade, but also with events as they lead up to the Red River Resistance. The focus is, as the title would suggest, on the women, as they interrelate in the intersection of race and gender.

The result is very funny, especially because the character's knowledge (and hence allusions) range all over history until now. There's a noticeable absurdist feel to the play, but it also packs a political punch. It is definitely worth reading and considering.

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Review: A Treaty Guide for Torontonians

A Treaty Guide for Torontonians by Ange Loft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was excited to get this book because it fills in a substantial gap in my understanding of the history of the city in which I live: Toronto. So often, the history we hear is the history of the settling of the area by Europeans, but, here, is a focus on the peoples who lived here before Europeans came. When that story is told, the history of Toronto (and of the rest of Canada) becomes much richer and more complicated.

The aim of this book is to chart the various treaties between the First Nations who lived in the Toronto area and between, first, the French and the Dutch, then the British. The story isn't a pretty one. From the disruption of the Wendat in the 17th century, to the proxy wars between the Haudenosaunee and the Anishinabek peoples, but, ultimately, to the various treaties, especially the Toronto Purchase, 'negotiated' with the British, the picture is disruption and, on the part of the settlers, dishonesty. The book charts this relationship, based on documents we have and the experience of the peoples living in this area and brings it up to date to chart the various efforts by, especially, the Mississaugas of the Credit and the Haudenosaunee to pursue their land and water claims.

As a teacher, I also appreciated the large numbers of activities ranging from field trips to activities which more vividly and physically bring the meaning of the Land we live in. That is, ultimately, the centre of this book- the Land, our relationship with the land, the peoples and non-humans in this place now. As someone about to teach the First Nations, Metis and Inuit Studies English course in the spring, those activities are a great source of ideas to link my students to their own city.

I would say anyone living in Toronto should read this book, if only to understand how we got this land that we live on and to appreciate the responsibilities that places on us. Very much work reading!

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Review: The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America

The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've been meaning to read this book for a while, but the fact that I'm going to be teaching an Indigenous literatures course next year meant that I felt it was time to get on it. While not necessarily a history (indeed, King disavows that it is a history per se), King looks at the experience of Indigenous peoples in Canada and US as well as what it looks like now. His writing is really vivid and very funny, but also really hard hitting. He does not hold back and that's a good thing, especially for this topic.

One of his main point is that, fundamentally, North Americans have difficulties understanding Indigenous peoples as living and breathing, with needs and demands of their own; that one of the most persistent images of Indigenous peoples is the 'dead Indian' in which Indigenous peoples are only understood as people of the past, not people with whom we need to engage now. But much of the rest of the book shows the harm that image has caused and continues to cause.

Definitely an important book to read and understand!

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Review: The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, Volume I

The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II, Volume I by Fernand Braudel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This idea of this book has fascinated me for years, since my undergraduate days and my Methods in HIstory course in which the Annales school of history was first explained to me. So, when I found it in a astonishingly good second book store in Manitoba, I jumped at the chance to buy it. And, eventually to read it. For, as those of you who glance at the reading dates will realize, a long time. It has taken me over a year to read this, mostly because it is not a book you can rush through. It is, without a doubt, a tour de force, but it is not easy. Not at all.

The book is written as a total history. It is not just about Philip II's prodigious activities in the Mediterranean. It is, in an important sense, about the Mediterranean, which is, arguably the real hero of the narrative, if you accept it as a kind of tragic hero- noble, but in decline. Braudel is, probably, most interested in processes, rather than events, so he focuses on the cycles and structures in which history plays itself in the Mediterranean. That makes him consider the region over a long period of time, as well as thinking about the cyclical patterns as well, and after that (and only after all that), the events of Philip II's reign. This tripartite structure is Braudel's claim to fame and is often considered the unique contribution of the Annalistes. Never mind that the only person who has ever achieved this structure fully is Braudel himself and, really, only in this book. The approach remains fascinating, if only in theory, especially for those who, like me, are drawn to the very big picture. It does drive the more event focused completely bats.

Some caveats though. This book is looonnnggg! Two volumes of not especially easy prose (here in translation). It is, as my wife calls difficult books, 'stirring concrete with your eyelashes' at times. I mean, it's still fascinating and a tribute to Braudel's vast reading and erudition because the long duration is as densely packed with examples as the event focused last third of the book. But this is not popular history, so be ready to wade through the often sluggish prose. The sheer erudition and insight is worth the work, but, do not doubt it, it is work. A fast read this is not. This is best read slowly and carefully, and probably with lighter reading as a chasers.

But it is so much worth the effort to do, well, at least once. It is legitimately a classic in 20th century historiography and gloriously complex. And I say that as someone for whom the 16th century and Spanish history is distinctly a side interest. Read it, if only to see what a total history might look like. Or just for the spectacle of the Mediterranean in history. Or for the innovative ideas about historiography. Whatever. just read it.


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Review: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is very simply a lovely book. Written as a series of essays which reflect upon the sometimes incongruous common ground between science and Indigenous wisdom, this book offers a grounding in the natural world and a (re-) connection to the land which we in North America sorely need. Robin Wall Kimmerer is a scientist, professor and indigenous writer, who reflects on the natural world through Indigenous eyes.

It's hard to sum up a book with so many disparate essays, of course. But several themes bind the stories together- gratitude, reciprocity, respect for the land and for non-human life, community and a general suspicious of our current Western capitalist economic thinking. The teachers, as the author says in several places, are actually the plants or the land around us, not humans who are really younger brothers, who need to pay attention to their elders, the non-human life around them. The essays confront climate change and our self-destructive compulsive consumption (symbolized by the Anishinabe beast, the Windigo) and give us much to reflect on.

This is not a book to read quickly or lightly. The language is simply too beautiful and reflective to do that and I suspect we would entirely lose the point of the book if we just consumed it in one gulp. But, if you're interested in an alternative, more sustainable way to see the earth, this is a good place to start.

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Review: As Long as You Need: Permission to Grieve

As Long as You Need: Permission to Grieve by J.S. Park
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is, quite simply, a lovely, but painful book. Written by a hospital chaplin in California, we confront the challenges of that challenging vocation, as he faces loss, grief and trauma every day, helping people who are seeing their last hours and their families and friends. Told with great compassion and even greater honesty, it is a vivid view of what goes on everyday in hospitals, but which most of us don't encounter often.

What I loved about this book is the painful honesty of the author, who isn't afraid to talk about the difficult things, but steadfastly holds space for those he encounters each day. He's honest about his own struggles and his own burnout and mental health challenges and that of his family. There were times where I could only just cry with him as his stories about grief particularly struck a chord with me.

A fair warning, of course. Park's honesty is pretty raw sometimes, so if you're in a tender place, maybe hold off reading this for a bit. It can get overwhelming.

But despite that warning, I'd recommend this not only to chaplins, but to all who work in the caring professions as a model of how to engage with suffering without being overwhelmed. Definitely worth reading.

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Review: All the President’s Men

All the President’s Men by Carl Bernstein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is, of course, a classic and, both Bernstein and Woodward would say (and do in the introduction of the new edition), a timely one. In this book, we follow the saga of the Washington Post's coverage of Watergate, spearheaded by two young journalists, Woodward and Bernstein, from the beginnings of the scandal to the resignation of President Nixon.

The story is well known and has so many twists and turns as journalists like Woodward and Bernstein sought the truth about the Watergate scandal and the Nixon administration desperately tried to keep it hidden. The tale is full of wrong turns and lucky breaks, but also shows the care that newspapers of the era spent to be sure that they were printing sound information. The sordidness of the Nixon administration's denials and obfuscations made that so much harder, of course.

Of course, the story invites parallels to today- both in the threat to democracy and the ways that ordinary decent people countered the threat when they found themselves in a moral crisis. It is ultimately a heartening one, although very much a cautionary tale.

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