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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