I know I've disappeared with the book reviews. Some people have used Covid and the stay-at-home time to tear through their TBR lists. I was not one of them. In fact, I've only just gotten back into serious reading and serious writing.
And part of that is catching up on book reviews!
So, let's venture backward in time to March, the last weekend in "the before times", when I read this quick book on a ski trip with my siblings.
This short Canadian play addresses a terrible reality for so many First Nations families; Anne's daughter was taken by children's aid workers 35 years ago. And now, one Christmas, they are at last being reunited.
In the 1950s and 1960s thousands of Native Canadian children were taken from their families and put into the adoption system. This is the story of one such family; the emotional toil and secrets and humour of how this event shaped the whole family in all the years to come.
I loved the dynamics in the family; they felt realistic and I chuckled out loud a few times, and shook my head others. There is a strong tone, and the central question of expectations - and how family members cannot measure up - is universal, framed in a terrible historical reality that was really not that long ago.
My only real complaint with this play is the ending; it is abrupt, and the shift in tone was noticeable. Plot elements were a bit choppy, and some of the interactions in the end of the play didn't seem to fit with the characterizations established earlier. That being said, I did enjoy this play, and could see the possibilities for using it in the classroom.
I gave this one a 3/5 rating.
Do you like reading plays? Any historical fiction pieces to recommend about lesser-known historical events?
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