The BreakThe Break

Katherena Vermette?s poignant novel, set in Winnipeg?s North End, opens with a violent crime that becomes the backdrop for a story of great depth and compassion. This masterfully written narrative shifts among the intergenerational voices of the women of one extended Indigenous family. The Break is a powerful, persuasive novel about the strength and love that bind these women to each other and to the men in their lives. The traditions and wisdom of a community are honoured, as is the exquisite individual humanity of each character. Although this is a novel of social importance, it transcends politics, taking the reader on a journey to the heart of what it means for one person to care about another, survive trauma, and endure. (2016 Rogers Writers? Trust Fiction Prize Jury Lauren B. Davis, Trevor Ferguson, and Pasha Malla 2016-09-21)