2011-14 - Born With A Tooth, by Joseph Boyden

14 - Born With A Tooth, by Joseph Boyden, 243 Pages, Cormorant Books, 2001
WHY I PICKED IT: It was written by Joseph Boyden
ELAPSED TIME: 3 days
RATING: Good

This book of short stories was quite depressing.  13 stories of the native experience - of alcoholism, of the res schools, of how the Catholic Priests view them as lesser people, of the inevitable suffering that comes from the situation that they exist within.

A work of fiction takes you beyond what rational knowledge can possibly do.  Whereas I agree that much of what has happened to the First Nations since the Europeans have been in North America has been wrong, I have always argued that it was in the past - and we must move forward.  What was lacking was compassion for the people, because of the path that brought them to where they are.  13 short stories gives me 13 different perspectives, 13 different people who I would not otherwise have known.

These stories were generally quite hard to read, authentic and without the silver lining that most works of fiction offer the reader as a crutch to deal with sad realities.  Given that, I am glad that it was short stories rather than full novels.

I would recommend this book, only if you believe you need to be reminded of the compassion in your heart.