Women's Book Club Update
- Huron Superior Métis Community
- Feb 3
- 2 min read
In October of 2025, the Historic Sault Ste Marie Métis Council Women's Rep Lisa Kisch and Cultural Events Coordinator Shelby Storozuk put together a women's book club. The book club has now completed 2 books, A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter and Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom and is currently reading Medicine Walk by Richard Wagameese.
"Five generations of Métis women argue, dance, struggle, laugh, love, and tell the stories that will sing their family, and perhaps the land itself, into healing in this brilliantly original debut novel."
Overall, the group agreed that A Grandmother Begins the Story had a strong and meaningful story at its core, but the way it was told made it harder to fully enjoy. With the book jumping between six different points of view, many members found themselves confused about who was who and what was happening at times. In the end, the group landed on a collective rating of 3.25 stars.
"In 1872, sixteen-year-old Goes First, a Crow Native woman, marries Abe Farwell, a white fur trader. He gives her the name Mary, and they set off on the long trip to his trading post in Saskatchewan, Canada. Along the way, she finds a fast friend in a Métis named Jeannie; makes a lifelong enemy in a wolfer named Stiller; and despite learning a dark secret of Farwell’s past, falls in love with her husband."
Overall, the group felt that Crow Mary was a well-told novel based on a true story. Readers loved how strong the character Crow Mary was and how true she remained to herself throughout the book. The group also really enjoyed the way the story was told, noting that you were learning without even realizing it. Collectively, the group gave Crow Mary a 4.75-star rating.
