I stayed up til midnight to finish this off. Very funny novel! pure joy.

Do you love Canadian Literature as I do, but sometimes harbour secret critical thoughts? Do you ever inwardly ask yourself questions like: Does CanLit have to be so depressing? Is everyone in Canada impoverished and filled with self pity? Could Can Lit ever allow its reader's to indulge in a little escapism? Character development is wonderful - but could we cut out about 100 pages of navel gazing? Is any sub group in Canada not filled with laments?

It was with this trepidation that I picked up [Motorcycles &Sweet Grass] by Drew Taylor Hayden. Yes, I 'd read excellent reviews that promised me that this book would read "like a romp." But, I reasoned, this is a book about life on a First Nations Reserve and that is not generally indicative of a book that will be humour filled. I was most wonderfully surprised in so many ways.

[Motorcycles and Sweetgrass] is indeed filled with humour and great lines, but it also gently touches on many serious issues. Residential schools, abuse by Catholic Priests, alcoholism, drug abuse, the clashing intergenerational First Nation Culture and many other difficult topics are skilfully brought to our attention. Native mythology is prominent in the book, but presented in such a way that it very understandable to virtually any reader. I also got a real feel for the prejudice that First Nations people are subjected to, as well a look into what life might be like for both adults and children living on a reserve in today's Canada. I was also able to get a very good idea as to what forces - both from within and outside a Reserve - are dealt with by an aboriginal Chief.

This is a most fun and enjoyable read ,but it would be a mistake to say it is simply that. There is so much more to this book, and it well earned its place as a finalist in the 2010 Governor Generalist's Award. The author, Drew Hayden Taylor , born and raised on Curve Lake First Nation Reserve in Ontario well deserves his award from Knopf Canada as a New Face in Fiction in Canada.
There are many humourous lines but that one that grabbed me concerned the Chief of the reserve :

"She hated appearing on television, felt that she looked too haggard and worn, like a character from a Margaret Lawrence novel."

This is a wonderful read and deserves to be much more popular than it is. I look very forward to Drew Hayden Taylor's next book

Do you love Canadian Literature as I do, but sometimes harbour secret critical thoughts? Do you ever inwardly ask yourself questions like: Does CanLit have to be so depressing? Is everyone in Canada impoverished and filled with self pity? Could Can Lit ever allow its reader's to indulge in a little escapism? Character development is wonderful - but could we cut out about 100 pages of navel gazing? Is any sub group in Canada not filled with laments?

It was with this trepidation that I picked up [Motorcycles &Sweet Grass] by Drew Taylor Hayden. Yes, I 'd read excellent reviews that promised me that this book would read "like a romp." But, I reasoned, this is a book about life on a First Nations Reserve and that is not generally indicative of a book that will be humour filled. I was most wonderfully surprised in so many ways.

[Motorcycles and Sweetgrass] is indeed filled with humour and great lines, but it also gently touches on many serious issues. Residential schools, abuse by Catholic Priests, alcoholism, drug abuse, the clashing intergenerational First Nation Culture and many other difficult topics are skilfully brought to our attention. Native mythology is prominent in the book, but presented in such a way that it very understandable to virtually any reader. I also got a real feel for the prejudice that First Nations people are subjected to, as well a look into what life might be like for both adults and children living on a reserve in today's Canada. I was also able to get a very good idea as to what forces - both from within and outside a Reserve - are dealt with by an aboriginal Chief.

This is a most fun and enjoyable read ,but it would be a mistake to say it is simply that. There is so much more to this book, and it well earned its place as a finalist in the 2010 Governor Generalist's Award. The author, Drew Hayden Taylor , born and raised on Curve Lake First Nation Reserve in Ontario well deserves his award from Knopf Canada as a New Face in Fiction in Canada.
There are many humourous lines but that one that grabbed me concerned the Chief of the reserve :

"She hated appearing on television, felt that she looked too haggard and worn, like a character from a Margaret Lawrence novel."

This is a wonderful read and deserves to be much more popular than it is. I look very forward to Drew Hayden Taylor's next book

Nanabush (the Ojibwe Trickster) has been dormant for awhile. He is startled back into action by the impending death of a woman he loved from his past.

Lillian was made to leave the reserve when she was younger to attend residential school. She turned her back on Nanabush when she left. Once at school she muses "I thought the world was full of magic. I don't think it is. Maybe once it was. Not any more."

She did return to the reserve and on her deathbed, has called Nanabush to Otter Lake - an Anishnawbe community in Ontario. She is worried about her family - her daughter Maggie, who is now the chief of the reserve, her youngest grandson Virgil, who really can't be bothered with school and her eccentric son Wayne, who lives alone on an island developing an aboriginal martial art form. Will he come? Is there still magic in the world?

Otter Lake is quite taken aback when Nanabush, now calling himself John, arrives in town riding a 1953 Indian Chief motorcycle. And this time, he's decided to present himself as a handsome young white man.

Although John is able to charm Maggie, Virgil and Wayne are suspicious of John and his intentions. And the raccoons don't seem very happy to see him either. They have a long standing feud running with Nanabush. " It was him. and he was back. This was good. In this part of the country, revenge was furry and wore a bandit's mask."

Motorcycles & Sweetgrass open with the line "Hey, wanna hear a good story? Supposedly it's true one. It's a long story but it goes something like this..."

Taylor had me laughing out loud, with the raccoon's revenge and John's antics. But his writing is thoughtful as well, touching on the the importance of family, community and the land. And hopeful - the belief that yes, there is magic left in the world.

The novel ends with "And that's how it happened to cousin of mine. I told you it was a long story. They're the best 'cause you can wrap one around you like a nice warm blanket."

Absolutely! I really enjoyed this book, from first page to last.


Drew Hayden Taylor is an accomplished writer, journalist, film maker and screenwriter. (Canadian readers - remember North of 60 and The Beachcombers?)

Motorcycles and Sweetgrass is his first adult fiction foray and is one of Random House Canada's 2010 New Faces of Fiction.