This story is of Xavier Bird and Elijah Weesageechak also known as
Whiskeyjack, two James Bay Cree, who signed up together and became
famous snipers in the Canadian Army during the First World War. The
novel is a poignant tale of brutality and survival.
It opens with Xavier returning home, missing a leg and addicted to
morphine, his days are also numbered. His aunt Niska greets him at
the train station and together they begin a three day canoe journey
home. On their travel, Niska recounts stories of their youth and in
return Xavier graphically recounts the horrors he and his friend
Elijah faced.
Boyden's detailed and colourful writing immerses his reader into
two contrasting worlds. Niska's is rich in native culture and
harmony with nature, the other, Xavier plunges the reader into the
atrocities of war. Both are driven by the will to survive.
In addition to the central characters the story is stocked with
many other memorable and wonderful secondary players. Xavier and
Elijah's characters and some of their exploits are modeled after
the real life experiences of Francis Pegahmagabow (known as Peggy)
an Ojibway Indian, an honoured sniper of WW1.
The pace of the story is steady and holds ones attention firmly, it
is highly captivating and a page turner one hard to put down. I
highly recommend it.