KUKUM

Erin Tripp, a Lingít actor and performer, narrates this historical novel based on the author's Innu ancestry. The Lingít are Indigenous people who live in Southeast Alaska. The Innu are Indigenous people who live in Labrador and Quebec. In this story Almanda Siméon, the daughter of Irish immigrants, falls in love with Thomas, an Innu man, and goes to live with him in the Pekuakami Innu community. Almanda's new community accepts her with open arms and begins teaching her their language and way of life. Tripp captures Almanda's horror and fury as she experiences the loss of her community's Indigenous lands to the lumber industry and the removal of her children and grandchildren to residential schools. The way Tripp's skillful narration evokes the frozen north and Almanda's rhythmic storytelling creates an immersive listening experience. K.D.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2023]