A GRANDMOTHER BEGINS THE STORY

Sixteen narrators, many Indigenous, join their voices to deliver memoirist/poet Michelle Porter's haunting debut novel. Matriarch Mamé, voiced by actor Tantoo Cardinal, has passed on but can't settle in the afterlife as connections to her daughter, Geneviève; granddaughter, Lucie; and great-great-granddaughter, Carter, keep her tethered to this world. Geneviève, grittily voiced by Jani Lauzon, is seeking treatment for alcohol abuse, while her daughter, Lucie, boldly portrayed by Monique Mojica, tries to convince her own granddaughter, snarky but wounded Carter (narrated by Jenny Pudavick), to help her die. These vibrant, determined women are surrounded by others--including bison, two dogs, a car named Bets, and even the prairie itself--and are supported by them. Porter's dreamlike writing is enhanced by a delicate soundtrack interwoven with a playful fiddle and gently thrumming drums. S.A.H. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2024]