Moon of the Turning Leaves

Moon #2

by Waubgeshig Rice

In this gripping sequel to the award-winning post-apocalyptic novel Moon of the Crusted Snow , a brave scouting party of hunters and harvesters led by Evan Whitesky must venture into unknown and dangerous territory to find a new home for their close-knit but slowly starving Northern Ontario Indigenous community more than a decade after a world-ending blackout.

For the past twelve years, a community of Anishinaabe people have made the Northern Ontario bush their home in the wake of the infrastructural power failure that brought about governmental and societal collapse. Hunters and harvesters, they have survived and thrived the way their ancestors once did, but their natural food resources are dwindling, and the time has come to find a new home.
Evan Whitesky volunteers to lead a dangerous mission south to explore the possibility of moving back to their ancestral home, the “land where the birch trees grow by the big water” in the Great Lakes region.

Accompanied by five others, including his daughter Nangohns, a great archer and hunter, Evan begins a journey that will take him through the reserve where the Anishinaabe were once settled, the devastated city of Gibson, and a land now being reclaimed by nature. But it isn’t just the wilderness that poses a threat as they encounter other survivors. Those who, like the Anishinaabe, live in harmony with the land. And those who use violence to fulfill their needs. . .

Genres: Fiction, Indigenous, Horror, Dystopia, Audiobook, Science Fiction, Canada

307 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2023

About the author

Waubgeshig Rice grew up in Wasauksing First Nation on the shores of Georgian Bay, in the southeast of Robinson-Huron Treaty territory. He’s a writer, listener, speaker, language learner, and a martial artist, holding a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is the author of the short story collection Midnight Sweatlodge and the novels Legacy, Moon of the Crusted Snow, and Moon of the Turning Leaves. He appreciates loud music and the four seasons. He lives in N’Swakamok - also known as Sudbury, Ontario - with his wife and three sons.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I finished reading Moon of the Crusted Snow, I was left wanting to know the fate of the characters , so I was glad to see there was a sequel. Evan and Nicole, First Nation people of the Anishinaabe tribe, their family and other families who “survived the collapse” have managed to keep on living a decade later in the bush in northern Ontario, Canada where they moved to after the lights went out at the rez. But sources of food are becoming scarce and it becomes clear that they need to find a new way to survive . A handful of people make the harrowing expedition to see what is south, to find the old homeland before moving the whole community to a place they call home. They encounter adversity, loss, bears and extremist militia groups who are pretty scary as they are into “some white power shit”. Scary because it’s relevant now. We never know what caused the power to go out, but it stands as a warning for sure. The adversity is tempered by bravery, hope, resilience, a dedication to their ancestry, friendship and love.

Thanks to my Goodreads friend Jodi for bringing it to my attention. Here’s her review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I received a copy of this book from William Morrow/Harper Collins through Edelweiss

[Elizabeth (Plant Based Bride) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first instalment of this duology, a post-apocalyptic thriller with horror elements and a lot of heart, so I was very excited to learn that Rice would be writing a sequel. Perhaps my hopes were a little too high, but I found Moon of the Turning Leaves very slow to start, with little tension or stakes (especially compared to its predecessor). It took me quite a while to remember all of the characters and get into the groove of the story, which was a much quieter take on the post-apocalyptic genre with a more meandering, almost cozy quality to it. There are definitely still a few thriller-esque elements to this one, but I wouldn't classify it as horror or thriller at all; more like near-future science fiction.

That being said, I enjoyed this book for what it was, even if my expectations were not aligned with the reality of what this story was trying to do. I loved reading about the beauty of my home province (Ontario, Canada) and felt the character development was excellent. I quickly became very attached to the characters and invested in their survival, and loved the themes of reclaiming Indigenous culture, language, and community, as well as the hopeful tone.


Trigger/Content Warnings: cannibalism, animal death, injury detail, suicide, grief, racism, sexual harassment, murder, gun violence, blood, gore


I read all ten finalists in the sci-fi category of the GoodReads Choice Awards for a reading vlog! Watch it here: https://youtu.be/n6kBSG7po9Y



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[Silvia Moreno-Garcia]

My blurb: An epic journey into the future, powerfully haunting.

[Paul Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Three smallmouth bass so far, another three pike, and a couple of smaller pickerel … she had pulled in about half of the net already. She’d hoped for a few more fish.”

In MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW, Canadian author Waubgeshig Rice explored what happens in a post-apocalyptic world where the bridge to civilization, as fragile and as tenuous as it was when it existed, collapses utterly – complete power failure, total communications blackout, no internet, no telephone, no television, no delivery of any goods or commodities, no fuel.

Ten years later, life in a small aboriginal community fully isolated from the outside world, from the white world, a life renewing their dwindling Anishinaabe traditions, has encountered the fatal roadblock of dwindling resources. Their lake is overfished and the land-based animal resources have fled the neighborhood of their community. Migration to a new home has become a vital necessity and the elders of the community have decided it is time to send a scouting party to their traditional home area of the northern shores of Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. They need to discover whether life in their former home is viable.

As one might expect in any such novel, the reader is met with a complete spectrum of actions and reactions – heroism, cowardice, bravery, courage, violence, fear, hope, despair, doubt, greed, generosity, leadership, withdrawal and, of course, more than a few deaths under a myriad of related circumstances. Sadly, author Rice also tells a story in which a post-apocalyptic world has failed to learn from its past errors, its past hatred, and most definitely has not evolved into a post-racial world. Racism and xenophobia remains an endemic component of white, western society.

MOON OF THE TURNING LEAVES is a worthy sequel and although it does not have quite the strength and compelling urgency of its predecessor MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW, it is an easy novel to recommend to those who enjoy themes of post-apocalypse and dystopia. Learning some of the components of aboriginal Anishinaabe culture and their relationship to the world around us is a definite bonus.

Paul Weiss

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
Moon of the Crusted Snow is one of my favourite books so I was delighted to learn that there was a sequel.

This book continues the story from when the first one left off. Honestly I loved the ambiguousness of that book so I didn't necessarily think we needed to see further into this future.

However, this turned out to be a beautiful follow-up. As a piece of indigenous fiction, I found it to be a beautiful story steeped in cultural traditions. It was wonderful to imagine such a warm, optimistic community within such an uncertain future.

In terms of suspense and speculative fiction, this follow up book has far less than the first. If I forgot about the initial setup, it would be easy to forget this wasn't a piece of contemporary fiction. As someone who loves indigenous fiction, I love it. As someone who normally reads dark fiction, I found myself longing for those elements.

I would highly recommend this to readers looking for a wonderful Canadian indigenous narrative.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this one even more than the first book. Didn’t have stories like this to learn about Native American culture, history, perspective, diversity, etc. when I was growing up. Appreciate all the books we have now. Some are better than others, and this one and its predecessor are two of the better ones.

[Alan (The Lone Librarian) Teder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Post-Apocalyptic Waabaagbagaa-giizis*
Review of the Random House Canada paperback edition (October 10, 2023) with reference to the simultaneously released audiobook narrated by Billy Merasty and the Kindle eBook.

Moon of the Turning Leaves is the sequel book to Moon of the Crusted Snow (2018), which author Rice originally thought of as a one-off standalone. That first novel in the story tells of a group of Anishnaabe on a First Nations Reserve in Northern Ontario and what happens to them when an apocalyptic blackout of power & communications blankets the world. Although some of the people on the reserve have knowledge of the old ways of hunting & fishing & natural medicines, not everyone is able to survive in this new harsh world. Outsiders arrive as well, either students that had been away at schools down south, but also survivalists looking to exploit the situation. No one has knowledge of what has happened in the greater outside world or of what caused the permanent blackout in the first place. You don't necessarily have to have read the first book, as much of this is recapped in the sequel.

The situation was so intriguing that readers kept asking Rice about a follow-up, and in order to not disappoint them he kept saying it was coming, even though he hadn’t even written it yet. Then the worldwide COVID pandemic hit and in a somewhat parallel situation, the sequel was born.

Moon of the Turning Leaves takes up the story 10 years later. The survivors from the first book have now moved off the reserve to live in the bush at Shkidnakiiwin (Anishinaabemowin language for “New Village”) and to return to the old ways. The resources in their immediate area are drying up though, and a tribal council decision is made to send an expedition down south to their original homeland Wiigwaaswaatigoong, (Anishinaabemowin language for “Where the Birch Trees Are”), by the shores of north Lake Huron, where they had been pushed out by forestry & mining companies supported by the government. This is in order to seek a more permanent long-term home. The journey is expected to be a round trip of over 1,000 kilometres by foot mostly through the bush and to take up to two months.

The suspense in this book builds gradually and any further details would be spoilerish. But pretty much everything that you would expect in a post-apocalyptic situation will happen to the 6-person group of walkers. The suspense and possible terror for the walkers is thus mirrored in the reader who also doesn’t know what will come next. Waubgeshig Rice completely fulfills the promise of the earlier book with this superb sequel. The book does end satisfactorily, but I can’t help but hope that Rice might yet consider a third installment. Miigwech Waub!

NOTE: The book contains a considerable vocabulary of maybe 100-200 Anishnaabemowin language words, several of which I’ve used above. These are all mostly defined immediately with their English equivalents, and/or can be easily understood in context. But if you are inspired to learn some of the language further, see resources below.


Nothing to do with the book specifically, but one of my own burning bushes has already turned its leaves this year, so it seemed appropriate to add this visual.

Further Note: In order to learn the pronunciation of the various Anishinaabemowin words I also listened to the audiobook narrated by Billy Merasty, who was excellent in all voices. To note words for lookup I also referenced a copy on Kindle.

Footnote
*Waabaagbagaa-giizis (Anishinaabemowin language for “Moon of the Turning Leaves” aka “Changing Leaves Moon” aka “September”)

Soundtrack
Anishinaabe Travelling Song on YouTube here. Note: These songs are not necessarily about travelling from place to place, but can be laments and/or sendoff songs for someone who has passed on from the physical realm.

Trivia and Links
You can read an introduction & an excerpt from the novel at the CBC Books article Waubgeshig Rice continues his Anishinaabe-inspired vision for the future with novel Moon of the Turning Leaves from April 25, 2023.

There is an Ojibway/Anishinaabemowin to & from English dictionary at the University of Minnesota which you can access here. Some of the spellings are different from the Northern Ontario Anishinaabemowin words used in the book. (e.g. "Moon of the Turning Leaves" in the Minnesota dictionary is spelt "Waatebagaa-giizis"). Many of the words have voice recordings so that you can hear the pronunciation. Also note in the case of months, the Anishinaabe calendar was 13 months long, so it doesn't always equate 1:1 with the contemporary 12 month calendar).

A resource with Anishinaabemowin language lessons is www.ojibwe.net

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Moon of the Turning Leaves is the sequel to Rice’s 2018 novel Moon of the Crusted Snow. It begins about ten years later, once they are all safely ensconced and living simple lives in their new village in the North. But the village is small and resources have begun to dwindle. The fish they’re pulling from the lake now are all quite small. The firewood they rely on from the surrounding woods is becoming more difficult to find. So the elders call for a meeting of the community to discuss the future. Some introduce an idea that perhaps a group of “advance scouts” could travel south to search for their ancestors’ historic homeland. They’ve all heard about it. The Anishnaabe name loosely translates as “Where the Birch Trees Are”. From the tales they learned from their elders, they believe it’s a large, very bountiful area located on the shores of Lake Huron. Any reconnaissance team that chooses to do this will need at least four months—enough time to walk down there and come back home before winter sets in. If the trip is successful, the entire community may collectively decide to move south to this new land. It’s agreed that this will happen, so the small group must set out by mid-summer.

For the most part, the novel covers the 6-person team’s trek south, in search of this “promised land”. There’s not too much I can say, really, without spoiling the story. What I will say, though, is whether you’ve read the first book or not, you’re going to want to read this one! It’s quite a remarkable journey, full of ups and downs, and culminating in a spectacular end. This is a story that’s filled with adventure, suspense and everything else you’d want in a really good read. I have only one complaint... no animals.😢 Ten years on from the disaster that killed nearly everyone and everything, and even birds are rare. But nature is a wondrous thing! Give it twenty years or so, and there’ll be a remarkable resurgence of life! Yes, I’d want to be around to see that!

“One-Life. One-World. One-Sky"… Five-stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Diana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in a post-apocalyptic world, MOON OF THE TURNING LEAVES tells the fate of an Anishinaabe community in Northern Ontario, twelve years after a detrimental global power failure. It’s been one of my most anticipated releases since I read the first book a few years ago, and it was everything I hoped it would be! This sequel to MOON OF THE CRUSTED SNOW was beautifully written, suspenseful, and heart wrenching. It answered the questions I had from the first book, and left me in tears at the end, but also hopeful. An amazing, emotional story. [Library]

[Carolyn Walsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars. Sorry, my review vanished. Here is the original one.
4.5 Stars. A much anticipated, dystopian sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow. The first story began on a reservation in Northern Ontario. It is now twelve years later. When the electricity failed and the community was thrust into darkness, they believed this was a temporary local occurrence and not unusual. One complained about his now useless cell phone and laptop purchased on a trip south, "We can never have nice things here." Soon, they realized that deliveries of groceries and other supplies from the south were no longer reaching them and began to wonder if the power outage was more severe and widespread. Two men left the community to explore the outside world and report back. They never returned. Some newcomers brought trouble and bad news to the reservation.

Evan Whitesky led the people from the reservation into a remote wilderness where they rekindled their Anishinaabe culture and traditions and lived in harmony with nature. Now, resources from hunting and fishing are running out.

There is a tribal memory of a pleasant, traditional home on the shores of Lake Huron before they were forced to relocate. It is many kilometres south, and a round trip will take months travelling on foot. Evan, his daughter Narghons, another woman, her husband, and two additional men volunteer to walk southward to determine if their tribe can move back there and to examine conditions in the outside world. They find everything has changed for the worse.

This is a grim dystopian story of loss, grief, injury, danger, death, survival, and indigenous identity. There is profound sadness but also a glimmer of hope built on the strength and resilience of the people. This book starts slowly but with plenty of dread, sorrow, suspense, and action later on.

Nature is beginning to obscure paths and roadways. Waist-high weeds and grasses have overgrown what had been familiar. Buildings have been demolished by vandalism, burned and looted. The six trekkers heard about widespread mysterious flashes of light in the sky before the continent lapsed into chaos and destruction. A White-power militia, The Disciples spread with a racist agenda to wipe out all the minority groups. They took power in many towns and cities and carried weapons to destroy anyone they considered different. They may be following our group and must be avoided. When confronted by some Disciples, help comes from an unexpected source.

The six must struggle through mud and concealed pathways on their long walk to reach their destination at the Lake. Will they succeed and find help for the extended, strenuous return to their people? Do they find a safe and secure new home for their community in a fearsome world no longer recognizable?

Recommended, but one should read Moon of the Crusted Snow also.

[Kyra Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me so emotional. I did enjoy this one way more than the first book, but both did an amazing job of casting their survival in a dystopian world. My only con with this is I still have so many unanswered questions, and the ending felt a tad rushed to me.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice (Anishinaabe) was a highly anticipated release for many readers & for very good reason. It’s been a long while since I’ve had such an emotional reaction to a novels ending.

What does life look like for Indigenous people when society as we know it falls apart? Is it a death sentence or is it a chance to live our lives in a way that more closely resembles that of our ancestors? Is it our opportunity to truly return home? As Anishinaabekwe, this novel certainly felt that way.

The love & care for the land, Anishinaabemowin & community are all woven into the prose. When I close my eyes & think of this novel, I see trees, sunlight, ceremony and full bodies of water. I appreciated the loving and careful depictions of ceremony and how Anishinaabe language was interspersed throughout.

The action in the novel really keeps you hooked & the genuine bonds between the characters are so well developed that each emotion shines through truthfully. Everything is immensely well balanced.

This is an amazing sequel. If you haven’t read Moon of the Crusted Snow, I’d highly recommend you read it as soon as possible and then enjoy Moon of the Turning Leaves.

Anishinaabe have and will always be here, caring for the land and our people.

[♥Milica♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nobody speak to me, I've been HURT by that ending.

I loved this, it was just as atmospheric as the first book, the narration was on point, and I love that we got to see what became of our beloved characters a decade down the line. It was a bit slower though, and I think it could've been a teensy bit shorter (more like the first book), but I had a good time either way and would read more books by Waubgeshig Rice in the future.

[Oscar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sequel!

[Queralt✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I heard Moon of the Crusted Snow was getting a sequel, I was instantly worried. I thought it didn’t need one. Boy was I wrong, this book was fire.

It’s the natural progression to Moon of the Crusted Snow, we follow the same community years after. They’ve moved away from where they used to be settled and they decide it is time to go back home, so they send a small group back.

And I know you may assume this book gets all The Walking Dead-ish as we’re used to apocalyptic settings turning everything into an every man for himself world, but this is not the case. Rice’s story is all about community and identity and how we build our futures together. It’s a sad book, it’s a tough book, but it’s imbued with very beautiful moments.

I was just so happy with Narghons character. We follow a nice ensemble of characters led by Evan, but I feel the focus of this book is mostly on Narghons a little bit and I loved her. My favorite thing about this book was just how different it is from other apocalyptic stories. It's so nice to see people trying to survive together, listening to each other, sacrificing for the good of the group. It was just great to read. The ending was just so emotional (not as much as ‘that one scene’ in the middle which broke me, but still).

I liked this way more than the first one. The first book was very quiet and this was more of the survival story I was looking for.

PS - I just want to say Billy Merasty is an amazing audiobook narrator and I’m so glad I did the audio version for this one, my mind-mouth (?) pronounces everything so differently.

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just as great as its predecessor, Moon of the Turning Leaves is a really unique post-apocalyptic story about an Anishinaabe community attempting to leave the Northern land they were forced on by colonizers and returning to their ancestral territory on one of the great lakes. The first half or so is slower in pace, but a fascinating look into Indiegnous survival; the second half is nail-biting tense!! All round great storytelling!

[jocelyn • coolgalreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

love rice's writing so much

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waubgeshig Rice delivers another strong post-apocalyptic story in the second novel of this series, which sheds light on rural Indigenous populations in Canada. The treatment of indigenous communities by the Canadian Government remains a hot-button issue in the various media outlets across the country and Rice provides a raw commentary with an dystopian twist. After significant time dealing with everlasting darkness, Evan Whitesky has agreed to lead a scouting party into the the unknown to find a new place for their community to live. The Northern Ontario indigenous community has been in darkness since an unexplained blip disconnected them with the outside world. Darkness is only one concern that surrounds the group, but they are not ready to give up just yet, fuelled by the need to survive and overcome yet another obstacle.

It has been a dozen years since an infrastructural power failure has put the continent on pause. The people of the Anishinaabe have been trying their best to live off the land in Northern Ontario, hoping that tomorrow will bring news and an end to the darkness. While it has been tough, it has allowed many to tap into their roots and live off the land like their ancestors. Having survived for so long, many have tried to make the most of it, though there are questions about what lies beyond their confines and if other places might have overcome the hurdle of no cell service and little communication with the outside world.

At the heart of the community is Evan Whitesky, a well-connected member of the Anishinaabe who has earned the respect of many. He puts his name forward to lead a mission towards the city to determine if the community ought to move southward, back to their ancestral lands. This could mean tapping into the mainstream population and make sure they are not lost and forgotten forever. It will be dangerous and the darkness breeds questions that no one can answer, but Evan wants to ensure a future for his people, while knowing he could risk losing his young family forever.

Leading a group of five, including his own daughter, Nangohns, Evan begins the trek southwards. They locate the reserve where the Anishinaabe once were settled by the government, as well as communities that triggered many horror stories from their past, though Evan will not stop until there is something worthwhile. While Evan hopes to find a place to settle, he must understand that not everyone out here seeks peace. Violence is also fuelling the hunt for a settlement and some will gladly shed the blood of others to ensure their success in the eternal darkness. Rice delivers a dark and relentless story that adds to his popular series debut and kept me turning pages well into the night. I cannot wait to see if there is another novel to add further depth to an already strong story.

While I knew little of Waubgeshig Rice before I started the first book in this series, I could not put it down once again. Rice develops another powerful novel that explores indigenous independence, the core values of tradition and community to overcome any obstacle, and the darkness of the north’s isolation, somewhat forced upon the indigenous population. Rice presents a solid narrative foundation to drive the novel towards some interesting situations, keeping the momentum going at every turn. Characters tell their various perspectives flawlessly, adding flavouring to both the Anishinabe community and the ‘mainstream south’. I once again enjoyed this glimpse into a world I usually see through media reports and government commentary. Plot points develop with ease and show struggling aspects of rural life in isolated communities, as well as the desire to better one’s self. Rice provides a stellar view into community living and the adversity of change to better the community

Kudos, Mr. Rice, for another wonderful journey.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Jessica Woodbury · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very much in keeping with the first book with Rice's ambitions and tone, which always centers Indigenous tradition in a way you almost never see. Setting this novel several years after the first lets him do this to an even greater extent, we can see how old traditions have returned along with an old way of living pre-colonization.

Structurally it's quite different, though this is to be expected. It isn't until the second half or so that tension starts to build, if you are comfortable following along the story through these earlier quieter moments, then it will pay off. But for readers who want to jump right into an apocalypse tale, this won't give you that. I recommend some patience.

[Lata · Rating 5 out of 5]

This quiet novel by Waubgeshig Rice returns to the world of his earlier work, “Moon of the Crusted Snow”. It’s twelve years later, and we reunite with Evan Whitesky, Nicole, their children, and their community. These are the same people who walked away from their rez at the end of the previous book to settle somewhere more remote.

While it has been a time of peace and hope as new children are born, including Nicole and Evan’s new granddaughter Wawasone, everyone is aware that the catches from hunting and fishing are diminishing, and that something will have to be done.

Evan, an elder Walter, and a few others realize they’ll have to move the community again, which will be difficult. Others from their community have left some years earlier to find out if there are others who survived, but they never returned. So, the few that are chosen to head south to former Anishnaabe grounds know that the way could be dangerous, and that none may return.

Evan, his best friend Tyler, Cal, Amber, and Nangones, the Whitsky’s daughter and one of the community’s best hunters, began walking south, using old roads, travelling through bush, eventually arriving at the abandoned and lifeless city of Gibson. It’s a sobering moment for the group. And the last safe moment for them for a while, as there are others, also looking to establish their own communities.

The tone throughout this excellent book is thoughtful and meditative, slowly unfurling a story of hope and determination, but also of horror as the walkers pass old evidence of extreme desperation and violence amidst silent, abandoned structures.

Of course there are also those who only see violence and subjugation as a response to the catastrophe that destroyed civilization, as far as the main characters can ascertain. There are some wonderfully eerie moments as the walkers move through the remnants of Gibson, as well as some genuinely terrifying moments later.

Though the previous novel had a slight fantastical feel to it, this is a more grounded story, with much of it occupied with the steady progress the walkers make toward what they hope will be more Anishnaabe and the possibility of a new home.

There are lovely moments throughout of kindness and consideration for others, and though I teared up at a particular scene, there was always a sense peace, of honouring the generations and experiencing things as a community, that were powerfully moving.

[Shannon]

Oh, there's a sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow ... which I didn't completely enjoy, but I do want more answers, so ...

Funny that this is set so far in the future when one of my complaints was that the previous book constantly skipped over stuff.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I didn't love this quite as much as the first book, it was still a very well written, entertaining and thought-provoking dystopia. Excellent on audio and highly recommended. I am eternally grateful to @librofm for the complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!! Receiving this as an early listening copy for October was definitely a highlight of my year!!

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay I truly don't know what I was expecting from Moon of the Turning Leaves, but it turned out to be exactly the sequel/finale to this story that I didn't know I even wanted or needed.

Even though I only read Moon of the Crusted Snow a few months ago and remembered quite a bit of it, I thought it was really nice to see how smoothly Rice recalled events and reimmersed the reader back into the lives of this lovely community of Anishinaabe people. It's been twelve years since they survived the world-ending blackout that drove them from their hometown, and now the time is drawing close to resettle again in a place with better resources. And so six brave walkers embark on a dangerous expedition in search of their ancestral homeland.

Now, Moon of the Turning Leaves is not nearly as suspenseful or thrilling as its predecessor (especially in the first half), and yet I found myself weirdly even more engaged and invested in this story. Evan is still just a wonderful character to follow, but for me it was his daughter Nangohns who absolutely stole the show in this sequel. She is such a powerhouse, and I absolutely loved how the strong father/daughter dynamic gave this adventure so much heart.

Moreover, I continue to be amazed with Rice's effortless skill at weaving so much indigenous culture into the narrative in such a beautifully authentic way. At no point did I feel like the author's voice was coming through to 'teach a lesson', and yet I feel like I learned more about the indigenous way of life from reading this piece of fiction than from anything else I have ever read/watched on this subject. Plus, the exploration of the devastating persistence of racism, xenophobia and cultural discrimination even after a damned apocalypse was both heartbreaking and unfortunately realistic to read.

Now, this sequel doesn't necessarily give any more answers on the cause of the apocalyptic event, but I did really like seeing how the wider world outside the close-knit community was impacted throughout their travels. Also, it was extra fun buddy reading this with someone from this area in Canada (shout-out to Stacey, you're the best), as their insights gave me a whole new level of appreciation for Rice's authentic storytelling.

Also, while I initially found the ending to be a bit abrupt, I ultimately think it's the perfectly imperfect conclusion to this beautifully bittersweet story. I am so glad I gave this duology a shot, it is absolutely one of my favourite pieces of indigenous and post-apocalyptic fiction. Highly recommend, especially on audio for peak immersion!

[ThatBookish_deviant · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

Love this duology. If a national communication breakdown sends the U.S. into an apocalypse this is how I want it to play out (minus the racist white militia people). I’d like to think Indigenous tribes, whose homes were stolen from them, would finally get their land back. Hopefully there’d be enough still familiar with how to live and survive off the land they could make it.

Gods know my German-Irish immigrant ass wouldn’t last a week without basic creature comforts. I’m not signing up for living off the land. Nope. I will not be out there fighting to survive an apocalypse. I either want to be at ground zero or in a bunker full of good books, food, water, and drugs. 😂 This book really drove it home for me.

[laurel [the suspected bibliophile] · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good.

11 years after the Jibwaa or when the lights went out, the community of Anishanaabe in the north are running out of resources. They decide that it's time to go home, their real home, the one near the big lakes where the birch trees go—but first they need to send a group to see if it's safe. Others have left to see what happened down south, and none have returned.

Evan Whitesky gathers a group of five walkers and they go on a journey.

I loved this book. This book also broke my heart and remade it. It builds upon so much of the first and was so incredible.

[Gail Amendt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Waubgeshig Rice did not initially intend to write a sequel to Moon Of The Crusted Snow (one of my favorite books ever), and I'm so glad he was persuaded to change his mind. I so needed to find out what happened to the little band of people that Evan Whitesky led off the rez at the end of the previous book. This book is set twelve years after the lights went out, and ten years after Evan led his people into the bush to live a traditional lifestyle. They have survived, but are not really thriving as the resources are starting to dwindle, and they are having to go further and further to find food. They have had no contact with other people in years, and still don't know what happened to knock out electricity and all communication, and send the world into chaos all those years ago. The group decides to send a small party south to see if they can find the ancestral land that their people were forced to leave when they were moved to the reservation generations ago. Included in this party are Evan and his fifteen year old daughter Nangohns, a skilled hunter. I am not going to spoil the story by saying what they found, but I will say that their journey kept me on the edge of my seat and moving from chapter to chapter with some amount of dread as I was worried about my fictional friends. Of course they didn't come out of the journey unscathed, but I was happy to leave them at the end of the novel with a sense of hope for the future. It always amazes me how Waubgeshig Rice writes in such a spare and economical style while telling a very complete story. I might have a couple of quibbles with his details of things flora and fauna related, but the story is so good that I'm not going to sweat the small stuff. It's funny, because if you asked me if I like post-apocalyptic fiction I would say that I generally don't, but these two books rank among my lifetime favorites.

[thebookybird · Rating 3 out of 5]

To be honest this was kind of a let down. Last month I read Moon of the Crusted Snow and really loved the atmospheric, Indigenous, dystopian journey and was really looking forward to this book which revisits the people ten years in the future after their extended winter and subsequent power outage.

I was eager to see my favourite characters after everything that went down in the first book, and it was great being back with them, they were as I remembered them if not a little worse for wear but still hopeful and enduring. But all the nostalgia in the world couldn’t quite make up for the near glacial pace of the book, nothing happens, most of the plot is within the last 25 percent of the book and by then I was just happy to know we were gearing up for a conclusion. I once again loved the concept, the characters and the themes around revisiting the ancient ways of culture and survival, but I can only linger in these things so long without anything happening.

My question as I think a bout this book is why Rice’s editor didn’t condense this, the first book was roughly 200 pages and I feel like this one could of been very much the same and maybe my disappointment would be more of a blip than a cavern if it was.

I do look forward to anything Rice writes in the future, he has a very distinct voice and I am interested in more stories surrounding Indigenous culture.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

12 years after the events of Moon of the Crusted Snow we return to this world and some familiar characters to find out how they fared in their new reality. They have done quite well and a new generation is growing up. Fishing and hunting is starting to get more difficult though and they ponder a scouting trip down South to their ancestral roots at Lake Huron.

A “brooding story of survival, resilience, Indigenous identity, and rebirth.“

I liked this. It was not massively inventive, I have read other dystopian stories with similar elements. However, Indigenous setting and characters made this different enough to be interesting. The pace is pretty slow, which I would not have liked a few years ago. I expected it though after the having read the first book, so I went with the flow and enjoyed the trip, including the dangers that the wanderers encounter.

Enjoyable article about Waub Rice, especially the podcast with his commentary on aural storytelling:
https://www.cbc.ca/books/i-can-create...

25 books that highlight beauty of Indigenous literature:
https://www.cbc.ca/books/25-books-tha...

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubeshig Rice
In the years since a mysterious cataclysm caused a permanent blackout that toppled infrastructure and thrust the world into anarchy, Evan Whitesky has led his community in remote northern Canada off the rez and into the bush, where they've been rekindling their Anishinaabe traditions, isolated from the outside world. As new generations are born, and others come of age in a world after everything, Evan's people are stronger than ever. But resources around their new settlement are drying up, and elders warn that they cannot stay indefinitely. Evan and his teenage daughter, Nangohns, are chosen to lead a scouting party on a months-long trip down to their traditional home on the shores of Lake Huron - to seek new beginnings, and discover what kind of life - and what danger - still exists in the land to the south.
Nangohns with her quest for knowledge, and quickness to learn, and her clear-thinking father, Evan, are my favourite characters in this novel.
Waubgeshig Rice's exhilarating return to the world first explored in his novel Moon of the Crusted Snow is a brooding story of survival, resilience, Indigenous identity, and rebirth.
5 stars