The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“The Marrow Thieves” is the story of what happens in a future world in which climate change reaches its zenith and normal weather patterns no longer hold up. People are displaced, diseases are rampant, and people stop dreaming. But not Indigenous people. They continue dreaming. History repeats itself in that White governments begin rounding up Indigenous individuals and experiment on them to find the cure to dreamless sleep. We start in media res with Frenchie and his brother who’ve already been running for awhile. The story continues as the journey to the north, the ancestral home and hopefully safety is.
A great, fast-paced read that encompasses so much of dystopian YA and also giving representation to Indigenous authors and characters. The book delivers on its “what-if” premise and reveals what happens when we allow history to repeat itself. I think there’s a strong metaphor for cultural and physical appropriation. There’s a moment where one of the characters gives an account of how when things started to go bad, White individuals turned to the Native Americans to “learn” from their natural ways. When the Native Americans wouldn’t allow them to participate in their more sacred ceremonies, the Whites turned to violence and policing in order to get what they wanted, revealing their true intention all along. It’s a poignant moment to look at cultural appropriation and its ugliness. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author. I read this as a selection for my book club, which sparked a great discussion. I also think this would be a good read for individuals too. Entertainment and think-piece all on one.