Blue Bear Woman, Virginia Pesempaeo Bordeleau
Blue Bear Woman, Virginia Pesempaeo Bordeleau
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Blue Bear Woman

Author: Virginia Pesempaeo Bordeleau

Narrator: Tai Amy Grauman

Unabridged: 4 hr 45 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: ECW Press

Published: 10/15/2020


Synopsis

Blue Bear Woman or Ourse bleue is the first novel in Quebec written by an Indigenous woman. The story of a young Cree woman’s search for her roots and identity, this is also the author’s debut novel, originally published in 2007, and it will be her second book to be published in English. The novel has been described as a “texte de resistance”, showing contemporary Indigenous life and the impact on the Cree of the building of the Eastmain dam in northern Quebec, posited as “virgin” territory, yet which has actually been part of the Cree traditional territory since time immemorial. In search of her roots, Victoria takes a trip to the country of her Cree ancestors with her companion, Daniel. It is a long journey to the north along the shores of James Bay. Colours, smells, and majestic landscapes arouse memories that soon devolve into strange and hauntings dreams at night. In bits and pieces, uncles, aunties, and cousins arrive to tell the story of Victoria’s family and bring with them images of her childhood that are tinged both with joy and sadness. Guided by her totem, the Blue Bear, she returns home to make peace with her soul, as well as release the soul of her great-uncle, a hunter who has been missing in the forest for over twenty years.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Nancy on February 02, 2020

This is a powerful story about the experience of a Cree family profoundly affected by the building of the Eastmain dam in northern Quebec. We follow Victoria's journey as she travels north to the Cree lands near James Bay to find the remains of her great-uncle George. Along the way, she is plagued b......more

Goodreads review by Pierre-Luc on July 22, 2021

Il était grand temps de rendre hommage par le médium livre à la carrière visuelle extraordinaire de Virginia Pesemapeo Bordeleau. L’édition est d’une grande beauté, réalisée avec soin — on le sent — et les poèmes et notes de l’artiste ajoutent une dimension littéraire à l’ensemble. J’aurai aimé une......more

Goodreads review by Tasmin on March 05, 2021

3.5 / 5 (Listened to the audio book) Absolutely astonishing writing. It felt like a memoir to me somehow. Felt a bit lost in between time jumps sometimes and was a little confused where this story was headed / what its message was supposed to be. Would have loved to start where the book ended and expl......more

Goodreads review by Amie's Book on December 01, 2023

BLUE BEAR WOMAN is the very first book by an Indigenous woman ever published in Quebec. The theme of finding your authentic identity will resonate with readers from all cultures. This was a fantastic listening experience. It is important that more Indigenous books become available so that people can......more

Goodreads review by Eve on March 28, 2016

Quel drôle de livre! Certains aspects étaient vraiment intéressants et uniques, mais globalement, j'ai trouvé que ce roman manquait de finition. On aurait dit un journal intime retravaillé (assez sommairement) pour être publié. Le côté introspectif m'a beaucoup plu, mais l'histoire en tant que telle......more