Keepern Me, Richard Wagamese
Keepern Me, Richard Wagamese
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Keeper'n Me

Author: Richard Wagamese

Narrator: Deneh'Cho Thompson, Sam Bob

Unabridged: 9 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Anchor Canada

Published: 08/14/2018


Synopsis

When Garnet Raven was three years old, he was taken from his home on an Ojibway Indian reserve and placed in a series of foster homes. Having reached his mid-teens, he escapes at the first available opportunity, only to find himself cast adrift on the streets of the big city.

Having skirted the urban underbelly once too often by age 20, he finds himself thrown in jail. While there, he gets a surprise letter from his long-forgotten native family.

The sudden communication from his past spurs him to return to the reserve following his release from jail. Deciding to stay awhile, his life is changed completely as he comes to discover his sense of place, and of self. While on the reserve, Garnet is initiated into the ways of the Ojibway--both ancient and modern--by Keeper, a friend of his grandfather, and last fount of history about his people's ways.

By turns funny, poignant and mystical, Keeper'n Me reflects a positive view of Native life and philosophy--as well as casting fresh light on the redemptive power of one's community and traditions.

About The Author

RICHARD WAGAMESE, an Ojibway from the Wabaseemoong First Nation in northwestern Ontario, was one of Canada's foremost writers. His acclaimed, bestselling novels included Keeper'n MeIndian Horse, which was a Canada Reads finalist, winner of the inaugural Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature, and made into a feature film; and Medicine Walk. He was also the author of acclaimed memoirs, including For JoshuaOne Native Life; and One Story, One Song, which won the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature; as well as a collection of personal reflections, Embers, which received the Bill Duthie Booksellers' Choice Award. He won numerous awards and recognition for his writing, including the National Aboriginal Achievement Award for Media and Communications, the Canada Council for the Arts Molson Prize, the Canada Reads People's Choice Award, and the Writers' Trust of Canada's Matt Cohen Award. Wagamese died on March 10, 2017, in Kamloops, B.C.DENEH'CHO THOMPSON is a director, actor and playwright recently arrived in Edmonton, and based in Vancouver for the past decade. Since 2009 Deneh’Cho has been developing an artistic practice that focuses on new play development and centres the values of reciprocity, respect and reflexivity. In 2017 Deneh’Cho appeared on stage in the world premiers of REDPATCH, by Sean Oliver Harris and Reas Calvert, and Thanks for Giving, by Kevin Loring. Deneh’Cho’s directing credits include The Girl Who was Raised by Wolverine (written by Deneh, and winner of the 2016 Fringe new Play prize), The Dudes of My Life by Christina Andreola, and The Governor of the Dew by Floyd Favel. The Girl Who was Raised by Wolverine was presented at the Vancouver Fringe Festival 2016, as part of the Playwright Theatre Centre's Fringe New Play Prize, and at Weesageechak Begins to Dance 29, 2016.  Deneh also teaches youth and community theatre workshops.SAM BOB (traditional name-Tulkweemult') of the Snaw-Naw-us First Nation has performed nationally in television, film, radio, and theatre. He is a Jessie Richardson GVTA nominee for Best Actor in Headline Theatre's production of Out of the Silence and nominated Best Actor by Edmonton’s Dreamspeaker’s Film Festival for Dana Claxton’s The Red Paper. Theatre productions include Crees in the Caribbean and Popcorn Elder with Saskatoon's Gordon Tootoosis Theatre. As well as Drylips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing (Arts Club), Paradise in the Wasteland (Tahmanous Theatre), Age of Iron, Farewell, and Ecstacy of Rita Joe (at the Firehall Arts Centre), Time Stands Still (Native Earth Theatre/Toronto), Swaa'ahmut  and maladjusted with Theatre for Living, as well as several Lytton River festival productions with Kevin Loring’s Savage Society. Mr. Bob can also be seen in film and TV in Blackway with Anthony Hopkins, Unclaimed, a CBC film about murdered and missing women and later this year in Laudermilk, an Audience comedy in which he has a recurring role as 'Cloud'.  Sam has recently finished a national tour with Vancouver Moving Theatre productions of Reconciliation-Our WaySam has also taught free community theatre classes at the Vancouver Friendship Centre for several years. Putting young people on stage is a particular joy, as well as performing with his sketch comedy troupe The Coyote Brothers.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Paul on August 08, 2022

Richard Wagamese was paying close attention when Keeper spoke of the importance of story-telling! Garnet Raven (almost certainly an autobiographical stand-in for Wagamese himself) was born in northern Ontario, a baby of the land, a baby of the people, Anishinabe. Even as an infant, his grandfather an......more

Goodreads review by Paltia on December 24, 2019

Stepping outside in these colder shortened days I notice that the migratory birds have changed places. And just like these birds this is a story of a man’s migration. Birds know when it is time to move on, expand their horizons and find their way into new possibilities. A man travels many roads stop......more

Goodreads review by Toni on August 04, 2015

I have read many reviews of this book in which the reader either loved or hated this book. I have seen many denigrate it due to the lack of plot, unlikable characters and difficult to read dialect and I disagree with all of those reviews. It's important to read more than just the "great American nov......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on December 05, 2021

Minimal schwächer als „das weite Herz des Landes“ aber immer noch 4,5 Sterne! Dieses Buch beschreibt die Geschichte des „verlorenen Sohns“ Garnet Raven, der als Kind aus seinem Stamm gerissen wurde und somit auch seine indigenen Wurzeln abgeschnitten wurden. Er steckt inmitten einer Identitätskrise a......more

Goodreads review by Gedankenlabor on November 06, 2021

>>Geschichten werden über uns erzählt, wenn wir nicht mehr da sind. Wenn die Menschen die Geschichten hören, haben sie in sich das gleiche Gefühl wie vorher, als wir noch bei ihnen waren. Schön. Sicher. Warm. Geliebt. So bleiben wir für immer lebendig.<< ...Und so hat sich Richard Wagamese mit seinem......more


Quotes

"A fascinating read...I loved the revelations of a child taken away from the love of his family and put out to where his spirit was lost...Wagamese's book is about healing the lost soul"
-Tantoo Cardinal