J is for Joseph Boyden

This week in the ABC Photo Share we are blogging about the letter “J”

I thought this week about posting about Jackson, our dog, but I already featured him for the letter D is for Dog :)

Linking up again this week to Maple Leaf Mommy and Mom vs. the Boys for their ABC Friday Photo Share

This week I am going to feature one of my favorite authors – Joseph Boyden.

I have loved his books since I read Three Day Road– a mesmerizing story of two young Aboriginal men’s experience fighting in WWI and the journey home.  The story was so powerful that I purchased 5 copies of the book and gave it to close friends.  It was a tale that haunted me.

Joseph Boyden is a Canadian who now lives in the U.S(New Orleans).  He is part Irish, part Ojibwe, the third youngest of eleven children raised in a traditional Irish Catholic home.  Boyden brings both cultures to his writing, and does a wonderful job honouring the history of the time period and the heritage of the Aboriginal people. To this day I still do not understand how so many of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples fought in WWI and WWII only to return to the country they fought for without the rights and privileges of other veterans. One of Canada’s secrets – our Native Peoples only received the right to vote in 1960. But, I digress..

Joseph Boyden’s second novel Through Black Spruce is equally captivating telling the story of two young girls, and their lives as contemporary Native Canadians juxtaposed against their Uncle and his traditional ways.  While entirely different from Three Day Road, this novel affected me in a different way.  I longed for resolution for these characters and admired their strength, tenacity and courage.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to meet Joseph Boyden and hear him read his work.  It was a magical event.  Here is a photo of me getting my book signed.

Who is your favorite author?