Medicine Walk

By Richard Wagamese,

Book cover of Medicine Walk

Book description

“A novel about the role of stories in our lives, those we tell ourselves about ourselves and those we agree to live by.” —Globe and Mail

When Franklin Starlight is called to visit his father, he has mixed emotions. Raised by the old man he was entrusted to soon after…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

2 authors picked Medicine Walk as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is a classic novel set in and beloved by readers across British Columbia, where I live. Like all my favorite novels, this one is full of heart.

It led me into the world of First Nations in a way that invited me to live it, too, which is what I love about any of my favorite reads.

I want to get into other minds and understand what and how they see and feel, and this tale of a son taking his dying father on a last journey did just that, recalling lost loves, lost chances, the toll of war,…

The gentle pacing of this story is so powerful. As his dying wish, Eldon Starlight, a war vet who has a fractured relationship with his soft-spoken 16-year-old son, Franklin, sends for his boy to take him to the mountains so he can be buried sitting up and facing east, in the Ojibway warrior way. I felt as if I too was moving step by step through the complex emotions as the estranged father and son navigated their way through the Canadian wilderness on the journey to heal past traumas and their relationship. The fact that such subtle writing can be…

From Danielle's list on hidden gems by Canadian writers.

If you love Medicine Walk...

Ad

Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: “Are his love songs closer to heaven than dying?” Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard it…

Want books like Medicine Walk?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Medicine Walk.

Browse books like Medicine Walk

Book cover of North of Normal: A Memoir of My Wilderness Childhood, My Unusual Family, and How I Survived Both
Book cover of The Golden Spruce: A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed
Book cover of The Break

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,889

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Medicine Walk, you might also like...

Book cover of Resting Places

Resting Places by Michael C. White,

Resting Places follows one woman’s journey after the devastating news of her son’s death. Elizabeth ekes out a lonely and strained relationship with her husband while trying to lose her grief in alcohol. A chance meeting with a man on the side of the road spurs her to travel cross-country…

Book cover of Rooted in Sunrise

Rooted in Sunrise by Beth Dotson Brown,

Ava Winston likes her life of routine in Lexington, Kentucky. Then a tornado blows it away. Ava is safe in the basement, but when she emerges, only one corner of her home stands. Rather than crumbling under the loss, she feels a load lifted. Maybe something beyond the familiar is…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in American Indians, storytelling, and the Korean War?

American Indians 231 books
Storytelling 129 books
The Korean War 55 books