From my list on the power of Indigenous stories, identity, and histories.
Why am I passionate about this?
I'm an avid reader, lover of history, and newly-published author of The Real History of Thanksgiving (with more projects in the works!). I'm a mother of two and come from a large family at Gaa-waabigaanikaag, White Earth Reservation. I'm enrolled citizen of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. I'm also an Oneida descendent with Irish, French, and Black ancestry. Much of my journey as a writer has been exploring the threads of our humanity and histories. It's powerful to think that we are still here, through time, distance, love, pain, and survival. There is immense beauty in being human and being Indigenous, and these books have been a source of connection and learning in my journey.
Cayla's book list on the power of Indigenous stories, identity, and histories
Why did Cayla love this book?
This beautiful little book of essays is a swift, emotional read.
The book explores the medicine of love and the power of taking back our voices as Indigenous women. It is also a refreshingly frank portrayal of trauma, mental illness, and the particular brand of misogyny that Indigenous women live under. I found so much hope and healing in Mailhot’s memoir that it has become one of a handful of books I reread annually.
2 authors picked Heart Berries as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Winner of the Whiting Award for Non-Fiction
Selected by Emma Watson as an Our Shared Shelf Book Club Pick
'I loved it' Kate Tempest
'Astounding' Roxane Gay
'A sledgehammer' New York Times
Heart Berries is a powerful, poetic memoir of a woman's coming of age on an Indian Reservation in the Pacific Northwest. Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalised and facing a dual diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder, Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma.
The triumphant…