The Strangers by katherena vermette
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The Strangers is Métis author katherena vermette’s second novel. You don’t need to read her first novel, The Break, as it’s not a sequel, but it does provide so much depth to the story.
The Strangers follows several generations of the Stranger family women through their struggles, successes, and everything in between. It reads more like a journal than a story, and is written with insight into the intergenerational impacts of structures like the foster care system, academia, and social support.
I love that it centres the women.
It reflects the matriarchal systems that (many) Indigenous communities historically held. Among the many themes this novel dives into are identity, law enforcement, family responsibilities, cultural values, addiction, structural racism, and the way Indigenous peoples face pressure to represent more than just themselves.
It’s a beautiful novel. & if you have read The Break, there are some hard hitting moments that connect the two sets of characters living in the same town. The novel shares some truly horrifying stories while maintaining the humanity of the characters. They are whole and worthy and their relationships are always represented even among horrific acts of abuse and assault.
As someone who, honestly, has little to no experience with the issues addressed in this novel, it was difficult to relate to some of the characters and their choices. Even so, they are never represented in a way that you can judge them. Their whole stories are told and the whole truth is represented.
We make the best choices that we can with what we have, and that's a core message of The Strangers.
Reading Journal Questions
How does it impact you as a reader to have all women narrators?
If you have read The Break, how did that knowledge impact your reading?
Did reading this novel make you reconsider any judgements you have made in your past?
Do you think it's possible to ever have the full context of a situation? If not, how can we consider our behaviour to be empathetic or supportive of the people around us?