Book Review: Where Wolves Don't Die by Anton Treuer

Ezra Cloud, an Ojibwe boy, deals with complex feelings of self, grief, and growing up in this award-winning book.

4/5 Stars

While visiting Maggie in Minnesota this past summer, I picked up this YA read at Birchbark Books, owned by none other than the fantastic Louise Erdrich. I went in with high expectations since this book won the Minnesota Book Award for Young Adult Literature, and boy did it deliver!

A young Ojibwe boy named Ezra finds himself in an odd situation when a school bully's house burns down, killing his family. The bully swears he saw Ezra there on the night of the fire, but Ezra was safely asleep at home after an injury earlier that day. Even though his father can attest to his son's sleep habits, Ezra is fearful he had something to do with the arson, as in his dreams that night, he was at the scene of the crime accompanied by wolves.

His father, fearful that the police will jump to conclusions, whisks him away to one of his favorite places: the rez at Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation in Canada. There, Ezra and his grandfather bond as they run the traplines and discuss what it means to grow up, to be a man, and to be indigenous in the current age. Ezra also finds time to journal, diving deep into the troubles he has experienced in his young life including the grief surrounding the death of his mother and his attraction to his best friend, Nora. But with the ongoing open investigation into the arson looming over him, can Ezra ever really grow into the man he is destined to become?

This was such a touching story about family and community coming together at a crucial time in a young person's life. All of the characters in this book are flawed but incredibly well-meaning, and any moments of deep sadness are counterbalanced by moments of quiet clarity and sometimes levity and hilarity (I'm looking at you, Grandpa Liam!). This was a fantastic read, well-deserving of the 4/5 stars I would rate it. If you like coming-of-age stories, then this is a must-read to add to your repertoire.