jeanettesonya's review against another edition
5.0
A quick but oh so hard and heavy read. Augie and his story will stay with me forever. Five stars not because this book is particularly well written or eloquent, but rather because it's a crucially important story for us to read and acknowledge as truth in a step toward reconciliation.
readwithrhys's review against another edition
5.0
Disclaimer: I read this book because of my history class titled "Native Peoples of Canada since 1867". It was required reading for my research essay based on residential schools.
I don't know how to rate this, so I am just giving it 5 stars. How do I say that this memoir, a book about someone's life in residential schools, is not worth 5 stars? I can't.
This memoir has opened my eyes because the Canadian government covers up so much stuff when it comes to what happened in residential schools. In order for us to get information, we have to read memoirs or read essays or textbooks AFTER primary school. This memoir shows me how much the Canadian government wants to keep this part of our history covered for eternity.
The memoir itself brings readers to see what happened in residential schools through the eyes of Augie. We see first hand how some Sisters, Brothers and Fathers were not bad people, they just thought that Indigenous peoples were "savages" needing "saving". Not only were some good people, we see the bad ones. We see first hand the abuse that happens, physical, psychological, and sexual.
This memoir in general really just showed me how much I sometimes despise the Canadian government when it comes to the reconciliation aspect towards Indigenous peoples. It shows that no money can help what happened to them. It shows that the government needst to do more to show citizens just how cruel our seemingly "nice" government can do.
I don't know how to rate this, so I am just giving it 5 stars. How do I say that this memoir, a book about someone's life in residential schools, is not worth 5 stars? I can't.
This memoir has opened my eyes because the Canadian government covers up so much stuff when it comes to what happened in residential schools. In order for us to get information, we have to read memoirs or read essays or textbooks AFTER primary school. This memoir shows me how much the Canadian government wants to keep this part of our history covered for eternity.
The memoir itself brings readers to see what happened in residential schools through the eyes of Augie. We see first hand how some Sisters, Brothers and Fathers were not bad people, they just thought that Indigenous peoples were "savages" needing "saving". Not only were some good people, we see the bad ones. We see first hand the abuse that happens, physical, psychological, and sexual.
This memoir in general really just showed me how much I sometimes despise the Canadian government when it comes to the reconciliation aspect towards Indigenous peoples. It shows that no money can help what happened to them. It shows that the government needst to do more to show citizens just how cruel our seemingly "nice" government can do.
erinalt90's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
musubi_mumma's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
5.0
ohladysamantha's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
Not going to rate this. I received this from Libro.FM as part of the Educator ALC program. This is a short but powerful memoir from an Indigenous survivor of Canada's Residential Schools. The content is brutal (SA, Child Abuse) but these stories must be shared. The editor's notes before and after Augie's story are really important in giving context as well.
yyc_heather's review against another edition
4.0
This slim volume, only 76 pages, is a heartbreaking indictment of Canada's residential school system. It should be required reading in every high school in the country. Joseph Auguste Merasty is a survivor of the St-Therese Residential School in Manitoba. Writer David Carpenter worked with him over many years to record the story of his school days, which included harsh living conditions and horrific abuses. As a ghostwriter, Carpenter does a wonderful job of stitching together sketchy details and letting Augie's voice shine through.
ncchris's review against another edition
3.0
Good memoir intro to Indian Residential Schools for the late 1920s - 1940s. It’s a very short memoir and is recounted almost in a stream of consciousness format. It was so matter-of-fact about the atrocities the children faced, describing physical abuse, sexual assaults, and deplorable living conditions as if they were to be expected. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it and it was a good primer for other more in-depth memoirs on the topic.