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A review by bookmarkedbybritt
All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Sometimes a book finds you, and you 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 you were always meant to read it. All the Quiet Places was one of those books for me. I am definitely not surprised that it has received the accolades that it has, and is deserving of every one.
Beginning in 1956, All the Quiet Places is the coming-of-age story of Eddie Toma. He exclusively narrates this story from the tender age of 6 until his teen years as we navigate through reservation life, Residential Schools, PTSD, and the post-colonial world of Canada’s Indigenous population with increasing awareness.
For many, this will not be an easy read, but it is beautiful and so carefully written. You’ll watch through Eddie’s eyes as his life is affected by the choices of the adults around him, and how, in turn, those adults are affected by the Indian Agents that keep them staunchly oppressed. Reading this through a child’s eyes, a child who becomes more and more aware of what their future of oppression looks like, is gut-wrenching. The self- realization of a colonized child will forever stay in my heart in its heart-breaking honesty.
Truthfully, even though this is a historical fiction, so many of these EXACT challenges still face the Indigenous populations of Canada today. The systemic racism and oppression of these communities is so deep-seated and government is resistant to create lasting change lest they upset the status quo.
As always, for Canadians especially, it is so important to read hard and uncomfortable truths such as this. The better we understand, the more likely our sympathy becomes empathy, and our empathy can become action. 🧡
Beginning in 1956, All the Quiet Places is the coming-of-age story of Eddie Toma. He exclusively narrates this story from the tender age of 6 until his teen years as we navigate through reservation life, Residential Schools, PTSD, and the post-colonial world of Canada’s Indigenous population with increasing awareness.
For many, this will not be an easy read, but it is beautiful and so carefully written. You’ll watch through Eddie’s eyes as his life is affected by the choices of the adults around him, and how, in turn, those adults are affected by the Indian Agents that keep them staunchly oppressed. Reading this through a child’s eyes, a child who becomes more and more aware of what their future of oppression looks like, is gut-wrenching. The self- realization of a colonized child will forever stay in my heart in its heart-breaking honesty.
Truthfully, even though this is a historical fiction, so many of these EXACT challenges still face the Indigenous populations of Canada today. The systemic racism and oppression of these communities is so deep-seated and government is resistant to create lasting change lest they upset the status quo.
As always, for Canadians especially, it is so important to read hard and uncomfortable truths such as this. The better we understand, the more likely our sympathy becomes empathy, and our empathy can become action. 🧡