鈥淭here is one thing you have to understand, before any of this can make sense to you,鈥� he said. 聽鈥淵our generation thinks it all began with the towns, the railroads. Or with the homesteaders. The Pioneers.
But you gotta remember this. 聽Before anything else, there was the land.鈥�
That鈥檚 the first thing that Mr. Eric Tollerud tells Gabby Mackenzie as their conducted interview gets officially underway in 鈥楶rairie Grass鈥�, the latest literary work of Elbow author Joan Soggie, who makes her debut in the area of fiction with this newest book.
鈥楶rairie Grass鈥� finds Gabby interviewing Mr. Tollerud because he is a centenarian, meaning someone who is 100 or more years old.聽 The story finds her talking with the old man by way of a work assignment entitled the Centenarian Project, in which old-timers are interviewed about their childhoods and their experiences in a world that they saw change before their very eyes over a number of generations, but we as the readers are soon drawn into the stories and the perspectives being provided by a knowledgeable old man.
Such perspectives and spotlights on our Saskatchewan history provide a weaving throughout the story of the life experienced by Metis and First Nations people in the province, along with the settlers who first arrived.聽 Their stories meld together as our lands began to take shape, and while history shows that it was at times a hostile relationship, the book provides a softer interpretation of those experiences while at the same time still providing a historical story that may encourage an open discussion or a time of reflection for readers.
Gabby herself also has time for reflection in his own story.聽 After all, she is interviewing someone who is generations older than her, a man who has had a lifetime of experiences that have shaped his way of thinking.聽 We all do that, those of us who interview for a living.聽 I myself can鈥檛 even begin to tell you how many times I鈥檝e left someone鈥檚 home after an interview and found myself reflecting on what was said, especially if it was by someone from what many people call 鈥榯he greatest generation鈥�.
I would recommend 鈥楶rairie Grass鈥� to anyone who wishes to enjoy a good story of fiction that, at the same time, is highly inspired by this province鈥檚 own true story.聽 In that sense, it鈥檚 the best of both worlds 鈥� a story with unreal characters who help spotlight some very real history in our own backyard.
Published by BWL Publishing Inc., 鈥楶rairie Grass鈥� is available from Indigo, Amazon, Kobo, and participating bookstores.聽 Soggie鈥檚 previous works include, 鈥楳istaseni: Buffalo Rock of The Elbow鈥� and 鈥楲ooking for Aiktow: Stories behind the History of The Elbow of the South Saskatchewan River鈥�.
