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The Barren Grounds
- The Misewa Saga, Book One
- Narrated by: Brefny Caribou
- Length: 7 hrs and 39 mins
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The Barren Grounds
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Summary
Narnia meets traditional Indigenous stories of the sky and constellations in an epic middle-grade fantasy series from award-winning author David Robertson.
Morgan and Eli, two Indigenous children forced away from their families and communities, are brought together in a foster home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They each feel disconnected, from their culture and each other, and struggle to fit in at school and at their new home - until they find a secret place, walled off in an unfinished attic bedroom.
A portal opens to another reality, Askí, bringing them onto frozen, barren grounds, where they meet Ochek (Fisher). The only hunter supporting his starving community, Misewa, Ochek welcomes the human children, teaching them traditional ways to survive. But as the need for food becomes desperate, they embark on a dangerous mission.
Accompanied by Arik, a sassy Squirrel they catch stealing from the trapline, they try to save Misewa before the icy grip of winter freezes everything - including them.
Critic reviews
2021 Diamond Willow Award
2021 Governor General’s Literary Award - Young People’s Literature - Text
2021 National Chapter IODE Violet Downey Award
2021 Panda Book Award"
2022 Rocky Mountain Book Award
2021 Silver Birch Award for Fiction
2022 Surrey Schools Book of the Year
2021 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award
“This is a book that is rich in its characterization, evocative in its descriptions, and skillful in its weaving together of traditions of the past and life in the present.” (CM Magazine)
“[T]he treatment of Cree culture resonates, and the engaging characters and folklore ensure readers will look forward to the next installment.” (Publishers Weekly)
"This middle-grade fantasy deftly and compellingly centers Indigenous culture." (Kirkus Reviews, starred review)