Book Review: "The Break" by Katherena Vermette

From the cover

When Stella, a young Métis mother, looks out her window one evening and sees someone in trouble on the Break -- a barren field on an isolated strip of land outside her house -- she calls the police to alert them to a possible crime.

In a series of shifting narratives, people who are connected with the violence -- police, family, and friends -- tell their personal stories leading up to that fateful night. Lou, a social worker, grapples with the departure of her live-in boyfriend. Cheryl, an artist, mourns the premature death of her sister Rain. Paulina, a single mother, struggles to trust her new partner. Phoenix, a homeless teenager, is released from a youth detention centre. Officer Scott, a Métis policeman, feels caught between two worlds as he patrols the city. Through their various perspectives a larger, more comprehensive story about the lives in this community and the after-effects of trauma emerges.

Seeking understanding and strength, The Break shows the resiliency of Indigenous women, and the unwavering power of family love. It is a compelling intergenerational family saga that positions Katherena Vermette as an exciting new voice in literature.

Why you should read this book

A friend recommended this book to me, saying she couldn't stop thinking about the characters for weeks after reading it. Author Katherena Vermette has done a brilliant job of depicting very real characters in a very real situation.

The story begins quickly. Within the first few pages, you're made aware that a traumatic event has occurred, though you're not sure exactly what it is. The rest of the story unfolds at a slower pace as Vermette pieces together the moments before and after the event, while drawing you into the deep emotional turmoil experienced by each of the story's protagonists.

Vermette alternates between several characters, each one distinct, but still similar, showing in turn how we are connected through shared experiences, but also how we experience the same event in different ways. Although much of the description focuses on the tangible world -- the winter cold, the endless tea and cigarettes -- the story is very internal, told as much through the character's hearts as through their minds.

I imagine that Vermette drew from her own experiences in writing this novel. Raised in Winnipeg's notorious north end, Vermette lost her older brother when she was just 14 and he 18. He was missing for six months before he was discovered dead. This experience was one of the factors that led Vermette to become an activist for Indigenous rights and equality.

Through The Break, Vermette brings light to the harsh realities that many Indigenous women and men face, and how different experiences affect their lives. Several times in the book, Vermette -- through her characters -- refers to how difficult it is for non-Indigenous individuals to understand those experiences. As a non-Indigenous reader, I hope that Vermette's book has brought me and others like me one step closer to understanding.

The experiences may be unique, but the emotions are universal.

About the author

Katherena Vermette is a Métis writer from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Vermette is a artistic jack-of-all-trades best known for her poetry. Her first poetry collection, North End Love Songs, was awarded the Governor General's Literary Award for poetry in 2013. She has also authored a children's picture book series called The Seven Teachings Stories, and co-directed This River, a National Film Board of Canada documentary about Indigenous families who've searched for missing family members.

The Break is Vermette's first novel. It was shortlisted for a Governor General Literary Award and the Rogers Trust Fiction Prize, and was a Canada Reads finalist. The book also won the Amazon.ca First Novel Award in 2017.