The Break

Product Information

The Break is an emotional, powerful and intense literary thriller about the strength and love that connects a family of women and friends together, while dealing with a violent act. The Break refers to a field between two rolls of houses but also refers to broken relationships. katherena vermette's novel The Break was defended by Candy Palmater on Canada Reads 2017. The Break was nominated for multiple awards, including the Governor General's Literary Awards, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and won three awards at the 2017 Manitoba Book Awards. The things I liked about this novel were the realism of the situation, the strong women, and the family unity that is shown as they come together to support these young women. The large cast of characters, however, kept me from connecting to any of them in particular. There was much dialogue, conversations that seemed excessive, in fact much of the book seemed to be made up of conversations between various family members. Sharing their stories and family situations. Unfortunately I didn't find much in them that I found interesting. My favorite character was the grandmother, they called her the kakoom, and she was the matriarch of the family. I appreciated her quiet wisdom.

The Break by Katherena Vermette | Goodreads

Although this is fictitious, I was drawn into the drama and it felt "raw and real." I felt scared and helpless with Stella, and could emphasize with sisters Paulina and Louisa and their mother, Cheryl. I admired the young Metis policeman and could feel his frustration with his older partner. He still loves her, he’s just taking a break – from their marriage, their children and, most of all, from their life together. Six months to lose himself in south-east Asia. And there is nothing Amy can say or do about it. The tale of two Commonwealths? The (British) Commonwealth of Nations, decolonisation and the break-up of Greater Britain - Andrew Dilley

Reviews

A powerful intergenerational family saga, The Break showcases Vermette's abundant writing talent and positions her as an exciting new voice in Canadian literature." Although graphic and gutting at times, this is a perfect first novel. The stories of these Metis-Anishnaabe women from Winnipeg's North End demand to be heard, and together form a very real and very timely portrait that turns the mirror on issues of gender, race and the cycle of abuse that haunt our country. I liked it, but found it confusing at times. Wanted more of a connection to the story, the characters or both. This is a first novel and this author can definitely write. Hopefully I will find a better connection with her next book. This was a Traveling Sisters group read that I had the pleasure of reading along with Lindsay, Susanne, Diane and Dem. The climate crisis, state-sanctioned racism, the long coils of colonialism . . . These are among just a few of the harsh realities Julietta Singh confronts in The Breaks, a book-length epistolary essay written to her 6-year-old daughter, that also interrogates what it means to be a queer, brown parent in contemporary America. But despite myriad catastrophes, both personal and political, Singh finds reasons for hope in the possibility of community.” —Jonny Diamond, Literary Hub

The Break : Book summary and reviews of The Break by The Break : Book summary and reviews of The Break by

There's no doubt the nature of the story made for a very difficult read, but it's possible for goodness and beauty to grow from pain and misery. In The Break, the goodness and beauty, without a doubt, is the family of the young victim. Members of this large, extended family, are no strangers to misfortune; they've had more than their share of drama over the years, but when they rally together to face their woes as one, past wounds begin to heal. Without a doubt, the unifying force in this family is the grandmother, or 'Kookum' as she's called—a wise elder who deeply loves each and every one of them and who, in return, is deeply loved by them. Although the crime is the focus of the story—along with the people involved and the investigation itself—the book is certainly not all doom and gloom. It is impossible not to feel the love that lives within this family. It's palpable! The story is told in shifting perspectives of connecting characters as they share their past and present stories. This added suspense to the story as I pieced together how the characters were connected to the crime. There is a large cast of characters and at times I needed to use the helpful family tree that is included at the beginning of the book to sort them all out.

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Entangled citizens: the afterlives of empire in the Indian Citizenship Act, 1947-1955 - Kalathmika Natarajan From Pax Britannica to Pax Americana? The end of empire and the collapse of Australia's Cold War policy - James Curran All of the characters in this novel are bound together in one way or another, by family, friendship, secrets or silence - and their survival depends on the support they glean from those around them. Honestly, it often felt like the author was winging the plot and seeing where it took her versus writing with real intention. There wasn't much of a plot until about 1/2 way through. Lots of superfluous details and plot lines that didnt go anywhere/serve a purpose. Also a really oddly-timed jump forward. Lots of loose ends for me.