Post-apocalyptic novel commands timely second look

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This article was published 20/01/2022 (1711 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Free Press Book Club, in conjunction with McNally Robinson Booksellers, is pleased to welcome Anishinaabe author Waubgeshig Rice to the first virtual meeting of 2022 on Monday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. to read from and discuss his novel Moon of the Crusted Snow.

Published in October 2018 by ECW Press, the novel chronicles the struggles of a northern Anishinaabe community as they cope with the fallout of a mysterious apocalyptic event in the south that has knocked out power and communications — just as winter is about to set in. The story’s protagonist, Evan Whitesky, is thrust into a key role in the community as the outages stretch on and supplies become scarce.

The leadership dynamics begin to shift, falter and crack as the months wear on and members of the community succumb to illness. When a mysterious visitor arrives from the south, decisions must be made that risk potentially dire consequences.

The 42-year-old Rice, who hails from Wasauksing First Nation and splits his time there and in Sudbury, Ont., may be most familiar to Winnipeggers for his time working as a CBC reporter in Manitoba. When Moon of the Crusted Snow was first published, his primary gig was still with the CBC, as the host of the Radio One program Up North. “Writing fiction was something I did on the side, mostly for fun,” he explains by phone from his home in Sudbury. “I never really imagined that it would take over and become my full-time gig.”

The book garnered numerous positive reviews and spent time on a number of bestseller lists. In her review of Moon of the Crusted Snow for the Winnipeg Free Press, reviewer Kathryne Cardwell noted the novel “tells a captivating story that seamlessly blends apocalyptic fiction with thoughtful social observations … it is at heart an insightful allegory about the dangers of colonialism. In the era of reconciliation, it’s an important read for Canadians.”

As the pandemic rages on, the post-apocalyptic nature of Moon of the Crusted Snow has seen it find a new audience. “It’s weird, but also very fortuitous, to have it back on bestseller lists, have people discussing it again, looking at how it relates to the pandemic,” says Rice.

And while many have been drawn to the cataclysmic events that lurk in the background of Moon of the Crusted Snow, it’s the resiliency of the characters in the face of turmoil that Rice has found resonating most with readers. “A lot of readers connect with these characters because their humanity emerges in this crisis,” says Rice. “What I wanted to do was show this positive space that these Anishinaabe people inhabit, the love and respect they have for each other and also the land around them. All those things combined can help them overcome this major challenge.”

The novel’s success meant Rice was able to leave his CBC job in May 2020 to focus full time on writing. He’s currently at work on a sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow, to be published in spring 2023 by Penguin Random House Canada. The book will pick up some of the primary characters some years later as they face new challenges in a much-changed world. “I’m so thankful to readers everywhere who have supported me and made this my livelihood,” Rice says.

Rice will join Free Press literary editor Ben Sigurdson and McNally Robinson Booksellers co-owner Chris Hall for a virtual book club meeting on Monday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m., when he will read from Moon of the Crusted Snow, discuss the book’s themes and answer questions from viewers/readers. Copies of the book are available to purchase at McNally Robinson; there is no cost to join the book club and virtual discussion.

To join the Free Press Book Club and for more information on current and future book picks, visit wfp.to/bookclub.

bookclub@winnipegfreepress.com