Robertson’s reconciliation roadmap makes for timely book club fodder

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This article was published 12/09/2025 (394 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Free Press Book Club, McNally Robinson Booksellers are pleased to welcome back Winnipeg Swampy Cree author David A. Robertson to the next virtual meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. to read from and discuss his new work of non-fiction 52 Ways to Reconcile: How to Walk with Indigenous Peoples on the Path to Healing.

Published by McClelland & Stewart in May, 52 Ways to Reconcile features Robertson’s suggestions for simple but impactful actions Canadians of all walks of life can take towards healing the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in this country.

The solutions Robertson offers — one for every week of the year — are each presented in their own short, concise chapters, with a mix of themes ranging from practical to educational to inspirational, and with Robertson’s own experiences sprinkled throughout. Suggestions range from supporting an Indigenous musician to attending a powwow to starting an Indigenous book club, speaking out and more.

In his Free Press roundup review of a trio of books on reconciliation, Joel Boyce said “The idea of 52 Ways to Reconcile is to take one step towards reconciliation every week, with enough chapters to fill a full year, though… the engaging style makes it hard to stop after one short chapter,” adding “Every chapter includes both a heartfelt case for why a given task is worth doing, another little bit of the author’s personal journey in advancing reconciliation and a number of specific examples of where you can get started on any given week’s suggestion.”

This will be Robertson’s third visit to the Free Press Book Club, after discussing his memoir Black Water in November 2020 and his novel The Theory of Crows in January 2023.

With this month’s Free Press Book Club meeting falling on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Robertson’s practical book is timely, and will surely prove insightful.

Robertson will join Free Press literary editor Ben Sigurdson, McNally Robinson Booksellers event facilitator Daniel Bear and Free Press audience engagement manager Erin Lebar. Robertson will read from 52 Ways to Reconcile, discuss the book’s themes and suggestions and field questions from viewers and readers.

Copies of 52 Ways to Reconcile are available to purchase at McNally Robinson Booksellers; there’s no cost to join the book club or virtual discussion. Video of the meeting will be available for replay on the Free Press YouTube channel following the event.

To join the club and for more information on current and future book picks, visit Free Press Book Club.