Customer Reviews

In Search of April Raintree: Critical Edition

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This story was written and set in my hometown of Winnipeg. I'm writing a review not because I feel the need to examine or analyse, but rather because this book had a major impact on me when I was around 13 and I think its incredible that it has not gained greater recognition/appreciation.

To summarize in brief, this book is a told through the eyes of April, a young Metis girl whose parents are caring but neglectful alcoholics. The story follows April and her sister, Cheryl, as they are taken from their parents and enter the foster care system. Passed from white family to white family, their lives are comfortable at best, hell at the worst; never are they truly at home, rarely do they see their parents. Their experiences differ because they are split up almost immediately. Their difference in experience lead them down divided paths - one of them extremely tragic.

As a teenage white girl, this book shocked and horrified me. Out of all the books I read during that time period, I think this one drew the most empathy and the most lasting reaction. I can still recall the nightmarish rape scene from this book and cringe at the memory. Culleton is an amazing writer. She draws you into the story and the hearts of the characters. Its impossible to put the book down and simply forget about what you've read. I believe Culleton based the book on her own experiences, but I'm not certain. What I do know for a fact is that this book is realistic. I live in this city, I grew up in the neigbourhood written about, and friends of mine work for CFS (Child & Family Services). This book is not an exaggeration and knowing that for a fact when you read it makes for even more of an impact.

The story is dramatic and touching. I reread it a number of times - first the "censored" version and then In Search of April Raintree (uncensored) after my school librarian told me about it. I'm almost tempted to say its not a book for kids, but then I don't think it did me any harm. It woke me up a bit, definitely. I remember sobbing in an armchair after finishing it.

The characters stay with you. Like all well-written books, this one is literally mood-altering. The writing is so well done that you become the main character and feel almost a physical pain over what she endures and suffers. If anything, this book should be read to encourage simple empathy. At best, it could be hoped that it would provide greater understanding and insight into the experiences of many children and over the well... no other word but 'plight' is coming to mind right now, so the 'plight' of many Native/Metis Canadian people.

(I'm sleepy as I write this but I'm hoping my recommendation will hold up. Also, I just checked online and found this: "Although only loosely based on Culleton's own childhood experiences as a foster child, the book is dedicated to her two sisters, who, like Cheryl Raintree, commited suicide as adults.")

~illyria

I am a high school student that just finished reading "In Search of April Raintree" and I must say that it is the one of the best books ever written! It is a story about a Metis girl named April and her sister Cheryl. She was taken away from her parents by social services at a young age. It tells how she struggled from foster home to foster home. Separated from her sister. It gives you a closer look at how foster children grow up and it isn't always pretty! The two girls have totally different values and beliefs but struggle to stay close. I must warn you that this book is pretty graphic, but people should know about what April went through. If you want a good book, read this one. If you can't handle reality then it probably isn't for you.

Beatrice Culleton Mosionier's "In Search of April Raintree" is a masterfully written fiction novel about two Metis sisters seperated from their family and each other at a young age. The novel, although fiction, gives the reader an all too true account of the plight of the native people. The story follows the two sisters' seperate yet intimately connective lives. That's all I choose to say about the story line as the novel works on many levels. It is brilliantly written and intriguing how the characters evolve and influence each other throughout the book. To say any more would be a disservice to the potential reader. ENJOY!

This book is by no means ineffective , but it seems to me that Culleton attempts to evoke emotion in the reader as a literary device, rather than as a logical cathartic response to the novel's events. While April and Cheryl are engaging characters, others seem displaced and unbelievable. The rape scene is disturbingly effective, however, along with a fitting (albeit conventional) ending. This book will probably be appreciated by a teenaged audience, but is certainly not very rewarding for the adult reader (I'm reading it in college)

Great Read. I'm just curious as to whether this book is used in highschools? Although fiction, do the majority of non-natives get the stereo-typical impression of natives here?