I’d second this recommendation.

It’s loosely based on the true story of the ‘best’ sniper of World War I, Francis Pegahmagabow. (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

Students in Grade 10 at a local high school were reading this book as part of a unit on World War I  (a significant defining event for the Canadian identity), because it ticked a lot of boxes: portrayal of the horrors of war, history of WWI, the experience for Canadians in Europe, drug addiction, treatment of indigenous peoples by non-indigenous,  and the indigenous experience abroad and at home on the land.

I ended up reading the first half of it to help tutor the son of a friend, for whom English is a second language. It’s really well-written. I only stopped because it was a bit dark and I wanted something lighter at the time, and he no longer needed my help.

Particularly impressed by the canoe trip through the forest fire. Great detail there.

The author (Joseph Boyden) made some dubious claims to indigenous heritage which got him into trouble, deservedly, I think. But that doesn’t detract from his skill.  He wrote two other books in this trilogy that follow the same Swampy Cree (Mushkego) family, the Birds: Through Black Spruce, and The Orenda.