📖Review: A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Good 

“All I know to say is we’ve got to play our music no matter who leaves us and no matter who fails us, no matter the memories praying on us in the middle of the night.”

A Grandmother Begins the Story is a beautiful symphony of voices coming together in song. It is the story of the Goulet family, a Métis family known in the past for their music and jigging. This multigenerational journey rises and falls from the impact of colonization and residential schools, and how these harmful experiences are perpetuated through each generation. 

Porter beautifully portrays the voices of each Goulet woman in various stages of life and also includes the voices of the land and creatures around them. The theme of relatedness adds layers to the story of the women and their search to escape from pain and, eventually, to find healing. I was drawn into the different perspectives, including the bison, Gen’s car, and the dogs, and found the narrative style hard to put down. 

This is a lyrical novel that emphasizes the haunting minor keys of trauma interlaced with the bright notes of hope and healing. As Porter described during her visit to Ottawa Writer’s Fest, the novel is reminiscent of the ebb and flow of Métis music and the celebration of the many voices that contribute to the song. 

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this story. This review contains my honest opinions. 

There is some difficult content within the narrative. Please be sure to review content warnings before reading.