4.5

Moon of the Crusted Snow was one of my favorite books the year I read it and held up upon reread earlier this year, so I was thrilled to see that Waubgeshig Rice was returning to this series with Moon of the Turning Leaves.

Set 12 years after the end of Moon of the Crusted Snow, Moon of the Turning Leaves is a quieter story about journeying and survival. The majority of the story follows a scouting party looking at the possibility of returning to their homeland. This is a story full of indigenous culture and traditions. Where Moon of the Crusted Snow had more of a thriller/horror feel to it as the community realized their world was changing dramatically, Moon of the Turning Leaves sees them established in their new way of life so there is a lack of the same kind of tension. That being said, I feel like this is almost even more timely because it's about continuing to fight for future generations.

While I didn't love this as much Moon of the Crusted Snow, I still highly recommend and look forward to reading whatever Waubgeshig Rice publishes next!

Moon of the Turning Leaves is such a satisfying and captivating continuation of the events from the first book. It was genuinely fascinating to experience more of Rice's post-apocalyptic world through the eyes of the exploratory walking group. Gradually, as the group ventures further South, more and more is revealed about how the first days after the blackout went for the rest of so-called Ontario.

The most major strength of this novel lies in the perspective of Nangohns, Evan's teenage daughter. Nangohns had been so young when the post-apocalyptic era began that the world outside her community is practically unknown to her. Nangohns is living proof of her people's ability to continue in and adapt to the changing world. Furthermore, this book's events show how she is her father's daughter; Nangohns, like Evan, is deeply committed to protecting her people and continuing the Anishinaabe way of life.

Moon of the Turning Leaves is decidedly a sequel and thus would likely not make sense as a standalone thriller. However, when paired with its predecessor, Rice has written yet another truly riveting saga of indigenous resilience.

When I heard a sequel was in the works for one of my favorite books of the past few years, Moon of the Crusted Snow, I was super excited and then immediately a little nervous. I really adore this family, and I wanted it to stay that way 😂

Luckily, I had nothing to worry about. I love how the storyline picked up and hit the ground running. Immediately, we were back in their world and by the end I was again able to feel hopeful for their future, which is what I loved so much about the first book.

Another story highlighting community, culture, strength, resilience, ingenuity, honesty, integrity, hopefulness, and so much love.

If you have loved this family before, you’ll love them even more ❤️ Enjoy this one, no matter what season it comes to you.

tokša aké, book friends 📚☕️🍂

Pidámaya Waubgeshig for allowing us all to revisit this family, Random House Canada @penguinrandomca for an early review copy, and NetGalley @netgalley for the e-arc.

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I had a difficult time connecting with the writing and story of Moon of the Turning Leaves. I think those that enjoyed the first book may find a lot to like here, but as someone who thought the first book was just okay, this didn't do anything to change my opinion.

This second book of post-apocalyptic Canada/America is chilling and far too close to home. Moon of the Crusted Snow introduced us to the Anishinaabe community as they searched for a home after a total collapse of the electrical grid worldwide. In this follow up, twelve years later, we see the lives they have made but also the struggles that continue. This second book follows the travel of a small group who searches for a home that can sustain for decades to come. It is a slow read, that focuses on nature, working as a community, making connections, and the dangers that come from the unknown. It hit far too close to home, and is quietly disturbing. Excellent follow up to one of my favorite reads of 2023.

I loved the first book, Moon Of The Crusted Snow, and I'm so happy that we've been given a sequel. This book catches up with the characters ten years after the last story ended, adapting to their new circumstances by reclaiming their heritage, customs, and language, and forming a thriving, close-knit community in the northern Ontario forest. However, when the food supply begins to dwindle, and with a new generation taking shape, the group realizes that they will need to move on, and hopefully join a larger community for their long-term survival.

This book is a much quieter story than the first one, and describes the journey of six advance travelers as they venture southward into the unknown fallout from whatever cataclysmic event caused the power grid to crash, to find a new home for their group. The pacing is leisurely as we get to spend time getting to know the characters and their dynamics, the way they live and travel, and the respect they show the earth and the living things upon it. All the while, a faint unease lingers in the background like the chirp of crickets on a summer evening - subtle, but inescapable. What kind of dangers await them? Who is left down south, and who can they trust? Are the land and the water safe or are they contaminated? Will their journey be successful, and will they reunite with their families? It's still tense and dramatic - but it whispers instead of shouts, until things ultimately get very intense.

I enjoyed the different style and slower pacing of this story, and the emotional connection with the characters that this pacing made possible. The characters do face dangers, and tests of their courage and convictions, painful decisions, and loss, and these are especially poignant because we've become so invested in them.

The writing is lovely and evocative, and a pleasure to read. This was an excellent and touching follow-up to the first story, and I know I've enjoyed my time with a book when I'm sad that it's over. I definitely shed some tears.

I'm thankful to the author, the publisher, and to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance reader copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book. I devoured it in a day and a half. I think I have found a new favorite sub-genre: people traveling far distances to find resources or survivors in a post-apocalyptic setting. I loved Moon of the Crusted Snow, and was so excited when I heard it was going to have a sequel. I think I liked this even better than its predecessor, actually.

I think the decision to have the book primarily follow Evan's daughter, Nangohns, was a very smart one. She was a great character, and it was interesting to see how her thoughts and interactions with her world differed from the older people. Because she was very young when the collapse of society happened, she doesn't remember much. Loved all the side characters as well. A well-balanced book full of quieter moments and moments of great tension and suspense. Highly recommend.

I loved Moon of the Crusted Snow and was so excited to continue in this world with Moon of the Turning Leaves.

I thought the book was great! I loved how Waubgeshig Rice includes his culture and customs into this apocalyptic story. Loved the callbacks to the first book. It had been about two years since I read the first book and had no problems jumping right into this one.

Highly recommend!

Well, this is how you do a sequel! I enjoyed the first book, and was pleased to see a sequel in the works, but this one exceeded my expectations. In this installment, instead of following Evan, we follow his now-teen daughter Nangohns. I must say that I enjoyed Nangohns's character quite a bit more. She barely has any memory of the "before", which is, our current society which collapsed when she was a child. As such, she sees the world so differently, and it was such an interesting contrast, especially to her parents' perspective, as so much had changed for them.

The beginning of the book is slow and quiet, much like its predecessor, but once there is movement, it becomes quite exciting. It is still a quieter book, don't misunderstand, but the addition of this bigger quest makes it far more entertaining. There is a lot of lovely character and relationship development as well, which makes for a very satisfying story. There is a lot of great cultural content about the Anishinaabe people, as we learn so much more of their customs and lifestyle. There is also quite a bit of commentary on humanity in general, and the sorts of people who would survive a catastrophic event.

Bottom Line: A fabulous sequel that was definitely worth the journey!

Rice does it again with his sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow. Turning Leaves follows Evan Whitesky and his Anishinaabe tribe 10 years later after the world ended as they knew it, calling it the before time. They have made their home in the forest, but resources are low and council has decided it may be time to go back to their homeland which is a 30 day trek on foot. The author creates wonderful world building and his characters are relatable. This novel is a slow burn, so if you’re expecting lots of interactions and the bad people and gun fights, this may not be for you. I enjoyed the slowness of their journey as it felt as though you were on the journey with them. During their time out, they come across a few people that have information about the destruction of the world. Not only has all electric been out, but disease and famine and taken most of the population. I would recommend this series. Rice is a wonderful writer and paints pictures with his words.
Thanks you #netgalley and publishers for allowing me to read this book.
Happy publication day

After finishing Moon of the Crusted Snow, I was so excited to get my hands on this sequel. This takes place 12 years later and is even more haunting than the first. Extremely well-written and somehow calming while also being terrifying. Waubgeshig Rice has a way with words that transports you straight into the story, even though this is not a story I'd want to be a part of (I would definitely have been like a citizen of Gibson).
I really enjoyed the focus on Evan's daughter, Nangohns. She was extremely mature for her age, and I loved how she had embraced her new life by joining the group on their trek to Lake Huron to find more for the next generations of their community. She's extremely smart and resourceful, and a great role model for her community and girls in our world.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book!

I’ve had Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice on the vague fringes of my TBR for a few years now. But when I saw he was writing a sequel that could be read as a standalone, I admitted that this may be the shiny object that finally got me to try the series. And so I picked up Moon of the Turning Leaves. 

Moon of the Turning Leaves takes place a couple decades after Moon of the Crusted Snow and provides enough backstory that it can easily be read without having read the prior novel, though there are references to past actions that probably spoil the earlier work for those who plan to read both. It picks up with a small community of Anishinaabe survivors rebuilding their patterns in the Northern Ontario wilderness some decades after an apocalypse left modern technology unusable. But after years in one place, the hunting and fishing are becoming harder, leaving them wondering whether to begin moving with the seasons or to explore the possibility of returning to their ancestral homeland on the bountiful Lake Huron. They choose the latter, and the majority of the novel consists in exactly this expedition—braving dangers natural and unnatural on a months-long trek to find a suitable long-term home. 

I didn’t know going into the book that I ought to expect a travelogue, and I was surprised by the slow pacing and relative lack of central conflict. But the novel is short enough to hold a reader’s attention through the slow build, and there is a sufficiently clear goal—and enough dangers along the way—to keep that attention for the duration. And readers who enjoy glimpses into different cultures will particularly appreciate the rich portrayal of an Anishinaabe striving toward an only partially remembered portrait of their past. 

While much of the book is written through the eyes of a teenager venturing outside her home for the first time, the leaders of the expedition are older hands who presumably will be familiar for readers of Moon of the Crusted Snow. The characterization is adequate for the main story, but this is an area where I’d expect return readers to experience additional richness. 

Instead, the real selling point here is simply the glimpse into an indigenous society trying to build a sustainable life after the apocalypse. The concerns about their way of life and ability to live off the land come through vividly, and as they make the journey south, it becomes increasingly unclear whether either state of the land itself or the violence of the surviving neighbors would make the whole expedition futile. And while these obstacles may not build in the way I’d expect from a traditional novel plot arc, they’re plenty well-foreshadowed and create some gripping conflict as the story progresses. 

On the whole, Moon of the Turning Leaves is a short and engaging novel, perfect for fans of long journeys and stories about indigenous societies, whether or not they’ve previously read Moon of the Crusted Snow.

Recommended if you like: indigenous POV, post-apocalyptic travel stories.

Overall rating: 15 of Tar Vol's 20. Four stars on Goodreads.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

Moon of the Turning Leaves cracked my heart open in a million ways, leaving me both heartbroken and awed by such a stand out novel. On par with the previous novel, this follows an Anishinaabe community enduring an apocalypse, though now over a decade out. With time spent living totally isolated, they start to realize it might be time to head back to their ancestral homelands near the Great Lakes when the bush starts becoming more difficult to live in. (By which I mean, less fish and thriving environment from having stayed there too long). They gather a team to send down south to see what remains and if moving the whole community is possible. And this is all done in Waubgeshig Rice's slow burn pacing that always manages to pack a punch.

For me I really enjoyed getting insight into some familiar characters from the previous novel, and getting to know newer ones, to see how they navigate the world around them. There is a beautiful father-daughter dynamic with Evan and Nangohns, in which she is a constant reminder of their need to move elsewhere to continue growing their community. For those who come after. This, to me, is at the core of this novel. We see these characters, dubbed 'the walkers,' journey together for the collective to make sure there will continue to be a community. We also see it through an Anishinaabe lens, which adds such a beautiful and unique layer to a theme so often seen with dystopian/thriller/apocalyptic novels. From language, to navigating the land, to the use of medicinal practices and making sure to give back, and the trust that can still exist between strangers who are kin, there is a lot to learn and gather from each chapter. This is definitely a book heavy on characters and land, mixed together in a straight-lined plot.

I also really appreciated the way this book evoked so much emotion in me. I was tense, waiting for the foot to drop and questioning everyone they encountered. So much so that I felt like I was on the journey with them. That I somehow could understand their feelings for something I have never experienced. And I had no idea how much the characters had grown on me until I got to a certain part toward the end that had me in tears at 11 pm on a Tuesday while eating cereal. It is a full circle, and it was devastating and beautiful and I want to reread it again and again.

Moon of the Turning Leaves is an excellent sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow, one that I liked more in places than the first novel. Waubgeshig Rice has convinced me to give more post-apocalyptic fiction a try, after a long dry spell. I look forward to whatever he writes next.

What would happen if a world-ending blackout occurred, and society was thrown into chaos? This is the premise of Waubgeshig Rice's Moon of the Turning Leaves, the sequel to his Moon of the Crusted Snow. Set in Northern Ontario, this unique and haunting post-apocalyptic story follows a group of Anishinaabe people as they search for a new home after surviving in the bush for over a decade.

The story centers around Evan Whitesky, who leads a scouting party on a dangerous mission to find a new home for their community. Accompanied by his daughter Nangohns and five others, they travel through the reserve where their ancestors once lived, the devastated city of Gibson, and other lands now being reclaimed by nature. As they encounter other survivors along the way, they must navigate both the wilderness and those who use violence to fulfill their needs.

One of the strengths of this book is its pacing. While the suspense builds gradually throughout the story, it never feels too slow or drawn-out. The author does an excellent job of balancing action with character development, making you care about each member of Evan's scouting party and their journey.

The writing is also top-notch. Rice has a talent for vividly describing scenes in detail without ever becoming tedious or boring. You can almost feel yourself there with Evan and his team as they make their trek. The dialogue is also compelling; it feels authentic to each character's personality and culture, including the use of many Anishnaabemowin words.

Another aspect that sets this book apart from other dystopian novels is its focus on Indigenous culture. Rice infuses Anishinaabe traditions throughout the story, from hunting methods to spiritual beliefs. It's refreshing to see Indigenous culture portrayed in such an authentic way while exploring themes that are universal.

Overall, Moon of the Turning Leaves is a well-written, entertaining, and thought-provoking dystopian novel. Rice's unique perspective as an Indigenous author adds depth to the story and characters. If you're a fan of post-apocalyptic fiction or want to explore Indigenous literature, this book is definitely worth checking out.

When I finished reading [book:Moon of the Crusted Snow|39082248], I was left wanting to know the fate of the characters , so I was glad to see there was a sequel. Evan and Nicole, First Nation people of the Anishinaabe tribe, their family and other families who “survived the collapse” have managed to keep on living a decade later in the bush in northern Ontario, Canada where they moved to after the lights went out at the rez. But sources of food are becoming scarce and it becomes clear that they need to find a new way to survive . A handful of people make the harrowing expedition to see what is south, to find the old homeland before moving the whole community to a place they call home. They encounter adversity, loss, bears and extremist militia groups who are pretty scary as they are into “some white power shit”. Scary because it’s relevant now. We never know what caused the power to go out, but it stands as a warning for sure. The adversity is tempered by bravery, hope, resilience, a dedication to their ancestry, friendship and love.

Thanks to my Goodreads friend Jodi for bringing it to my attention. Here’s her review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5516574147

I received a copy of this book from William Morrow/Harper Collins through Edelweiss and NetGalley .

In Moon of the Turning Leaves, author Waubgeshig Rice continues a riveting tale and proves his earlier success was no mere one hit wonder.

In this book, ten years after the events of the Moon of the Crusted Snow, a community of Anishinaabe have built a life for themselves, relying on the strong bonds of kinship and tradition, in a world plunged into chaos after all electric power gives out. But, the community knows their current settlement cannot be a permanent home, due to lack of the resources needed to feed a growing population; they know they’ll have to move on, and soon before the food runs out. The tribe decides to plan a migration to their ancestral homeland on the Great Lakes and in early Spring sends a scouting party out to make the trek first.
This book was a captivating read and while not entirely necessary, it definitely benefits from the reader having read the previous book. Rice writes in a beautiful, economic style, with a real emphasis on the natural world. I won’t give any spoilers here but suffice it so say that in addition to a well written novel, Rice paints an image of apocalypse and aftermath that feel both unique in modern fiction and grounded in our current reality.

If you like apocalyptic fiction or survival stories at all, do yourself a favor and pick up this series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

The second installment of a post-apocalyptic story of survival of a native Canadian group. It’s been years since we last left off and the group is thriving by living off of the land in the ways that have been past down by generations, however they are slowly recognizing that they are using up the resources of the land and that they will not have a future if they continue in this way. A group decides to embark on a walk south to their generational homeland in search of new land and the possibility of more people to live life with.

Much like the first, this book is a beautifully written slow account of a what would happen if the world lost power and who would be equipped to survive and what would happen with different outlooks on what survival means.

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Waubgeshig Rice is phenomenal. A recommended first purchase for collections where litfic and thrillers are popular.

This sequel to “Crusted Snow”was just as enthralling. The community that Evan and the others from their village left to create in the first novel has survived for almost twelve years, isolated from everything around them and living from the land. But the time has come to find new, richer lands and, perhaps, a wider community of survivors. Evan and five companions, including now teenaged Nangohns, set out to see if their ancestral lands to the south are habitable. I love this community and its members, who are doing their best to reestablish the old ways and to look after their loved ones in a new world. And now I hope for a sequel to THIS sequel!