Member Review
Review by
Michael B, Reviewer
Coyote Today
Julian Brave NoiseCat's "We Survived the Night" is a multilayered work, simultaneously functioning as autobiography, journalism, and a modern take on oral folklore. At its heart, the book seeks to define the author's relationship with his father, setting this personal quest within a broader examination of Indigenous existence across Canada and the United States. NoiseCat frames the book as an "extended Coyote Story," resurrecting the traditional trickster narrative to convey a unique, "nonfiction" form of truth.
The book's tone is immediately established with a chilling account of the author's father, known as Baby X, who was born at St. Joseph's Indian Residential School and immediately thrown into a trash incinerator. Baby X's survival was purely accidental, as a night watchman discovered him by chance.
Julian’s father would become an artist and abandon the family when Julian was quite young. Later, unexpectedly, his father would move in with him when he was a young adult. It was at this point Julian recognized that his father embodied the coyote, the trickster of his people’s stories. He later reflected that "Part of the purpose of coyote stories was to understand men like my father, men like my grandfather, maybe even men like me too."
The book explores the enduring legacy of attempted cultural genocide on Native Americans, focusing on their journey to reclaim their indigeneity. The Title, “We Survived the Night,” was the grim greeting Julian's ancestors used, serving as a terrible, constant testimony to their struggle and resilience.
Julian Brave NoiseCat offers a profound look at modern Indigenous life, skillfully interweaving contemporary political and environmental challenges with expanded Coyote parables and temporal shifts. This approach powerfully demonstrates the interconnected nature of these themes. The book has received significant acclaim, including high praise from Tommy Orange, the celebrated author of “There There” and “Wandering Stars,” who stated, “Julian Brave NoiseCat has written a book I’ve been waiting my whole life to read.”
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #WeSurvivedtheNight #NetGalley
Julian Brave NoiseCat's "We Survived the Night" is a multilayered work, simultaneously functioning as autobiography, journalism, and a modern take on oral folklore. At its heart, the book seeks to define the author's relationship with his father, setting this personal quest within a broader examination of Indigenous existence across Canada and the United States. NoiseCat frames the book as an "extended Coyote Story," resurrecting the traditional trickster narrative to convey a unique, "nonfiction" form of truth.
The book's tone is immediately established with a chilling account of the author's father, known as Baby X, who was born at St. Joseph's Indian Residential School and immediately thrown into a trash incinerator. Baby X's survival was purely accidental, as a night watchman discovered him by chance.
Julian’s father would become an artist and abandon the family when Julian was quite young. Later, unexpectedly, his father would move in with him when he was a young adult. It was at this point Julian recognized that his father embodied the coyote, the trickster of his people’s stories. He later reflected that "Part of the purpose of coyote stories was to understand men like my father, men like my grandfather, maybe even men like me too."
The book explores the enduring legacy of attempted cultural genocide on Native Americans, focusing on their journey to reclaim their indigeneity. The Title, “We Survived the Night,” was the grim greeting Julian's ancestors used, serving as a terrible, constant testimony to their struggle and resilience.
Julian Brave NoiseCat offers a profound look at modern Indigenous life, skillfully interweaving contemporary political and environmental challenges with expanded Coyote parables and temporal shifts. This approach powerfully demonstrates the interconnected nature of these themes. The book has received significant acclaim, including high praise from Tommy Orange, the celebrated author of “There There” and “Wandering Stars,” who stated, “Julian Brave NoiseCat has written a book I’ve been waiting my whole life to read.”
Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, Vintage, and Anchor and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #WeSurvivedtheNight #NetGalley
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