Joseph Boyden's Three Day Road

I read about Boyden's book while blog hoping. I can't for the life of me remember which blog it was especially since the post was not a recent one. If it is your blog do let me know and please receive my appreciation for the introduction to this fine book. Since then I heard a lot about it and decided to give it a go. So here I am a newly minted Joseph Boyden fan! Found the book in the Library shelf waiting just for me and it never hit the floor till I finished. A fantastic book by this new author who is blessed with the wisdom and gift of an experienced writer. I know he has many more books waiting to form in his story arsenal and each an experience to treasure for the reader.

It was interesting to find that 'Three Day Road' was also one of David Davidar's first publishing efforts in his capacity as Penguin Canada's President and Publisher. He was richly rewarded with Canada's prestigious Giller Prize being awarded to Boyden for his second book Through Black Spruce which I have not read. It is a sequel to his first book and it seems a third book is also planned to complete a trilogy.

Three Day Road is complex in story and character and quite captivating with its World War I backdrop. I didn't think I could take War activities in my stride but Boyden has succeeded so well that I flew past page after page of trenches, grenades and sniping not to mention all the other grissly details in complete empathy with the characters. Xavier Bird or 'X' as he is known is the narrator that sticks with you to the end. His Aunt Niska and close friend Elijah Weesgeechak (used in story as Whiskeyjack) also are strong in their narration of the events that shape their lives as Cree Indians as well as Canadians taking part in the War on behalf of their country. To me the story where the heroic but quiet Xavier being ignored for the impulsive but well spoken Elijah runs in parallel to Canada's quiet but courageous participation in the War alongside the more eloquent and applauded United States . Read here for an excerpt from the book to get a feel of Boyden's genius and here for more on the book itself.

"The real cold settled in with the moon of the exploding trees". This is how Boyden begins to describe the forest on a harsh winter night when the Cree where going through an extremely severe year. His language is picturesque and deep. Being of Irish Catholic ancestry sprinkled with traces of Metis and Mi’kmaq, Boyden has drawn on the Native American part well enough to have an authentic feel for this book told mostly through Cree Indian insight. If you don't read this book it will be your loss.