Book Review: Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

This review was first published by Booklist on February 1, 2024.

**STARRED REVIEW** Over 10 years after the events of Moon of the Crusted Snow (2018), Evan Whitesky and those who followed him off the old rez have begun to use up their resources. They decide to move back to their ancestral homelands along the Great Lakes despite not knowing what’s happening down south. Evan, along with five others including his own daughter, Nangohns, sets out to find a way home. Along the way, they encounter challenges and dangers both expected and not and learn more about what happened when the disaster struck. It’s gratifying to see the growth of their survival skills and the reawakening of traditional lifeways. The teenage Nangohns, now her peoples’ best hunter, is an ideal exemplar of the new generation of Anishinaabe, and seeing her step into her role as a leader is immensely satisfying. There’s a kindness, a gentleness, and a deep respect at the heart of the culture Rice portrays, and it stands in refreshing contrast to the usual violence and cynicism of most dystopian fiction. Rice’s evocation of the countryside is gorgeous and immersive; the land becomes an essential character in its own right. This is a pastoral travel tale of much grander scope than its predecessor and a powerful, remarkable follow-up.