Five Little Indians
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- Create Date：2021-05-29 12:52:13
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Michelle Good
- ISBN：1443459186
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Summary
Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote， church-run residential school， Kenny， Lucy， Clara， Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention。
Alone and without any skills， support or families， the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver， where they cling together， striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn’t want them。 The paths of the five friends cross and crisscross over the decades as they struggle to overcome， or at least forget， the trauma they endured during their years at the Mission。
Fuelled by rage and furious with God， Clara finds her way into the dangerous， highly charged world of the American Indian Movement。 Maisie internalizes her pain and continually places herself in dangerous situations。 Famous for his daring escapes from the school， Kenny can’t stop running and moves restlessly from job to job—through fishing grounds， orchards and logging camps—trying to outrun his memories and his addiction。 Lucy finds peace in motherhood and nurtures a secret compulsive disorder as she waits for Kenny to return to the life they once hoped to share together。 After almost beating one of his tormentors to death， Howie serves time in prison， then tries once again to re-enter society and begin life anew。
With compassion and insight， Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these residential school survivors to come to terms with their past and， ultimately， find a way forward。
Alone and without any skills， support or families， the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver， where they cling together， striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn’t want them。 The paths of the five friends cross and crisscross over the decades as they struggle to overcome， or at least forget， the trauma they endured during their years at the Mission。
Fuelled by rage and furious with God， Clara finds her way into the dangerous， highly charged world of the American Indian Movement。 Maisie internalizes her pain and continually places herself in dangerous situations。 Famous for his daring escapes from the school， Kenny can’t stop running and moves restlessly from job to job—through fishing grounds， orchards and logging camps—trying to outrun his memories and his addiction。 Lucy finds peace in motherhood and nurtures a secret compulsive disorder as she waits for Kenny to return to the life they once hoped to share together。 After almost beating one of his tormentors to death， Howie serves time in prison， then tries once again to re-enter society and begin life anew。
With compassion and insight， Five Little Indians chronicles the desperate quest of these residential school survivors to come to terms with their past and， ultimately， find a way forward。
Reviews
Linda French
，
I truly enjoyed this book， a very powerful read it traces the lives of residential school survivors。 I can hardly wait for Michelle Good’s next book It shows the survival， the healing the love it’s a powerful book
Helensn1234
，
I rarely give a book 5 stars。 However， this book deserves it。 This book should be required reading for all Canadians。 It's only when we acknowledge the past that we， as a country， can heal from it。 I rarely give a book 5 stars。 However， this book deserves it。 This book should be required reading for all Canadians。 It's only when we acknowledge the past that we， as a country， can heal from it。 。。。more
Amanda Spitzig
，
In "Five Little Indians，" Cree author Michelle Good tells the story of five children forced to attend a Church-run residential school - the "Mission" - in a remote area of coastal BC。 After enduring years of abuse， each child is released from or escapes from the Mission with little to no support。 As they grow older， the five children， now adults， eventually cross paths in the seedy Downtown Eastside of Vancouver where they attempt to forget and move on from the trauma of their childhoods。 Throug In "Five Little Indians，" Cree author Michelle Good tells the story of five children forced to attend a Church-run residential school - the "Mission" - in a remote area of coastal BC。 After enduring years of abuse， each child is released from or escapes from the Mission with little to no support。 As they grow older， the five children， now adults， eventually cross paths in the seedy Downtown Eastside of Vancouver where they attempt to forget and move on from the trauma of their childhoods。 Throughout their lives， the characters are caught up in the world of alcohol and drug abuse， sex work， the criminal justice system， but they are able to turn to each other to create new lives for themselves。In order to really get the most out of this book， I think the reader needs to have at least a basic understanding of Canada's residential school system and its impact on survivors and their families。 Much of the abuse and trauma suffered by the characters is implied or alluded to rather than spelled out in the book， and so some background knowledge is key。 That being said， this book is written in an accessible way and was easy to read， without many complex plot points carrying throughout the book。 My issues with this book were were the writing rather than the storyline。 I did have some trouble with the pacing of this book。 At the beginning of the story， some of the characters are as young as 6 years old。 The story follows each character well into adulthood， but offers no measure of time between each chapter。 Additionally， as the book follows each character over such a long stretch of their lives， the plot moves rapidly。 There is very little detail fleshing out the experiences of each character or explaining the significance of various events - the book is written in an "X happened， and then Y happened" sort of way， moving quickly。 Further， each chapter is written from the perspective of one of the five characters， rotating between the five throughout the book。 As a result， the reader only gets a brief look into the inner psyche of each character before the chapter ends and we move on to the next。 I felt like I was just skimming the surface of this story as I read this book - each character's experience warrants an entire book on its own。 Overall， I think this book it best geared towards a young-adult audience， or those just digging into these issues for the first time。 The story is important， but the writing just didn't do it for me。 。。。more
Nicole
，
This was very good。 I enjoyed the format of alternating POVs， with all characters being linked but with non-linear time。 I had never read any piece of fiction that dealt with when residential school survivors told of their experiences and were compensated prior to this。 That was quite interesting。 This book though tragic in many ways， leaves you hopeful for the future。 Glad I read it。
Sharaya
，
Broke my heart but also a great character driven novel。 Characters you love and hate to see suffering。 Very educational and eye opening about residential schools in Canada and the trauma the students endured
Debbie Nitsotolis
，
Very good。 Highly recommended 👌
The2CarolinesAndBooks
，
4。5 stars
Christine Vande Velde
，
Should be a must read for every Canadian。 The horrors of residential schools。。。。。the long term impacts。
Lynne Scopazzi
，
Great book to read an eye opener - so sad how we treat people from different cultures， heritage， race，
HelenJ
，
A must read book。 A very readable depiction of the lasting effect of Residential School over a lifetime。
Akemi
，
I literally could not put this book down。 What an eye opening tragic story。 Such a rollercoaster of emotions。 A must read for everyone！
Devan
，
Absolutely every Canadian should read this book。 I will never forget the haunting stories told in these pages， a wounding but necessary knowing of Canada's past。 Absolutely every Canadian should read this book。 I will never forget the haunting stories told in these pages， a wounding but necessary knowing of Canada's past。 。。。more
Despina
，
This is a heart wrenching story of 5 Indigenous youth who are released from the residential schools and describes their way of dealing with the residual trauma， finding their way outside， and learning to believe in love and trust again。 I came out of it thinking， 'this was all so unnecessary， what was achieved？ Why inflict pain on helpless children and their families？' We all know why， but it was an uncivilized way to attempt to civilize an already civilized culture。 This is a heart wrenching story of 5 Indigenous youth who are released from the residential schools and describes their way of dealing with the residual trauma， finding their way outside， and learning to believe in love and trust again。 I came out of it thinking， 'this was all so unnecessary， what was achieved？ Why inflict pain on helpless children and their families？' We all know why， but it was an uncivilized way to attempt to civilize an already civilized culture。 。。。more
Julie
，
4。5 stars - If you’re like me you’ve heard of residential schools in the news and you’ve heard of the abuse but to read this novel is to better understand what these kids， parents and communities went through。 As a mother of two boys， I cannot imagine having them ripped away from me at the tender age of 6 and not being able to have contact with them。 Many of these kids were abused， malnourished and then at the age of 16， dropped in society and expected to make a life for themselves after years o 4。5 stars - If you’re like me you’ve heard of residential schools in the news and you’ve heard of the abuse but to read this novel is to better understand what these kids， parents and communities went through。 As a mother of two boys， I cannot imagine having them ripped away from me at the tender age of 6 and not being able to have contact with them。 Many of these kids were abused， malnourished and then at the age of 16， dropped in society and expected to make a life for themselves after years of abuse and isolation from their families and communities。 Stripped from their culture， their native tongue， their identities many turned to drugs and alcohol， many wound up dead。I haven’t cried while reading a book in a long time but this one did it for me。Although fictional， this novel is based on factual events and I feel it is an important read。 Very shameful that these events took place in Canada and in the not so distant past either！ 。。。more
Diane Schuller
，
If this book is any indication， Michelle Good is a very capable storyteller。 I seldom give 5 stars but this novel deserves the 5 because of how well these stories were told and how Ms。 Good brought the five people to life for the reader， eliciting deep felt emotions。This was one of our book club selections and， at first， I wasn't keen on reading it。 Perusing some reviews beforehand， I was concerned it was nothing but a bleeding heart book。 Well， all of those notions went out the window from the If this book is any indication， Michelle Good is a very capable storyteller。 I seldom give 5 stars but this novel deserves the 5 because of how well these stories were told and how Ms。 Good brought the five people to life for the reader， eliciting deep felt emotions。This was one of our book club selections and， at first， I wasn't keen on reading it。 Perusing some reviews beforehand， I was concerned it was nothing but a bleeding heart book。 Well， all of those notions went out the window from the first pages。 The novel is both heartbreaking and heartwarming。I even found myself relating to some of their experiences having spent a year of my life in a Catholic convent。 I know all too well how heartless the nuns treated the children and how we all were child slaves in their militaristic enclaves。I'm so glad I read this book and now have an even deeper understanding about some of the effects this system has/had on the children and their mothers。 。。。more
nageM Bandy
，
Five Little Indians is about children， stolen from their families and sent away to residential schools where they endured years of abuse and neglect， all because they were native children。 With the incredibly horrific trauma these five children endured， it’s gruesome to think that this was based on the true events that the Canadian federal government practiced—plucking children from their homes， ripping them out of their family’s arms， sending them away to a tortuous boarding school without fami Five Little Indians is about children， stolen from their families and sent away to residential schools where they endured years of abuse and neglect， all because they were native children。 With the incredibly horrific trauma these five children endured， it’s gruesome to think that this was based on the true events that the Canadian federal government practiced—plucking children from their homes， ripping them out of their family’s arms， sending them away to a tortuous boarding school without family visitation， with the goal of killing indigenous cultures。I went down a rabbit hole of googling to find out more about these residential schools， and I suggest you do the same。 。。。more
Lj Ducharme
，
Heart wrenching。 Heart warming。 So engagingly written。 Tough topic handled well。 The realities for the children of the residential schools is harrowing。 The stories of the people in Five Little Indians only grazes the top of the experiences had by many more。 Ms。 Good spoke from the heart， and I felt it。
Shandi Ferguson
，
Such important stories。 These stories are heart breaking and felt visceral with me being from the lower mainland。 I have seen the parts of Vancouver they were talking about and I have been in that Knight and Day restaurant。 These stories need to be told， need to be shared and need to be taken in。 I found the style of the book a bit dull but these stories are ones that need to be heard。
Katie
，
As hard as it is to read and know that this is a fictionalized account of actual events， I am glad I read it and think the more people who read it the better。 The reverberations of Canada’s residential school system continue to tell us who we are even when we think we are polite and nice and the envy of the world。 This book should help anyone understand intergenerational trauma， and settlers’ responsibility in our truth and reconciliation commitments。 The characters are well drawn and I wished w As hard as it is to read and know that this is a fictionalized account of actual events， I am glad I read it and think the more people who read it the better。 The reverberations of Canada’s residential school system continue to tell us who we are even when we think we are polite and nice and the envy of the world。 This book should help anyone understand intergenerational trauma， and settlers’ responsibility in our truth and reconciliation commitments。 The characters are well drawn and I wished we could have spent time with each of them for longer。 I got a good sense of place and there was some well written prose along the way。 Some parts felt a little clunky or could have used a bit of an edit， especially some dialogue。 However， it doesn’t distract from the story being told， which is heartbreaking and hopeful at the same time。 。。。more
Lynn
，
Five "survivors" of the same residential school。 Light but firmly understood descriptions of the atrocities there。 And the coping mechanisms of the children/adults。 A story with some hope - of community， and love。 Five "survivors" of the same residential school。 Light but firmly understood descriptions of the atrocities there。 And the coping mechanisms of the children/adults。 A story with some hope - of community， and love。 。。。more
Cathy
，
This book breaks my heart。 Such unimaginable cruelty from so many。 Then continued cruelty from society。 How does this happen？ Why did the people inside seeing these atrocities not stop it or say anything？ I knew about this horrible part of Canadian history but this book helped me to understand on a more personal level。
Jillian Irvine
，
4。5 stars。 This book was heart breaking to read， but should be read by all， particularly by settlers who reside in Canada。 Though the subject matter is incredibly disturbing， the writing style and focus on 5 different intertwining story lines made it as digestible as possible。 It is a quick read in the sense that you can't put it down but very heavy content。 This book book begins in the 1960's but always felt present day to me。 As someone who was born and raised in Vancouver and currently freque 4。5 stars。 This book was heart breaking to read， but should be read by all， particularly by settlers who reside in Canada。 Though the subject matter is incredibly disturbing， the writing style and focus on 5 different intertwining story lines made it as digestible as possible。 It is a quick read in the sense that you can't put it down but very heavy content。 This book book begins in the 1960's but always felt present day to me。 As someone who was born and raised in Vancouver and currently frequents many of the locations this book takes place in， this book felt non-fiction and sparked some serious introspection。 It was a sad reminder of the genocide committed against Indigenous people and how the city and country has failed to adequately support those affected by trauma inflicted by the government。 The book also highlights the strength and resiliency of the characters as they go through various stages of life。 Highly recommend with a suggestion to be mindful of your headspace when you begin。 。。。more
Anne Pennington
，
Provides insight into some of the horrors of the abusive “Indian schools” and the both the fragility and resilience of the human soul。 Good’s writing is clear and reads easily。 The characters and their connecting history and present day relationships are both plausible and make for a good story。 I definitely won’t hesitate to recommend this novel and have already。
Ashleigh
，
I really wanted to like this novel because it touches on some extremely important subject matter that I think everyone should know about。 However， I think this book has too many points of view， we follow four or five different characters all with different but similar storylines so I found it hard to keep track of whose storyline was whose。
Joanna van der Berg
，
3。5 stars。 Absolutely a very important story and I’m grateful for it。 The writing style was not my favourite， and if it wasn’t such an important read then I probably wouldn’t have finished it。
Sarah
，
Such beautiful characters in this novel and some beautiful writing。 I want everyone to read this book because it speaks to truths about residential school experience while championing strong characters and life's joys along with its sorrows。 I challenge anyone to read this and not walk away with deepened empathy and increased understanding of intergenerational trauma and systemic racism。 Such beautiful characters in this novel and some beautiful writing。 I want everyone to read this book because it speaks to truths about residential school experience while championing strong characters and life's joys along with its sorrows。 I challenge anyone to read this and not walk away with deepened empathy and increased understanding of intergenerational trauma and systemic racism。 。。。more
Emma Julian
，
I wanted to like “Five Little Indians” more than I actually did。 The story - centered around five survivors of a BC residential school - has an important place in Canadian literature。 Michelle Good was especially successful in crafting empathetic characters in order to provide the reader with perspective on enduring residential school trauma and the resilience of Aboriginal communities。 That being said， from a purely literary standpoint， this book fell a little short for me: the prose wasn't all I wanted to like “Five Little Indians” more than I actually did。 The story - centered around five survivors of a BC residential school - has an important place in Canadian literature。 Michelle Good was especially successful in crafting empathetic characters in order to provide the reader with perspective on enduring residential school trauma and the resilience of Aboriginal communities。 That being said， from a purely literary standpoint， this book fell a little short for me: the prose wasn't all that compelling and the constant switch between characters and first- and third- person narrators along with the jumps back and forth in time created a discordant narrative。 Despite these flaws， the substance of the book begs to be examined and discussed。 I think high school students， in particular， would benefit from - and as a high school student， I would have benefitted from - reading this book。 （3/5） 。。。more
Emily
，
Wow！ What an important piece of Canadian literature。 I hope that at this point most Canadians are at least aware of the atrocities that took place at residential schools， however I am sure many do not consider the long lasting impact attending these schools had on survivors。 This book details the lives of five such survivors as they try and make their way in a world that is truly set up to be against them。 A must read！
Claudette Germain
，
The dark chapter of abuse where Aboriginal children were kidnapped and forced to go to an inhumane school system。 Memorable characters， heartbreaking stories of their survival。 Not an easy read but important book。
Amber Turnau
，
This is a beautiful and profound story， equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful。 The diverse cast of characters， unified by their traumatic upbringing in the residential school system， are both fragile and intensely resilient。 This book paints so vividly the immense and daunting burden that survivors have carried with them all these years—a true testament to the strength and destruction of the human spirit。 Canada’s unjust treatment of Indigenous peoples is embarrassing and horrific， but I hope th This is a beautiful and profound story， equal parts heartbreaking and hopeful。 The diverse cast of characters， unified by their traumatic upbringing in the residential school system， are both fragile and intensely resilient。 This book paints so vividly the immense and daunting burden that survivors have carried with them all these years—a true testament to the strength and destruction of the human spirit。 Canada’s unjust treatment of Indigenous peoples is embarrassing and horrific， but I hope this deeply vulnerable and soul-stirring fictional work inspires us all to move forward in reconciliation and healing together。 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Five Little Indians
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Five Little Indians&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Five Little Indians&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0