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  • Indian Horse

  • A Novel
  • Written by: Richard Wagamese
  • Narrated by: Jason Ryll
  • Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (3,575 ratings)

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Indian Horse

Written by: Richard Wagamese
Narrated by: Jason Ryll
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Publisher's Summary

Saul Indian Horse is in critical condition. Sitting feeble in an alcoholism treatment facility, he is told that sharing his story will help relieve his agony. Though skeptical, he embarks on a heartbreaking journey from the present - and into the woods of Northern Ontario, where his life began in a snowy Ojibway camp. The tale that follows is one of great pain and great determination from Richard Wagamese, an author who "never seems to waste a shot" (New York Times).

After being taken forcibly from his family, Saul is placed in an abusive boarding school determined to expunge his Ojibway traditions and knowledge. But he finds salvation each morning at dawn, practicing hockey alone on the school's makeshift ice rink. Saul's gift is undeniable: He quickly rises from his school's all-Ojibway team to the white-dominated regional circuit. As his skills improve and he gains notoriety, however, each of his victories on the ice is met by racism and hate. As the years pass, Saul must reconcile his passion - the game he loves, that allowed him to escape poverty - with the harshness of a world that will never make him entirely welcome.

Unfolding against the bleak loveliness of Northern Ontario - all rock, marsh, bog, and cedar - this is a singular story of resilience from a beloved storyteller.

©2012 Richard Wagamese (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Editorial Review

When everything around you is trying to erase every aspect of who you are, how do you stay true to yourself?

From Richard Wagamese comes this triumphant story of resilience through unbearable pain and suffering. Indian Horse takes a sharp look at the impacts and suffering inflicted on First Nation people across Canada as they were forced to enter the Indian residential school system that proceeded to strip them of every aspect of their identity. Author Richard Wagamese does not shy away from the harsh realities of Canadian history, or the sufferings of his people, highlighting not only the initial pains but the long-lasting traumas that have shaped and derailed so many Indigenous peoples.

The story centers around Saul Indian Horse, an Ojibway man at the end of his life after years of alcohol abuse and unhealthy coping mechanisms. Richard Wagamese’s novel dives into his character’s past, offering a raw and candid look at how young Indigenous children were removed from their families, forced to learn English, punished with beatings, and generally abused under the guise of ‘civilizing.’

The story highlights both young and adult Saul, providing a clear picture of the traumas and their long-lasting effects. Indian Horse’s recollections tell his story of experiencing this pain first hand, and how he sought solace and escape in the beauty of northern Ontario, and as a hockey player in Toronto, lacing his skates for a big game on the rink. But every hockey triumph reminds the past and how he - as Ojibwe - will never be entirely accepted. Eye-opening, powerful, and heart-wrenching, this story will hit hard, forcing you to confront your nation’s past and maybe your traumas or prejudices. Informative and educational, it is a moving story about the past and history so often forgotten or swept under the rug. This award-winning story also became a Canadian film starring Ajuawak Kapashesit as Saul Indian Horse. Jason Ryll narrates this beautifully told audiobook, bringing these stories to the forefront with an authentic and understanding voice.

What listeners say about Indian Horse

Average Customer Ratings
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Heart wrenching and Humbling

I love hockey. My family has been involved in hockey since I was born. Richard Wagamese highlights the horrendous acts committed at the residential schools, and the generational effect it still has while simultaneously making you long for the arena. You follow Saul through his journey with his birth family, to the school, and again with his adoptive family. Every step of the way giving you happiness, then a reminder that weighs at the back of his mind. I found myself pausing to cry about Saul’s experience, knowing that it was a fiction based on the true testimony of many; too many. A haunting reminder of our past, our traditions, and the culture we live and breathe.

The performance was remarkable, and easy to follow. A must read (or listen) for all.

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20 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Must read! But listen at 1.25x!

This book evokes great feeling. I enjoyed the descriptive world given to us by the author and felt deeply all the mixed emotions of the narrator. It gives incredible insight into the native experience of the residential school system. A must read for all Canadians in my mind.
The performance was well done but painfully slow for my liking. However once I increased to 1.25x listening rate, it was perfect!

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19 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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If I Could Rate Higher Than Five - I Would.

Beautifully written, and moving account of a young native man's life. This should become required reading in every high school in Canada. Raw, emotional, and spiritual recounting of the trauma lived by indigenous children in one particular residential school in northern Ontario. This is not easy listening but must be heard or read. Narration was the best I have ever listened to on Audible. Once I started listening, I did not want to stop.

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19 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Moving Story

This story pulled me in and felt as though I was inside the mind or personal journal of the character Saul. it reminded me that every person has a deep story and past that is worth recognizing. #Audible1

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15 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredible story, so well narrated

It takes a true storyteller to weave so much underlying emotion with so few emotional words used. The quiet and empty spaces leave one holding one’s breath.

I can’t recommend this audiobook highly enough. Although there is quite a bit of hockey talk, it is essential to the story. It is told in such a way that it rekindles a passion that might have been forgotten or overlooked.

The narration was the frosting on this particular cake. It brought the whole thing to life, giving it soul. I was disappointed when the story ended and I knew that this was a tale that had not only enlightened me, but had touched my heart.

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9 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A book everyone should read.

Well told heartbreaking story of a sad time in our history. Should be mandatory school reading. It isn't about hockey, it's about abuse of power, racism, sexual assault, lack of compassion, lack of resources to help those abused to deal with their trauma. We need to understand the impact of residential schools and the 60's scoop on future generations and do something about it.

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8 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A lot of hockey 🏒 and a solid story.

A plot that threatens to move the reader to tears, while written with great tenderness and imagination, did leave me at times annoyed by the repetition and detail in the hockey scenes.
Ultimately, it's well worth a listen.

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7 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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The narrator sucked!!

The story was powerful, unfortunately it was severely diminished by the narrator. I don't know who decided the narrator should read the story in that stereotypical virtually comical, this is what I imagine what Indians should sound like, voice. it detracts from the seriousness of the subject and makes it difficult to listen to. I really wish I would have bought the book and read it instead.

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Wonderful storytelling

I'm not a huge hockey fan so I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get into this book. Friends had recommended it so I gave it a try. I loved it! The way Wagamese describes the game, the character's experiences and feelings, takes you away and into the head of the character. 100% recommend

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Not What I Expected

I heard about the movie, before the book. When I started it, I thought, Oh here we go, another hero's adventure, but as the story progressed, it turned out to be so much more. After I finished it, I googled Richard Wagamese and found out he'd passed away, and cried. He should have lived to write more.

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5 people found this helpful

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  • ruthemily
  • 2019-10-07

Important Read

One of the rare cases where I seen the movie before I read the book. Richard Wagamese weaves a remarkable story (based on a culmination of true accounts) of the Indian Boarding Schools that many Native American and First Nation children were sent to after being kidnapped from their families. What many people do not realize is that these schools did not close until 1990's and there are so many horrifying tales of what happened to the Native children who went there and who never left. Beautifully written, and achingly tragic, I highly recommend this story for every American and Canadian citizen so everyone can understand an important piece of what is not taught in history classes today.

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15 people found this helpful

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  • Calvin Hedrick
  • 2020-10-05

Incredible storyteller

Richard Wagamese was an incredible storyteller. Indian Horse is more than a story of a Native boy, it is more than a story of Hockey, it is a story of indigenous history. It is a story of historical trauma. Wagamese helps the reader to understand residential school history and the abuse endured by Native children and how that sexual, physical, emotional, spiritual and mental abuse influences their lives as they grow into adulthood. It helps us to understand why tribal communities suffer from trauma today.
We feel the sadness of loss and the pain of abuse. We root for Saul Indian Horse and we cry for him.
A great story from a great storyteller. I highly recommend it and hope you come away with a better understanding of tribal communities.

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13 people found this helpful

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  • jacy davis
  • 2018-04-29

Read and share!

Read if you dare., A truth so many Native American nations endured. So many loss, so many in the struggle, so many generational heartaches. The ripple.

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Steven Rochon
  • 2020-08-14

Great story!

Much of his own life story appears to be wrapped up in tale of Saul Indian Horse. Wagamese demonstrates a unique ability to describe in vivid detail everything from the feeling of freedom that comes from the first time one learns to ice skate to the feelings of dread, abandonment and fear that was the experience of Indian schools throughout Canada and the US. He is among the best story tellers I have ever read, and the performance was equally engaging as well.

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7 people found this helpful

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  • LS
  • 2020-01-18

A tough story, but well worth hearing.

Not for kids, but for adults who know a little bit about the history and about themselves. No hockey knowledge necessary.

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4 people found this helpful

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  • Sarah Stephens
  • 2018-10-11

Everything and More!

A book all indigenous people and indigenous allies should read / listen too. It goes beyond the pain of residential schools into the healing that survivors go into. I loved the story - I was drawn to the characters and to the light behind the pain. Such a fantastic book!

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  • Trent Maracle
  • 2021-11-06

Tough but Necessary - Please listen to this book!

I am glad I listened to this book. It’s important to hear to correct pronunciation but it’s a bonus to hear an authentically First Nations/Canadian accent. This book made me cry a lot. It brought to life untold stories of horrific experiences of forced assimilation. I think it will help some see why drugs and alcohol are needed escapes from peoples minds until the right therapy can provide hope and the means to live without altercation. By far my favorite listen! I hope everyone listens to this book. First Nations communities need help, not condemnation or the ridicule of being mascots.

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  • Hard Stop Publishing @hardstoppublish
  • 2018-10-05

Amazing journey

This book and performance was incredible. I have not been moved by a book in a very long time and this had me vacillating between sadness and joy throughout. I highly recommend this to everyone.

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  • Cameron Warriner
  • 2020-10-06

Wild emotional ride

This was an emotional ride for me. Growing up in Canada in the 1970’s I saw many Indian kids come off the reservation and go to my schools. I’m ashamed to say the way they were looked at by myself and others was wrong. This book helped me to see their challenges and hardships that I couldn’t when I was younger.

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2 people found this helpful

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  • Amazon Customer
  • 2018-05-29

good storyline

powerful and sad, although the ending was encouraging. This would be a good story for anyone unfamiliar with the Indian schools.

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2 people found this helpful