Listen free for 30 days
-
Permanent Astonishment
- Growing Up Cree in the Land of Snow and Sky
- Narrated by: Jimmy Blais
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $29.14
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
Capricious, big-hearted, joyful: an epic memoir from one of Canada’s most acclaimed Indigenous writers and performers
Tomson Highway was born in a snowbank on an island in the sub-Arctic, the 11th of 12 children in a nomadic, caribou-hunting Cree family who traversed the tundra by dogsled and lived off the land. In Permanent Astonishment, one of the greatest writers of our time animates the magical world of his northern childhood, paying tribute to a way of life that few have experienced and fewer still have chronicled.
Growing up in a land of 10,000 lakes and islands, Tomson Highway relished being pulled by dogsled beneath a night sky alive with stars; sucking the juices from roasted muskrat tails; and singing country music songs with his impossibly beautiful older sister and her teenaged friends. Surrounded by the love of his family and the vast, mesmerizing landscape they called home, his was in many ways an idyllic far north childhood. But five of Tomson’s siblings died in childhood, and Balazee and Joe Highway, who loved their surviving children profoundly, wanted their two youngest sons, Tomson and Rene, to enjoy opportunities as big as the world. And so when Tomson was six, he and Rene were flown south by float plan to attend a residential school and begin the rest of their education.
In 1990, Rene Highway, a world-renowned dancer, died of an AIDS-related illness. Permanent Astonishment is Tomson's extravagant embrace of his younger brother's final words: Don’t mourn me, be joyful.
Infused with joy and outrageous humor, Permanent Astonishment offers insights, both hilarious and profound, into the Cree experience of culture, conquest, and survival.
You may also enjoy...
-
Kiss of the Fur Queen
- Written by: Tomson Highway
- Narrated by: Patricia Cano
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born into a magical Cree world in snowy Northern Manitoba, Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis are all too soon torn from their family and thrust into the hostile world of a Catholic residential school. Their language is forbidden, their names are changed to Jeremiah and Gabriel, and both boys are abused by priests. As young men, estranged from their own people and alienated from the culture imposed upon them, the Okimasis brothers fight to survive. Wherever they go, the Fur Queen - a wily, shape-shifting trickster - watches over them with a protective eye.
-
-
Tomson Highway is a gift!
- By Darrel Morin on 2023-03-09
Written by: Tomson Highway
-
Ratchetdemic
- Reimagining Academic Success
- Written by: Christopher Emdin
- Narrated by: Christopher Emdin
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Building on the ideas introduced in his New York Times best-selling book, For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood, Christopher Emdin introduces an alternative educational model that will help students (and teachers) celebrate ratchet identity in the classroom. Ratchetdemic advocates for a new kind of student identity - one that bridges the seemingly disparate worlds of the ivory tower and the urban classroom.
-
-
Reimagining Education and the Self
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-11-27
Written by: Christopher Emdin
-
Life in the City of Dirty Water
- A Memoir of Healing
- Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Narrated by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many Clayton Thomas-Mullers: The child who played with toy planes as an escape from domestic and sexual abuse, enduring the intergenerational trauma of Canada's residential school system; the angry youngster who defended himself with fists and sharp wit against racism and violence, at school and on the streets of Winnipeg and small-town British Columbia; the tough teenager who, at 17, managed a drug house run by members of his family, and slipped in and out of juvie, operating in a world of violence and pain.
-
-
Opened My Eyes
- By Cheryl on 2023-07-24
Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
-
Unreconciled
- Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance
- Written by: Jesse Wente
- Narrated by: Jesse Wente
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Part memoir and part manifesto, Unreconciled is a stirring call to arms to put truth over the flawed concept of reconciliation, and to build a new, respectful relationship between the nation of Canada and Indigenous peoples.
-
-
Brilliant Must Listen/Read for all Canadians
- By Cass on 2022-02-04
Written by: Jesse Wente
-
Braiding Sweetgrass
- Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
- Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers.
-
-
Fabulous wise, informative, inspiring, beautifully written book!
- By Carolinebp on 2019-10-01
Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
-
A Minor Chorus
- A Novel
- Written by: Billy-Ray Belcourt
- Narrated by: Jesse Nobess
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An unnamed narrator abandons his unfinished thesis and returns to northern Alberta in search of what eludes him: the shape of the novel he yearns to write, an autobiography of his rural hometown, the answers to existential questions about family, love, and happiness.
Written by: Billy-Ray Belcourt
-
Kiss of the Fur Queen
- Written by: Tomson Highway
- Narrated by: Patricia Cano
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Born into a magical Cree world in snowy Northern Manitoba, Champion and Ooneemeetoo Okimasis are all too soon torn from their family and thrust into the hostile world of a Catholic residential school. Their language is forbidden, their names are changed to Jeremiah and Gabriel, and both boys are abused by priests. As young men, estranged from their own people and alienated from the culture imposed upon them, the Okimasis brothers fight to survive. Wherever they go, the Fur Queen - a wily, shape-shifting trickster - watches over them with a protective eye.
-
-
Tomson Highway is a gift!
- By Darrel Morin on 2023-03-09
Written by: Tomson Highway
-
Ratchetdemic
- Reimagining Academic Success
- Written by: Christopher Emdin
- Narrated by: Christopher Emdin
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Building on the ideas introduced in his New York Times best-selling book, For White Folks Who Teach in the Hood, Christopher Emdin introduces an alternative educational model that will help students (and teachers) celebrate ratchet identity in the classroom. Ratchetdemic advocates for a new kind of student identity - one that bridges the seemingly disparate worlds of the ivory tower and the urban classroom.
-
-
Reimagining Education and the Self
- By Amazon Customer on 2022-11-27
Written by: Christopher Emdin
-
Life in the City of Dirty Water
- A Memoir of Healing
- Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Narrated by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many Clayton Thomas-Mullers: The child who played with toy planes as an escape from domestic and sexual abuse, enduring the intergenerational trauma of Canada's residential school system; the angry youngster who defended himself with fists and sharp wit against racism and violence, at school and on the streets of Winnipeg and small-town British Columbia; the tough teenager who, at 17, managed a drug house run by members of his family, and slipped in and out of juvie, operating in a world of violence and pain.
-
-
Opened My Eyes
- By Cheryl on 2023-07-24
Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
-
Unreconciled
- Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance
- Written by: Jesse Wente
- Narrated by: Jesse Wente
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Part memoir and part manifesto, Unreconciled is a stirring call to arms to put truth over the flawed concept of reconciliation, and to build a new, respectful relationship between the nation of Canada and Indigenous peoples.
-
-
Brilliant Must Listen/Read for all Canadians
- By Cass on 2022-02-04
Written by: Jesse Wente
-
Braiding Sweetgrass
- Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
- Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Narrated by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
- Length: 16 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As a botanist and professor of plant ecology, Robin Wall Kimmerer has spent a career learning how to ask questions of nature using the tools of science. As a Potawatomi woman, she learned from elders, family, and history that the Potawatomi, as well as a majority of other cultures indigenous to this land, consider plants and animals to be our oldest teachers.
-
-
Fabulous wise, informative, inspiring, beautifully written book!
- By Carolinebp on 2019-10-01
Written by: Robin Wall Kimmerer
-
A Minor Chorus
- A Novel
- Written by: Billy-Ray Belcourt
- Narrated by: Jesse Nobess
- Length: 4 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An unnamed narrator abandons his unfinished thesis and returns to northern Alberta in search of what eludes him: the shape of the novel he yearns to write, an autobiography of his rural hometown, the answers to existential questions about family, love, and happiness.
Written by: Billy-Ray Belcourt
What the critics say
Winner of The 2021 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize For Nonfiction
Nominated for The 2022 Evergreen Award
Named one of the best books of 2021 by The Globe and Mail • Winnipeg Free Press • CBC
"Permanent Astonishment is a mesmerizing story rich in detail about growing up in a Cree-speaking family in Northern Manitoba and later in a residential school. Highway’s writing delights in tales of eating muskrat tails, speaking Cree (and learning English), preparing for a Christmas concert, and listening to Hank Snow on a transistor radio. While unstinting about the abuse he and others suffered, Highway makes a bold personal choice to accentuate the wondrousness of his school years resulting in a book that shines with the foundational sparks of adolescence: innocence, fear, and amazement." (2021 Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction jury)
"Mesmerizing." (The Globe and Mail)
"Exquisitely written and both hilarious and painful, Permanent Astonishment is a testament to the power of culture, language, family and the land." (Winnipeg Free Press)
What listeners say about Permanent Astonishment
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- bcuddy
- 2022-01-10
Kisaageetiin
A beautiful look into the life of one of our most beloved playwrights, musicians, creatives... Fall deep into the sounds of Cree and enjoy Jimmy's wonderful telling of Tomson's journey. A lifetime in earnest, radiating love. A complete pleasure.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Mona_Lisa
- 2022-09-12
Tomson paints with words
This is a such magnificent memoir and Tomson Highway is such a rich storyteller - he paints in words. I was engrossed in his journey and vivid recollections. Bravo.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anne Thevenot
- 2022-03-12
Dreamy
As someone who has lived in and loves northern Manitoba, this story will remind you to search for what you are missing at different points in your life and keep searching it out until your last breath.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- eric rice
- 2021-11-26
Loved it
The story is great and sometimes different . It’s so honest , funny and humble
The reader jimmy Blais did à and amazing job ! I want to listen to more of him I listen to a lot of audio books this guy is amazing
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Amazon Customer
- 2021-10-09
A heartwarming story
I enjoyed the beautiful and loving descriptions of his family life, the naming of community members, and the joy that shines through his words.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2022-11-16
Permanent Astonishment is one of the best books I’ve listened to this year.
I throughly enjoyed this memoir. Thompson gives us such a clear picture of his life in the north and his experiences growing up in the bush and attending residential schools. It is entertaining, funny, sad and very informative .
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- CherylN
- 2023-09-28
Especially effective as an audio book!
A wonderfully rich story peppered with humour and vivid depictions of indigenous life in northern Manitoba in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. The story teller is fabulous and brings the Cree language and translations into colourful sharpness for the listener. Thomson Highway shares his history of life on the land with his family and his residential school experience in a lovingly detailed and thoughtful manner.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2024-01-06
Outstanding perspective!
One of the best books I have ever experienced. An absolutely wonderful journey through the life of this person.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gary S.
- 2021-12-18
So worth the listen.
I love this book. Everything about it. I listened to it every day in my bath and then thought about it all day.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2023-12-28
beautifully, rich descriptions of landscape, culture, & childhood
what a gift of a memoir: to laugh, cry, cringe, fear, hope, and be astonished alongside the author is a rare reading experience. i ended up gifting this book to a family member, too. don’t pass on this incredible piece of writing. thank you tomson highway, for sharing your treasure with us.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!