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  • Split Tooth

  • Written by: Tanya Tagaq
  • Narrated by: Tanya Tagaq
  • Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (311 ratings)

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Split Tooth cover art

Split Tooth

Written by: Tanya Tagaq
Narrated by: Tanya Tagaq
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Publisher's Summary

From the internationally acclaimed Inuit throat singer who has dazzled and enthralled the world with music it had never heard before, a fierce, tender, heartbreaking story unlike anything you've ever heard.

Fact can be as strange as fiction. It can also be as dark, as violent, as rapturous. In the end, there may be no difference between them.

A girl grows up in Nunavut in the 1970s. She knows joy and friendship and parents' love. She knows boredom and listlessness and bullying. She knows the tedium of the everyday world and the raw, amoral power of the ice and sky, the seductive energy of the animal world. She knows the ravages of alcohol and violence at the hands of those she should be able to trust. She sees the spirits that surround her and the immense power that dwarfs all of us.

When she becomes pregnant, she must navigate all this.

Veering back and forth between the grittiest features of a small arctic town, the electrifying proximity of the world of animals and ravishing world of myth, Tanya Tagaq explores a world where the distinctions between good and evil, animal and human, victim and transgressor, real and imagined lose their meaning, but the guiding power of love remains.

Haunting, brooding, exhilarating, and tender all at once, Tagaq moves effortlessly between fiction and memoir, myth and reality, poetry and prose, and conjures a world and a heroine listeners will never forget.

©2018 Tanya Tagaq (P)2018 Viking

What the critics say

“Tagaq’s surreal meld of poetry and prose transmutes the Arctic’s boundless beauty, intensity, and desolation into a wrenching contemporary mythology.” (The New Yorker)

“Though the protagonist’s coming-of-age story, generously and lovingly documented by Tagaq, is the anchor, Split Tooth is not a book that can be fully absorbed in one sitting. It’s possible to sink deeper and deeper into the narrative with each successive reading. Like a smirking teenager, Split Tooth blithely gives typical literary expectations the finger, daring us to see and experience narrative as chaotic, emotional, and deeply instinctive. And it succeeds.” (Quill and Quire)

“Tanya’s book is one of the most incredible things I’ve ever read. It’s deeply profound, emotional and personal, and furthers her artistic experimentation and genius into a new realm. I love her even more after reading it, and I’m once again awed by her talent.” (Jesse Wente, CBC Broadcaster)

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What listeners say about Split Tooth

Average Customer Ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Beautiful, haunting and chilling. It's visceral.

Originally I was going to purchase the book to read but when I saw it was available for audio and read by the author herself I knew I had to enjoy this way.
Tanya Tagaq tells the story about growing up in Nunavut in the '70s and the impact it has had on her being. Spoken in her soft and delicate voice, it's as if she is telling you a secret and you must never tell. From the alcoholism and betrayals of loved ones to the daily bullying at school all the way to the warmest and safest moments we keep guarded in our hearts. She weaves a tale that begins so grounded you can feel the cold, smell the tea and taste the meat. Then you are transferred to the most fantastic you're unsure how you ended up in the spirit world she just spun you there so seamlessly.
I'm sure this is just as powerful a read but I truly recommend you listen instead, she transitions you between chapters with gorgeous throat singing and visceral sounds you're unsure if they are human or spirit.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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breathtaking

I dont think I have the words the describe how amazing this book is. the imagery created with her words genuinely created a picture in my mind. her story telling is absolutely breathtaking. the purchase on audible was made even more stunning as every chapter is ended with a bit of the authors throat singing. this is pure magic and left me wanting more

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6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Beautifully uncomfortable

Tanya Tagaq had me from the first line, her strange tale is completely brought to life by her performance. She takes you to an uncomfortable place with her and keeps you there through her passionate story telling punctuated by throat singing, her pros become poetic. Maybe this review sounds more pretentious than it needs to, I just liked the book a lot!

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Only for Slam poetry fans

Couldn't really finish it. It's poetry. No logic at all. Just not my cup of tea.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

heavy & poetic

definitely worth getting as an audiobook! Tanya Tegaq has a wonderfully expressive cadence as she reads ends each chapter with throat signing. the story is chilling and heart wrenching.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Beautiful and stimulating storytelling

Unlike anything I've ever read. Tagaq's reading performance beautifully animates her verse and prose.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Raw, revelatory beauty

A wonderfully crafted immersion into a life lived in the realm of the magnetic north. Read by the author, we are treated to her native tongue at intervals which punctuate the narrative in a way only she could. A feast for the ears and spirit. Loved it.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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Incredible! Powerful!

It's difficult for me to describe this book. I don't know much about the Inuit culture and so I'm sure there are things I missed but I found it interesting, emotional at times and very funny in places too! Tanya Tagaq's performance was simply outstanding!!

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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What a rare glimpse into Inuit Life

While dark and bizarre, Tagaq lead me into a mystical arctic world. I’ve never heard throat singing like this and it worked so well with the poetry. I feel grateful and changed from this immersion.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Gorgeous and harrowing

Some of the most beautiful writing I’ve encountered amplified by a haunting performance by the author. I already owned the book but am so happy I listened to the audiobook instead of reading. A heavy but enchanting auditory storytelling experience.

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