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The Back of the Turtle
- A Novel
- Narrated by: Doug Philip
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
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Coyote Tales
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Meegwun Fairbrother
- Length: 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Two tales, set in a time “when animals and human beings still talked to each other”, display Thomas King’s cheeky humor and master storytelling skills. Freshly reissued as an early chapter book, these stories are perfect for newly independent readers.
Written by: Thomas King
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Medicine River
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Wesley French
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When Will returns to Medicine River, he thinks he is simply attending his mother’s funeral. He doesn’t count on Harlen Bigbear and his unique brand of community planning. Harlen tries to sell Will on the idea of returning to Medicine River to open shop as the town’s only Native photographer. Somehow, that’s exactly what happens. Through Will’s gentle and humorous narrative, we come to know Medicine River, a small Albertan town bordering a Blackfoot reserve. And we meet its people: the basketball team; Louise Heavyman and her daughter, South Wing, and many more.
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Just Ok
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-11-19
Written by: Thomas King
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Sufferance
- A Novel
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Meegwun Fairbrother
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Jeremiah Camp, a.k.a. the Forecaster, can look into the heart of humanity and see the patterns that create opportunities and profits for the rich and powerful. Problem is, Camp has looked one too many times, has seen what he hadn’t expected to see and has come away from the abyss with no hope for himself or for the future.
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Honest Review for other King Fans
- By Anonymous User on 2021-10-24
Written by: Thomas King
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The Inconvenient Indian
- A Curious Account of Native People in North America
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Lorne Cardinal
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The Inconvenient Indian is at once a “history” and the complete subversion of a history - in short, a critical and personal meditation that the remarkable Thomas King has conducted over the past 50 years about what it means to be “Indian” in North America. Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, this book distills the insights gleaned from that meditation, weaving the curiously circular tale of the relationship between non-Natives and Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other.
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Angry, embarrassed, disgusted, horrified, nauseous, scared and so so sad, but hopeful and now informed.
- By Shantelle Lamouche on 2021-01-18
Written by: Thomas King
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Indians on Vacation
- A Novel
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Inspired by a handful of old postcards sent by Uncle Leroy nearly a hundred years earlier, Bird and Mimi attempt to trace Mimi’s long-lost uncle and the family medicine bundle he took with him to Europe. “I’m sweaty and sticky. My ears are still popping from the descent into Vaclav Havel. My sinuses ache. My stomach is upset. My mouth is a sewer. I roll over and bury my face in a pillow. Mimi snuggles down beside me with no regard for my distress. ‘My god,’ she whispers, ‘can it get any better?’”
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FANTASTIC
- By Karen Moffat on 2020-11-01
Written by: Thomas King
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Son of a Trickster
- Written by: Eden Robinson
- Narrated by: Jason Ryll
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby) - and now she's dead.
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Excellent Story
- By sannna on 2017-12-18
Written by: Eden Robinson
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Coyote Tales
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Meegwun Fairbrother
- Length: 39 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Two tales, set in a time “when animals and human beings still talked to each other”, display Thomas King’s cheeky humor and master storytelling skills. Freshly reissued as an early chapter book, these stories are perfect for newly independent readers.
Written by: Thomas King
-
Medicine River
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Wesley French
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Will returns to Medicine River, he thinks he is simply attending his mother’s funeral. He doesn’t count on Harlen Bigbear and his unique brand of community planning. Harlen tries to sell Will on the idea of returning to Medicine River to open shop as the town’s only Native photographer. Somehow, that’s exactly what happens. Through Will’s gentle and humorous narrative, we come to know Medicine River, a small Albertan town bordering a Blackfoot reserve. And we meet its people: the basketball team; Louise Heavyman and her daughter, South Wing, and many more.
-
-
Just Ok
- By Amazon Customer on 2023-11-19
Written by: Thomas King
-
Sufferance
- A Novel
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Meegwun Fairbrother
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jeremiah Camp, a.k.a. the Forecaster, can look into the heart of humanity and see the patterns that create opportunities and profits for the rich and powerful. Problem is, Camp has looked one too many times, has seen what he hadn’t expected to see and has come away from the abyss with no hope for himself or for the future.
-
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Honest Review for other King Fans
- By Anonymous User on 2021-10-24
Written by: Thomas King
-
The Inconvenient Indian
- A Curious Account of Native People in North America
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Lorne Cardinal
- Length: 9 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Inconvenient Indian is at once a “history” and the complete subversion of a history - in short, a critical and personal meditation that the remarkable Thomas King has conducted over the past 50 years about what it means to be “Indian” in North America. Rich with dark and light, pain and magic, this book distills the insights gleaned from that meditation, weaving the curiously circular tale of the relationship between non-Natives and Natives in the centuries since the two first encountered each other.
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Angry, embarrassed, disgusted, horrified, nauseous, scared and so so sad, but hopeful and now informed.
- By Shantelle Lamouche on 2021-01-18
Written by: Thomas King
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Indians on Vacation
- A Novel
- Written by: Thomas King
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Inspired by a handful of old postcards sent by Uncle Leroy nearly a hundred years earlier, Bird and Mimi attempt to trace Mimi’s long-lost uncle and the family medicine bundle he took with him to Europe. “I’m sweaty and sticky. My ears are still popping from the descent into Vaclav Havel. My sinuses ache. My stomach is upset. My mouth is a sewer. I roll over and bury my face in a pillow. Mimi snuggles down beside me with no regard for my distress. ‘My god,’ she whispers, ‘can it get any better?’”
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FANTASTIC
- By Karen Moffat on 2020-11-01
Written by: Thomas King
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Son of a Trickster
- Written by: Eden Robinson
- Narrated by: Jason Ryll
- Length: 9 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Everyone knows a guy like Jared: the burnout kid in high school who sells weed cookies and has a scary mom who's often wasted and wielding some kind of weapon. Jared does smoke and drink too much, and he does make the best cookies in town, and his mom is a mess, but he's also a kid who has an immense capacity for compassion and an impulse to watch over people more than twice his age, and he can't rely on anyone for consistent love and support, except for his flatulent pit bull, Baby Killer (he calls her Baby) - and now she's dead.
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Excellent Story
- By sannna on 2017-12-18
Written by: Eden Robinson
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Mamaskatch
- A Cree Coming of Age
- Written by: Darrel J. McLeod
- Narrated by: William C. Wikcemna Yamni ake Wanzi
- Length: 8 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Growing up in the tiny village of Smith, Alberta, Darrel J. McLeod was surrounded by his Cree family's history. In shifting and unpredictable stories, his mother, Bertha, shared narratives of their culture, their family, and the cruelty that she and her sisters endured in residential school. Bertha taught him to be fiercely proud of his heritage and to listen to the birds that would return to watch over and guide him at key junctures of his life. However, in a spiral of events, Darrel's mother turned wild and unstable, and their home life became chaotic.
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Engaging Memoir
- By Trish on 2018-10-10
Written by: Darrel J. McLeod
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House of Gold
- Written by: C. T. Rwizi
- Narrated by: Susan Dalian, Jaime Lincoln Smith
- Length: 13 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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A corporate aristocracy descended from Africa rules a colony on a distant planet. Life here is easy—for the rarified and privileged few. The aristocrats enjoy a powerful cybernetic technology that extends their life spans and ensures their prosperity. Those who serve them suffer under a heavy hand. But within this ruthless society are agents of hope and change. In a secret underwater laboratory, a separatist cult has created a threat to the aristocracy. The Primes are highly intelligent, manipulative products of genetic engineering, designed to lead a rebellion.
Written by: C. T. Rwizi
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Indian Horse
- A Novel
- Written by: Richard Wagamese
- Narrated by: Jason Ryll
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
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).
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Heart wrenching and Humbling
- By Anonymous User on 2018-11-11
Written by: Richard Wagamese
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They Called Me Number One
- Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School
- Written by: Bev Sellars
- Narrated by: Bev Sellars
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
Like thousands of Aboriginal children in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school. These institutions endeavored to "civilize" Native children through Christian teachings; forced separation from family, language, and culture; and strict discipline. In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family and eloquently articulates her own path to healing.
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Thank You!
- By Julia on 2019-02-23
Written by: Bev Sellars
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Monkey Beach
- A Novel
- Written by: Eden Robinson
- Narrated by: Noelle Kayser
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
As she races along Canada's Douglas Channel in her speedboat - heading toward the place where her younger brother Jimmy, presumed drowned, was last seen - 20-year-old Lisamarie Hill recalls her younger days. A volatile and precocious Native girl growing up in Kitamaat, the Haisla Indian reservation located 500 miles north of Vancouver, Lisa came of age standing with her feet firmly planted in two different worlds.
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Lived inside the story
- By Krow Fischer on 2018-08-14
Written by: Eden Robinson
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To the River
- Losing My Brother
- Written by: Don Gillmor
- Narrated by: Michael Riley
- Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
In the spring of 2006, Don Gillmor traveled to Whitehorse to reconstruct the last days of his brother, David, whose truck and cowboy hat were found at the edge of the Yukon River just outside of town the previous December. David's family, his second wife, and his friends had different theories about his disappearance. Some thought David had run away; some thought he'd met with foul play; but most believed that David, a talented musician who at the age of 48 was about to give up the night life for a day job, had intentionally walked into the water.
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Very touching and insightful story
- By patricia serwe on 2020-07-02
Written by: Don Gillmor
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Five Little Indians
- A Novel
- Written by: Michelle Good
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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Story
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.
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Poor narration,mediocre plot
- By Alan Scheer on 2020-09-16
Written by: Michelle Good
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A Knock on the Door
- The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Edited and Abridged (Perceptions on Truth and Reconciliation, Book 1)
- Written by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, Phil Fontaine - foreword, Aimée Craft - afterword
- Narrated by: Michelle St. John
- Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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“It can start with a knock on the door one morning. It is the local Indian agent, or the parish priest, or, perhaps, a Mounted Police officer.” So began the school experience of many Indigenous children in Canada for more than a hundred years, and so begins the history of residential schools prepared by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
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Not an easy read, glad I did
- By me on 2021-06-29
Written by: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and others
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The Way of the Strangers
- Encounters with the Islamic State
- Written by: Graeme Wood
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding
- Length: 12 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
From Graeme Wood comes the definitive book on the history, psychology, character and aims of the Islamic State. Based on Wood's unprecedented access to supporters, recruiters and high-ranking members of the most infamous jihadist group in the world, The Way of the Strangers is a riveting, fast-paced deep dive into the apocalyptic dogma that informs the group's worldview, from the ideas that motivate it to the 'fatwa factory' that produces its laws to its very specific plans for the future.
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End times
- By Rodney Newton on 2021-05-29
Written by: Graeme Wood
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A Town Called Solace
- Written by: Mary Lawson
- Narrated by: Maggie Huculak, Tajja Isen, Ian Lake
- Length: 7 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
A Town Called Solace, the brilliant and emotionally radiant new novel from Mary Lawson, her first in nearly a decade, opens on a family in crisis. Sixteen-year-old Rose is missing. Angry and rebellious, she had a row with her mother, stormed out of the house and simply disappeared. Left behind is seven-year-old Clara, Rose’s adoring little sister. Isolated by her parents’ efforts to protect her from the truth, Clara is bewildered and distraught.
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What a lovely story
- By Beth Toly on 2021-02-24
Written by: Mary Lawson
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The Gift Is in the Making
- Anishinaabeg Stories
- Written by: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
- Narrated by: Tiffany Ayalik
- Length: 2 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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The Gift Is in the Making retells previously published Anishinaabeg stories, bringing to life Anishinaabeg values and teachings to a new generation. Listeners are immersed in a world where all genders are respected, the tiniest being has influence in the world, and unconditional love binds families and communities to each other and to their homeland. Sprinkled with gentle humour and the Anishinaabe language, this collection of stories speaks to children and adults alike and reminds us of the timelessness of stories that touch the heart.
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Much Needed Medicine In These Pages
- By JI on 2021-09-22
Written by: Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
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One Drum
- Stories and Ceremonies for a Planet
- Written by: Richard Wagamese
- Narrated by: Christian Baskous
- Length: 4 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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One Drum draws from the foundational teachings of Ojibway tradition, the Grandfather Teachings. Focusing specifically on the lessons of humility, respect, and courage, the volume contains simple ceremonies that anyone anywhere can do, alone or in a group, to foster harmony and connection. Wagamese believed that there is a shaman in each of us, that we are all teachers, and in the world of the spirit, there is no right way or wrong way.
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Engaging and thoughtful
- By Anonymous User on 2020-01-09
Written by: Richard Wagamese
Publisher's Summary
Winner of the 2014 Governor General's Literary Award for Fiction!
This is Thomas King's first literary novel in 15 years and follows on the success of the award-winning and best-selling The Inconvenient Indian and his beloved Green Grass, Running Water and Truth and Bright Water, both of which continue to be taught in Canadian schools and universities. Green Grass, Running Water is widely considered a contemporary Canadian classic.
In The Back of the Turtle, Gabriel returns to Smoke River, the reserve where his mother grew up and to which she returned with Gabriel's sister. The reserve is deserted after an environmental disaster killed the population, including Gabriel's family, and the wildlife. Gabriel, a brilliant scientist working for Domidion, created GreenSweep, and indirectly led to the crisis. Now he has come to see the damage and to kill himself in the sea. But as he prepares to let the water take him, he sees a young girl in the waves. Plunging in, he saves her, and soon is saving others. Who are these people with their long black hair and almond eyes who have fallen from the sky?
Filled with brilliant characters, trademark wit, wordplay, and a thorough knowledge of native myth and story-telling, this novel is a masterpiece by one of our most important writers.
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What listeners say about The Back of the Turtle
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Performance
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- Kathy Tillotson
- 2019-10-26
Find a different audio version of this book
This book is read by Doug Philip and I will never listen to any other books he narrates. Throughout the whole TEN HOURS, he didn't use any intonation or emotions whatsoever. It's impossible to tell who's speaking until they're mentioned in the story, except for Nicholas Crisp, who Philip gives a weird maritimer's accent to. This is a shame because the lack luster performance is sharply contrasted by the brilliant story telling of Thomas King. Despite the environmental disaster that was central to the theme, I never felt bogged down by catastrophic state of affairs. I loved how King weaved his humor throughout the story. His characters were interesting & believable. Do yourself a favor and read the book, do not listen to this rendition by Doug Philip - Audible, you should have better standards than this.
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9 people found this helpful
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- Mary
- 2019-03-02
Narrator sounds like a sportscaster
Hard to feel the emotion in this otherwise interesting, thought-provoking story that reflects the ills of unfeeling corporate greed and short attention span of the media. Perhaps intentional but it was hard to care for the characters as the narrator's drone felt like a sportscaster reading of last night's unexceptional highlights. Struggled to pay attention. This from someone who generally loves audiobooks.
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6 people found this helpful
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Story
- Caitlin
- 2021-09-24
Unsettling and cozy
Tom King once again makes the familiar strange, the esoteric familiar, and the mundane and awkward so very endearing and grubby. This is a story that is shaped with stories, the ground level horrors of ecological destruction, and the soporific power of consumerism. It defies proper description.
This narrator, though. It sounds like he's reading ad copy through the whole novel. I feel as though I am being sold a car, a toothpaste, a once-in-a-lifetime experience for only 6 easy payments of 19.95! It was seriously jarring and did not work well for most of the POV characters, aside from maybe the vapid CEO. His is not a storytelling voice and it really detracted from my enjoyment of the story.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Jpenguin
- 2018-09-13
A timely, enjoyable read
Thomas King's The Back of the Turtle is a rare gem that explores topical themes like environmental destruction, corporate corruption, and the legacy of colonialism without letting the reader lose hope. The book takes place after an environmental catastrophe has destroyed a small coastal town, driving away the turtles and the tourists, killing residents of the local reserve and leaving much of the area deserted.
With wit and tenderness, and copious references to both Shakespeare and Indigenous myth, King weaves together the stories of a CEO who finds fulfillment in conspicuous consumption; an Indigenous scientist fleeing the horrors he's created; a woman who returns to the reserve where she grew up; a young man who hasn't been the same since the town's ecology and economy collapsed, and a Puck-like older man who seems to know just what all the other characters need to know. Oh, and a mysterious and important dog. A good choice for thoughtful vacation reading. #Audible1
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3 people found this helpful
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- Trish
- 2018-02-17
Cautionary Tale
King is a great story teller. The Back of the Turtle is entertaining, funny and a scary tale of where our practice of abusing the earth is leading. I would love to hear this work read by King himself.
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3 people found this helpful
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- R Jarvis
- 2021-02-19
It will make you think
An interesting listen where the story makes you ponder issues that are very relevant and often disagreed upon. A beginning or end don't seem to be the objective, more about how you perceive the now.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Lynda Geswin
- 2023-09-04
did not enjoy
I found the narrator really hard to listen to. I did not enjoy the storyline either. I got about halfway through before I decided to let this one go.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2023-01-30
Outstanding
A classic novel. Thomas King is a seasoned storyteller, The narration is outstanding, Doug Phillip brings the book to life. I'd recommend this book for all Canadians to enjoy.
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- nyom
- 2022-12-23
Lovely story telling
Really enjoyed this book. A different story than I’m used to, but the unique characters and humor in which they were presented carried me through.
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- Mindy-J Coral Cox
- 2022-10-22
Could not get past the narration
I was really looking forward to 'reading' this book as I have read great reviews, unfortunately I could not get past the narration enough to stick with it and enjoy the story. Feeling disappointed :(
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- Graham
- 2019-09-08
Classic King
Perfect for those already familiar with King, and those who have never read/heard him before. A playful blend of Indigenous and Euro-Western allegories, with something to say about contemporary life.
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