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  • Unreconciled

  • Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance
  • Written by: Jesse Wente
  • Narrated by: Jesse Wente
  • Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
  • 4.9 out of 5 stars (231 ratings)

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Unreconciled

Written by: Jesse Wente
Narrated by: Jesse Wente
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Publisher's Summary

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

WINNER of the 2022 Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Non-Fiction
SHORTLISTED for the 2023 Speaker's Book Award

A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

"Unreconciled is one hell of a good book. Jesse Wente’s narrative moves effortlessly from the personal to the historical to the contemporary. Very powerful, and a joy to read."
—Thomas King, author of The Inconvenient Indian and Sufferance

A prominent Indigenous voice uncovers the lies and myths that affect relations between white and Indigenous peoples and the power of narrative to emphasize truth over comfort.


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.

Jesse Wente remembers the exact moment he realized that he was a certain kind of Indian--a stereotypical cartoon Indian. He was playing softball as a child when the opposing team began to war-whoop when he was at bat. It was just one of many incidents that formed Wente's understanding of what it means to be a modern Indigenous person in a society still overwhelmingly colonial in its attitudes and institutions.

As the child of an American father and an Anishinaabe mother, Wente grew up in Toronto with frequent visits to the reserve where his maternal relations lived. By exploring his family's history, including his grandmother's experience in residential school, and citing his own frequent incidents of racial profiling by police who'd stop him on the streets, Wente unpacks the discrepancies between his personal identity and how non-Indigenous people view him.

Wente analyzes and gives voice to the differences between Hollywood portrayals of Indigenous peoples and lived culture. Through the lens of art, pop culture, and personal stories, and with disarming humour, he links his love of baseball and movies to such issues as cultural appropriation, Indigenous representation and identity, and Indigenous narrative sovereignty. Indeed, he argues that storytelling in all its forms is one of Indigenous peoples' best weapons in the fight to reclaim their rightful place.

Wente explores and exposes the lies that Canada tells itself, unravels "the two founding nations" myth, and insists that the notion of "reconciliation" is not a realistic path forward. Peace between First Nations and the state of Canada can't be recovered through reconciliation--because no such relationship ever existed.

©2021 Jesse Wente (P)2021 Penguin Canada

What the critics say

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

2023, Legislative Assembly of Ontario Speaker's Book Award, Short-listed

2022, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize, Winner

A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR

"Unreconciled is one hell of a good book. Jesse Wente’s narrative moves effortlessly from the personal to the historical to the contemporary. Very powerful, and a joy to read." (Thomas King, author of The Inconvenient Indian and Sufferance)

“With Unreconciled, Jesse Wente proves himself to be one of the most influential Anishinaabe thinkers of our time. By telling his own story, Jesse provides Canada with an essential roadmap of how to move forward  through the myth of reconciliation towards the possibility of a just country. There is much work to be done but reading Jesse’s words, soaking them in and letting them settle in your mind, will set us all on the right path.” (Tanya Talaga, bestselling author of Seven Fallen Feathers)

What listeners say about Unreconciled

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Brilliant Must Listen/Read for all Canadians

I appreciate everything the author has put forth in this book. As a indigenous woman and a mother of 4, I would love more Canadians to listen and take to heart what Jesse Wente has to say for more understanding and thoughtfulness towards indigenous people. Thank you.

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Excellent listen!

This should be required listening for all Canadians! Listening to Wente read it himself was a big bonus.

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A perfect blend of history and biography

This book is eye opening and shares way more history than I expected. I have read many indigenous writers and Jesse does such a good job of telling us the facts but relating it back to his own life, there are time when I was I tears hearing the emotion and turmoil in Jesse’s voice. I wish everyone in Canada could read this book and I will be recommending it to all my family and friends.

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Essential Indigenous truth-telling

Jesse Wente shares his experience that many Indigenous people can nod their heads to. He brilliantly articulates the weight and burden that Indigenous people continue to carry as Canadians pursue reconciliation. A must read for anyone truly committed to anti-Indigenous racism work in Canada.

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Supplement to Healing

I had to read this book for a University Class. As a woman of color whos family experienced racism while living in the US, I felt as though Jesse and I were kin. His historical, personal and ethical dialectics in writing this book will bring awareness and healing to many. I appreciate this book for the truth it gives. Thank you Jesse! Blessings

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  • jam
  • 2021-11-07

essential reading for Canadians

this guy went from a low-key interest to a low-key gyro for me throughout the course of this book. started off rather slow, but was well worth it and finished with an impressive and cathartic punch.

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Unreconciled - must be read or listened to!!

I've listened to do many audible books that have to do with the wrongs forced onto the indigenous people.
This book to by far one of the most interpersonal story I've heard.
Jesse, touches on so many sides of it and, because it has just been written, he informs us that these atrocities are still going on.

Thank you so much Jesse!!!

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Believe the hype!

I have never seen a book with a rating as high as this one, which is what prompted me to buy it, that and the fact that it was on sale. Wow! What an absolutely incredible book! I have also never finished an audiobook as fast as I have this one; less than 24 hours after I bought it. It is powerful, insightful and extremely relevant. Like all the other reviewers have said, EVERY Canadian needs to read or listen to this book. Jesse provides fantastic explanations of our past and present, our responsibilities and willful ignorance. My only criticism is that he gets very heavy handed at the end, treating Canada as if it were a sentient, evil being with truly malicious intent, which does serve the narration well and he gets his point across, but it would have been just as poignant and powerful without this final tirade, justified though it undoubtably is.

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This is a must read

This is a very well thought, out book and telling of real world experience at aho

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Fabulous. A must read!

Nobody could be honesty critical if they listened the whole way through. Some of it is hard to hear but nevertheless it is important to hear to understand.
Thanks Jessie for writing this.

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