Dimaline, C. (2019). Empire of Wild. Penguin Random House Canada.
Joan’s husband disappeared 11 months and six days ago and she hasn’t stopped looking. When Victor materializes in a Walmart parking lot, positioned as the Reverand of a travelling congregation, Joan thinks her nightmare is finally over. But Victor doesn’t remember her. Or anything. Joan’s nightmare is just beginning as she attempts to get to the bottom of her husband’s amnesia, coupled with the haunted memories of the creatures from her childhood. But those were just her Mere’s stories, right? Armed with a moody nephew and an elder with enough traditional medicine to pack a serious punch, Joan embarks on a quest to rescue her husband; whoever he may be. Cherie Dimaline’s novel is thrilling exploration of familial bounds skillfully sprinkled with humour, drama, and a good dose of magic realism.
I typically read slower, character-focused fiction, so this page-turning thriller was a welcome change. The adrenaline genre compels the reader forward as they follow the plot, become investigated in the characters and of course, become fixated on how the story will ultimately resolve. For Empire of Wild, Dimaline established some high stakes at the beginning of the novel which is a compelling feature of the genre. If I were to offer even the slightest criticism, it would be that I sometimes found myself skipping over sentences in a rush to follow the plot. This does a disservice to Dimaline’s writing and the details she uses to build this world. This genre could be promoted to readers in a reading slump, or readers looking to “binge” a story. Because of the supernatural elements of the book, it could also be a welcome October/November recommendation.
I found a list that feature more thrillers written by Indigenous authors that can be viewed here.
