A Grandmother Begins the Story

• Author: Michelle Porter
• Genre: General Fiction
• Publication Date: November 7, 2023
• Publisher: Algonquin Books

Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: alcoholism, grief, mention of cancer, sexual assault, depression, discussion of assisted suicide, mention of death, grief, mention of miscarriages, child abuse, suicide attempt, substance use, domestic violence, mention of murder, brief mention of residential school

Award-winning author Michelle Porter makes her fiction debut with an enchanting and original story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that surround them.

Written like a crooked Métis jig, A Grandmother Begins the Story follows five generations of women and bison as they reach for the stories that could remake their worlds and rebuild their futures.

Carter is a young mother, recently separated. She is curious, angry, and on a quest to find out what the heritage she only learned of in her teens truly means.

Allie, Carter’s mother, is trying to make up for the lost years with her first born, and to protect Carter from the hurt she herself suffered from her own mother. Lucie wants the granddaughter she’s never met to help her join her ancestors in the Afterlife. And Geneviève is determined to conquer her demons before the fire inside burns her up, with the help of the sister she lost but has never been without. Meanwhile, Mamé, in the Afterlife, knows that all their stories began with her; she must find a way to cut herself from the last threads that keep her tethered to the living, just as they must find their own paths forward.

This extraordinary novel, told by a chorus of vividly realized, funny, wise, confused, struggling characters—including descendants of the bison that once freely roamed the land—heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in literary fiction.

Here in the United States, it’s Native American Heritage Month, making this the perfect read for this month. I always try to check out Indigenous authors as often as I can, especially ones that are new to me, and particularly during this month. I wasn’t sure what a crooked Métis jig is, but having read some Native American and First Nations stories before, I went into this knowing that their style of storytelling isn’t always the same as what mainstream literature has readers used to, but is nevertheless intriguing and helps me learn more about the cultures of the many Indigenous tribes.

This is a family saga told through the eyes of multiple characters—Mamé from the afterlife, Mamé’s daughter Geneviève who is trying to get sober, Geneviève’s daughter Lucie who wants to die and has recruited the granddaughter she never met for help, Lucie’s daughter Allie who is working to connect with the daughter she gave up for adoption, and Allie’s daughter Carter who desperately wants to learn more about the heritage she only recently learned of, dealing with her anger, a recent separation, and trying to care for her son. 

We also get to hear from a few characters who are bison, and while it sounded strange at first, it made perfect sense during the reading. At times, it felt like the bison were symbolic of the Indigenous people themselves, such as when talking about the importance of sharing knowledge and stories with the younger generations, treaties, and land. It made a lot of sense, knowing how closely linked the survival of various tribes were with the bison’s presence. One quote that really stood out to me was this one, and it really shows how applicable it can be to both the bison and the human characters, as well as to our own lives:

“The way the world was for this youngest generation, she wasn’t sure what the right time for anything was.”

Although it can be easy to get lost in a story with this many characters, but at no time did I ever feel lost or confused. Each of the characters is so beautifully rendered. They’re all so realistic, with their very human flaws on full display in this story, as well as their assets. The emphasis on family bonds and traditional arts, such as music and beading, is present in this story, showing exactly how resilient these women are on their search for healing of their intergenerational trauma. I loved how the story was told, and while I admired each of these women throughout the story, I have to admit that my favorites were Geneviève, Allie, and Solin. I’m absolutely blown away that this is a fiction debut, and will definitely be checking out more for Porter, both her nonfiction backlist, and any upcoming fiction that she puts out.