| Medicine River |
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| 1989 books | |
| canadian short story collections | |
| books by thomas king | |
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PLOT SUMMARY The main character, Will, is a half-Blackfoot, half-White, whose largely absent father was a bull-rider in Calgary. He and his brother James were raised by his mother in Medicine River. He moves to Toronto to become a photographer. When he goes back to Medicine River for his mother's funeral he is persuaded by Harlen Bigbear, the local jack-of-all-trades, to stay and open a photographer's shop. The book is a series of episodes and flashbacks that reveals life on the reserve and how Will adapts himself to it. Will meets Louise who becomes an unfulfilled love interest that very much represents Will existence, a series of half fulfilled expectations. That is, he develops an on-going relationship with Louise and her daughter, Southwing, for whom Will becomes her closest male figure. He neither marries or develops a common-law relationship with Louise. The basketball team of which he is a part, receives some success when Clyde, an ex-convict joins the team. They soon return to mediocrity when Clyde is sent back to jail. In Toronto, Will has an affair and shares accommodation with a married woman by the name of Susan. Predictably, soon after Susan leaves Will after breaking up with her husband giving Will hope of a lasting relationship. And so it goes with all the characters in this story. Where there's hope, there's also despair. Be happy with what you've got. |
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