So I’ve been slowly sorting through books that I held for my boy to read during our homeschooling years. Sometimes I go “hey, that might make a good read” so I grab it up and kept it in my stash. Unlike me, my lad didn’t turn into much of a reader, I would have liked for him to read though The Curse of the Shaman. Themes of determination, community, and help from unexpected sources.
The Basic Details for The Curse of the Shaman
Title: The Curse of the Shaman
Author: Michael Kusugak
Illustrator: Vladyanan Krykorka
Series: A Marble Island Story
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: 168
Intended Audience: 9-12 years, Elementary Students, Middle School
Genre: first nations, Canada, folk lore, Inuit,
Available formats: Kindle, Paperback
Read: Paperback
About the Author
Michael Kugusak is a Canadian author who has written several books. Growing up in Repulse Bay, NWT he currently lives in Sooke, BC. As a child he rode dog sled, went hunting and fishing, and lived a traditional Inuit lifestyle. This history can be seen in The Curse of the Shaman.
About the Book
The Curse of the Shaman takes us into the life of Wolverine from birth through to young adulthood. We get to see him grow up within the Inuit lifestyle. The anger of a Shaman led to a curse which is later rescinded, but Shaman’s magic helper disagreed. And so the story unfolds….
What Did I Think?
There were things I loved in this story and things that took me a bit to adapt to.
I struggled with some of the names in this story as well as some of the Inuit language. And a part of me wanted the author to make it easier for me! How my… how selfish of me is that eh? Good thing I recognize that eh? Changing the names would also have changed fundamental parts of the story, which I so much enjoyed.
The focus on family and community is fantastic! People care for their family units deeply, and getting together with others is a time of work, celebration, and appreciation of each other. People shared what they had and who they were freely because that was the best way to live in community. Share and share alike is how folks survive in a harsh environment.
Stories told to Wolverine as a youngster prove to be invaluable, again showing the importance of family. And as children grow up and develop new skills, so do shamans! 🙂 It is good to see not only children learn new skills but the grown ups on their lives as well! It’s a pleasant twist on a story, and another twist (though as an adult reader I rather anticipated it) is a good one as well. 🙂
All in all, a good story that immerses us into the lives of the Inuit and a possibility of how shamans work their magic. The Curse of the Shaman is well worth reading if you are looking at doing a study on Inuit of Canada.