What would Gillies and Kye do?

White Space, Gray Areas & Black Swans: Stories of Getting Along (or Not) 
by Donna M. Henningson

Altona: Friesen Press, 2024
$25.99 / 9781038303325

Reviewed by Sophia Wasylinko

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A drone flies through time and space. Inside sit the thoughtful White Space (WSpace), the outspoken Gray Area (GArea), and the unassuming Black Swan (BSwan) awaiting their turn to shine. These individuals are tasked with analyzing various types of conflict and recording their findings. What the trio discovers will not only affect them and their supervisors, but everyone else who studies what they’ve learned.

White Space, Gray Areas & Black Swans: Stories of Getting Along (or Not) is the book-length debut by teacher and former daily print journalist Donna M. Henningson. The Okanagan resident has worn many hats, including working with non-profit groups and teaching high school students in China. She was inspired to write White Space, Gray Areas & Black Swans after experiencing a challenging situation. 

Henningson wanted today’s youth to learn how to navigate conflict in a meaningful and impactful way. She explains, “We’re at a crossroads, when we either listen to others and learn from them as well as learn from our past, or we make the same mistake I did by giving up and walking away. We can do better.” 

The book features both historical examples and anecdotes of how people face or have faced conflict. Its first section focuses on these stories and interludes featuring our trio. The next two parts take place during a conference, at which the drone occupants make their reports and listen to other speakers’ presentations. The final third also shows the aftermath, including what happens to our protagonists. Each chapter begins and ends with discussion questions.

White Space, Gray Areas & Black Swans uses a variety of lived experiences within and outside Canada, including prominent figures, ordinary people, and historically marginalized voices such as women and Indigenous people. Henningson even mentions Diana Gabaldon’s heroine Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser from the Outlander series. 

Some of my favourite chapters have communal aspects, such as the ones about the Zanskar villagers and the Mosuo matriarchal system. They show how conflict affects both the individual and their inner circle, with each decision having positive and negative impacts for everyone. I also love the chapters focusing on Canadian figures such as Dr. Jeannette Armstrong and Chief Clarence Louie.

The real standout for me is the story about Kye and Gillies, a teacher and principal who were once friends but are now fierce opponents. Not only is it emotionally gripping, but it breaks down each move the parties make, acting as a step-by-step guide to having a civil conversation even when both sides are combative. 

Of course, not all attempts are fruitful. A daughter tries to force a reconciliation between her mother and grandmother but fails; another person embarks on a “grand tour” to mend fences, meeting with only marginal success. These examples offer insight into why some approaches don’t work or why some people won’t accept conciliatory overtures.

Overall, I like the concept of three characters guiding readers through each scenario, analyzing the conflicts along with teens, parents, teachers, and whoever reads this book. While I wish we could have learned more personal details about GArea and BSwan, it makes sense to spend more time with WSpace considering the prominence of women in this work.

Although the variety of stories is one of White Space, Gray Areas & Black Swans’ strengths, it’s also one of its weaknesses. Going into it, I assumed it would use primarily local or at least Canadian examples; while I didn’t mind the broader scope, I was disappointed by some of the shorter, drier chapters which had less of an impact. One jarringly has several stories put together; given how important their lessons were, they deserved their own chapters.

Some of the conference’s examples feel ill-advised. The Camp David peace talks and agreement (in Jimmy Carter’s chapter) are controversial since the Palestinian authorities and Arab nations, besides Egypt, weren’t participants. And as a Ukrainian-Canadian, I was put off by the section discussing American-Russian relations. A “buffer state’s” interests shouldn’t be treated as an afterthought, especially with Russia’s record of committing atrocities against Ukrainians.

Compared to the engaging first section with its leaps along the space-time continuum, the other two feel like a series of talking heads with fewer concrete examples. They’re also much shorter, with a handful of chapters in each, and could have easily been amalgamated into one section. Finally, brace yourselves for a somewhat dissatisfying ending: you might get tips on handling conflict, but you might not get any answers about our heroes’ fates.

White Space, Gray Areas & Black Swans does an admirable job inviting readers to work through disagreements together. While shaky in its execution at points, it offers a good starting point for teens to navigate the challenges they come across. Ultimately, it aims to create empathetic humans who will treat each conflict as an opportunity to grow and mature. And in that, I think Henningson and the book succeed.

Sophia Wasylinko graduated from VIU, where she contributed to student publications. She was also one of the founding members of GOOEY Magazine and will edit its Fall 2025 issue. Sophia works as a library page and freelance content writer for Ichigo and spends much of her free time reading and revising one of her novels. She’s also on Bookstagram. While Sophia’s relocated to be with family in the Thompson-Nicola region, she hopes to return to the place that captured her heart: Vancouver Island. [Editor’s note: Sophia previously reviewed Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Daniel Kalla, Matthew Hughes for BCR.]

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The British Columbia Review

Interim Editors: Trevor Marc Hughes (nonfiction), Brett Josef Grubisic (fiction and poetry)
Publisher: Richard Mackie

Formerly The Ormsby Review, The British Columbia Review is an on-line book review and journal service for BC writers and readers. The Advisory Board now consists of Jean Barman, Wade Davis, Robin Fisher, Barry Gough, Hugh Johnston, Kathy Mezei, Patricia Roy, and Graeme Wynn. Provincial Government Patron (since September 2018): Creative BC. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. The British Columbia Review was founded in 2016 by Richard Mackie and Alan Twigg.

“Only connect.” – E.M. Forster