“This sense of purpose would fuel Mouchet for the rest of his days in his development of skiing programs for youth, and Firth not only chronicles those days but, impressively, and with great persuasiveness, illustrates and argues in favour of their benefits. Firth points out the programs’ success with Indigenous youth, brought by this ‘Man of God’ who brings out the best in kids, showing ‘that sport should be as much a connection with traditional values and history as it was an agent for social and cultural change.’” Trevor Marc Hughes reviews North Star: The Legacy of Jean-Marie Mouchet by John Firth (Victoria: Friesen Press, 2024) $19.99 / 9781039194328
Distressed after an eye-opening story time at school, young Miyasisiwn returns home with questions for her mom. Capably tackling big, difficult topics, an accomplished picture book exhibits deep caring, generosity, and wisdom on every page. —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Miya Wears Orange, by Wanda John-Kehewin (illustrated by Erika Rodriguez Medina)(Winnipeg: HighWater Press, 2025) $21.95 / 9781774921258
Please take a moment to contribute to our annual fundraiser at The British Columbia Review. In our 2024 campaign we raised $14,000 from 158 donors, which represents about a quarter of our income, the rest coming from grants, advertising, and partnerships. I hope we can equal that amount again this year. A big thank you to those who have already donated.
“Each of the films … considers aspects of victimization. Each also makes its contribution to the ongoing conversation around Indigenous truth and reconciliation in modern-day British Columbia.” Richard Butler reviews the films Sugarcane and Racing to keep our language alive: H̓ágṃ́ṇtxv Qṇtxv Tx̌ (We’re all we got)
“Over and over, Joseph reminds us that reconciliation is not a vague or amorphous concept that can only be resolved through the judicial system. It is a process which can be realized by taking tangible, definite steps towards recognizing and respecting Indigenous peoples’ right to make decisions about their own communities.” Kate Gunn reviews 21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government, by Bob Joseph (Vancouver: Page Two Books, 2025) $24.95 / 9781774586273
Solemn and autumnal when not wintry, a pair of ruminative poetry collections range widely as they reflect on troubled personal histories and the outside world. —Marguerite Pigeon reviews I Would Like To Say Thank You, by Joseph Dandurand (Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2025)
$19.95 / 9780889714908 and November, November, by Isabella Wang (Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2025) $19.95 / 9780889714847
“In Humans, Finkel leads us through a breathtaking sweep of 300,000 years of human history. He starts with early hunter and gatherer societies that, being egalitarian, co-operative, and peaceful, reflected intrinsic human nature. Those societies, he continues, have much to teach us.” Robin Fisher reviews Humans: The 300,000-Year Struggle for Equality, by Alvin Finkel (Toronto: James Lorimer & Company, 2025) $25.95 / 9781459419544
“On the subject of misconceptions the author explains what archaeology is and what it isn’t. Archaeology is the story of the human past based on the things left behind by humans. It isn’t treasure hunting or looking for dinosaur bones with the thrill of digging around in the ground. Archaeology is part of the heritage industry. If a study isn’t based on humans and what is left from human activity it isn’t archaeology.” Steven Brown reviews Once upon This Land: Archaeology in British Columbia and the Stories It Tells, by Robert J. Muckle (Vancouver: Purich Books, 2025) $29.95 / 9780774881081
“Gino presents a nuanced, heartwarming, and unsettling portrait of a man who was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame two years before his death and honoured in 2015 with an Indspire Award for his work educating Indigenous youth. Odjick comes off as a complex individual, a cultural bridge builder whose positive influence was far reaching despite his many challenges.” Daniel Gawthrop reviews Gino: The Fighting Spirit of Gino Odjick, by Patrick Johnston and Peter Leech (Vancouver: Greystone Books, 2025)
$44.95 / 9781778402708
“As an educator and researcher, I see Indigenomics as a necessary text for anyone working in reconciliation, governance, business, or education. Hilton challenges us to move beyond tokenism and toward meaningful economic inclusion. ‘Indigenomics is an invitation to align economic practice with understanding how the universe and humanity interact.'” Doctoral candidate Amy Tucker reviews Indigenomics: Taking a Seat at the Economic Table, by Carol Anne Hilton (Gabriola Island: New Society Publishers, 2021) $21.99 / 9780865719408
“In Medicine Wheel for the Planet, Dr. Grenz has created a provocative, moving, and timely book which every scientist and student, whether Western or Indigenous, should read.” Kenneth Favrholdt reviews Medicine Wheel for the Planet: A Journey Toward Personal and Ecological Healing, by Dr. Jennifer Grenz (Toronto: Vintage Canada, 2024) $23 / 9781039006034
“Two Pigs did make me smile, I noticed; while reading the slim volume, I guffawed at least once. In contrast, ‘The Three Pigs’ is sturdy and practically-minded. It sharpens my awareness of brick as an advantageous building material.” —Brett Josef Grubisic reviews Two Pigs, by David Bouchard (illustrated by Christine Battuz) (Vancouver, Midtown Press, 2025) $21.95 / 9781988242606
“Through her honest and open diary entries the reader learns details of her mental health struggles, early career moves, the court trial of her abuser and, how she ran away from the painful memories and shame to Ottawa, and her ever-present state of loneliness.” Cathalynn Labonté-Smith interviews co-authors Susan Aglukark and Andrew Warner and reviews Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2025) $36.99 / 9781443472944
“Author George Abbott meticulously researched this disturbing political past to shed light on that legacy as governments and First Nations continue the quest for truth and reconciliation partly through land claims negotiations.” Ron Verzuh reviews Unceded: Understanding British Columbia’s Colonial Past and Why It Matters Now, by George M. Abbott (Vancouver: UBC Press [Purich Books], 2025) $29.95 / 9780774881159
“Without the karst environment, Haida Gwaii would lose much of its appeal for cave-based investigations. The name karst stems from Kras, a region in Croatia. Besides the Balkans, karst landscapes are found in southern Asia, Indonesia, Tasmania, New Zealand, the southern United States, and of course, British Columbia.” Katy Dycus writes about archeological discovery on Haida Gwaii in the ‘lost world’ of the karst caves.
In a non-linear and associative collection of poetic assemblages, a writer ponders an impressive assortment of ideas: from the afterlife and everyday life to queer masculine desire, settler culture, and the natural world. —Brooke Lee reviews The Idea of an Entire Life: Poems, by Billy-Ray Belcourt (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 2025) $25.00 / 9780771014017
“Chapter by chapter Dr. Bonnell highlights the slow progression of wildlife use, exploitation, and conservation from the original inhabitants to the fur trade and then the influx of miners and settlers.” Dennis A. Demarchi reviews Stewards of Splendour: A History of Wildlife and People in British Columbia, by Jennifer Bonnell (Victoria: Royal British Columbia Museum, 2023) $34.95 / 9781039900004
“The 36 chapters in My Soul Lives in these Mountains combine a series of linked stories, poems and paintings that makes this book a finely threaded together collection of geology, history, amusing treks taken, research done as part of the larger project for Chilliwack Search and Rescue-RCMP and a valuable telling of the three fatal airplane crashes in the area.” Ron Dart reviews My Soul Lives in these Mountains: A Collection of Stories, Poems and Paintings of the Chilliwack Cascades —Land of the Ts’elxwéyeqw, by Peter D. Scott (Surrey: Hancock House, 2024) $24.95 / 9780888397881
“Now You Know Me should serve as guide for everyone on how to learn from each other about what truth and reconciliation really means. The book is uniquely composed, giving voice to both men through alternating passages. It is a perfect composition, touching on many topics in 54 short chapters of roughly 300 pages, that is quick to read.” Kenneth Favrholdt reviews Now You Know Me: Seeing the Unhidden Truth in Settler Colonialism, by k’ʷunəmɛn Joe Gallagher and John Matterson (Surrey: Hancock House, 2024) $24.95 / 9780888397829
“Mayer is keenly aware of the wider challenges that face all the islands of the Pacific and the contribution that museums can make to understanding, and perhaps even addressing them.” Robin Fisher reviews Sea of Islands: Exploring Objects, Stories and Memories from Oceania, by Carol E. Mayer (Vancouver: Museum of Anthropology and Figure 1 Publishing, 2025) $55 / 9781773271552
