English Bookshop Logo
Rachel Recommends: The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Genre: Dystopia, YA Just when you think you have nothing left to lose, they come for your dreams. Humanity has nearly destroyed the world through global warming and now an even greater evil lurks. The Indigenous people of North America are being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. In this dark world, Frenchie and his companions struggle to survive as they make their way up north to the old lands. For now, survival means staying hidden – but what they don’t know is that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves.  I picked up this award-winning novel by Cherie Dimaline because we had a few copies in the shop and it looked interesting, as I tend to like dystopias, but it is so much more than your typical YA dystopia. It draws parallels between a fictional dystopian future and the true horrors of the Canadian residential school system, a legacy of Canada’s colonialism which significantly harmed the Indigenous children forcibly sent there, whose repercussions continue today. This is a powerful book by a Métis writer, and it’s…

Book Event: The Naked Irish
Event /

We’re delighted to announce that Clare O’Dea will be at the bookshop on Saturday, 9th November talking about her new book The Naked Irish: Portrait of a Nation Beyond the Clichés. Like her bestselling title, The Naked Swiss, her latest book is an insightful and revealing examination of the reality of modern Ireland behind the national myths. Are the Irish a nation of emigrants if we have the second highest foreign-born population in Europe? Do we really hate the English and want a united Ireland? Are the Irish really friendly or just faking it? The event starts at 4pm and we’ll be serving tea and scones. The talk will be followed by a book signing. For more information on Clare and her book please visit her website : https://clareodea.com/2019/10/11/the-naked-irish-in-all-good-bookshops Looking forward to seeing you then!