Two directionless Métis cousins, Isidore “Ezzy” Desjarlais and Grey Ginther, spend time at Ezzy’s uncle’s old trailer, drinking beer and playing cribbage (which Ezzy rocks at). Grey used to be a very committed and organized activist after university, but has become jaded with the lack of change and the what she sees as performative behaviour of activist culture.

Ezzy grew up in foster care and group homes, and had met Grey years earlier, but found there to be a disconnect between his assessment of issues versus those of Grey and her peers’ academic jargon-heavy beliefs and statements. Grey never looked down on Ezzy for his views.

One day, Grey hatches a plan to bring bison to Edmonton in an effort to 1) disrupt the comfortable lives and assumptions of the settlers, and 2) make a statement about taking indigenous land back.

Ezzy, out of prison for theft, is mostly just looking for some quiet, but goes along with his cousin’s criminal plan.

Things get dramatic and dangerous the more bison they bring into city parks, with negative consequences ensuing.

Author Conor Kerr’s novel is emotional, insightful, a little dark, but also humorous as he skewers the moral bankruptcy of some activists, and of the long adversarial history of Canadian government's long, adversarial history with its indigenous peoples through onerous laws, murderous actions and land grabs.

Though there is some humour in this book, most of it dark. This is a not a lightweight story, covering such things as the foster and justice systems and how they are experienced by the indigenous, drug addiction, poverty, the forcible separation of families, and the personal costs of activism. Though bleak, I found I could not put this book down once I started. Kerr's words captivated me, from his well-drawn characters to his use of metaphor, exemplified by the bison, and their former freedom to roam the land.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.

i guess the cousin dynamic in Prairie Edge: A Novel by Conor Kerr wasn't what i'd hoped it would be but it's a novel written in a fairly compelling way.

Prairie Edge was a novel that I added to my most anticipated Canadian releases at the beginning of 2024. I added this novel to the list because I am striving to learn more about Indigenous life here and to understand what it may be like elsewhere. And this book packs a big punch, considering it’s under 250 pages.

Grey is an activist who has started feeling jaded by the whole experience. Ezzy struggles to stay out of trouble after a lifetime of being bounced around the foster care system. They became friends when Ezzy started following Grey at various protests she had organized. From the outside, it appears to be a strange relationship, as the only thing they have in common is that they are Métis.

Overall, the cast of characters in the book is relatively small. Ezzy, Grey, and Auntie May are the main characters we see throughout the book. However, the story is only told through Ezzy and Grey’s point of view. And it’s easy to understand whose POV you’re getting, as it only switches with each chapter.

My biggest issue with the book is the length of the chapters. While the book is around 225 pages, there are only seven chapters. If you add the prologue and the epilogue, that brings the number to nine. That means the average chapter is 25 pages in length. That is the average, as the first chapter is much longer. There are breaks within the chapters to help with the length, but it’s hard to put the book down at the end of the chapter when it never seems to get there.

Could you read this in one sitting? Probably. Should you read it in one sitting? Not really. I found this is a story that you need to take your time with to digest everything that you’re reading.

Who would I recommend this book to? Someone looking for a glimpse at Indigenous life and how wounds cross from generation to generation. In other words, I feel everyone should read Prairie Edge!

Thanks to netgalley and penguin random house Canada for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I'm still struggling a bit to put my thoughts down about this book, other than 'it's great and I highly recommend it'. Prairie Edge follows Métis cousins Ezzy and Grey, who start a wave of activism in and around Edmonton, Canada by setting free a herd of bison. Eventually, this ends up having severe consequences for the characters. I loved the way the bison were described, especially from Greys point of view. These huge, magnificent beasts basically represent the native population of Canada, and their way of living with and in nature, before it was suppressed by colonialism.

This was at times quite a heavy, downcast story. The book very openly describes the effect of things like the foster system and the judicial system on native people. It explores family and belonging within a system that seems hellbent on keeping native people apart.

Like I said, I don't really know how to tie my thoughts together or how to conclude this, other than: if you're looking to read more native voices, add this one to your list.

There's a lot of food for thought and here's a lot to love and I'm grokking as I want to write a meaningful review
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I wanted to take the time to review this book properly, as there was much to unpack. It was a difficult book at the times but balances it out with some humor, but it is also an important story that needs to be told. We need more books like this to educate and garner an understanding of Indigenous stories. The cover for the book understands the assignment; I would not change it. I will be recommending this book to many of my bookish people. “Read an Indigenous Book” is many reading challenges; I would add Prairie Edge as one.

A really unique and gripping read that is both propulsive and also deeply contemplative, certainly made me think!

A fast-paced and compelling novel following the daring activism of Métis cousins Ezzy and Grey as they release bison from a national park into Edmonton. The story explores belonging, the impacts of cultural dominance, and the generational ties from the past that can lead to disruption in the present. The activism is meant to be loud and bold, reminiscent of some of the eco-activism we have seen in recent years of press-attracting stunts, which sometimes can lead to unknown disasters. We follow a dual point of view and in parts, it does seem to jump quite a bit making it hard to follow, but overall was fast-paced enough to stay engaging.

DNF - I had a hard time immersing myself in this book. I wanted to love it & I may come back once the book it published to try again but, I found the narration style very dry. That being said, I'm sure other readers will eat this up.

I was so eager to read Prairie Edge by Conor Kerr because I loved his other two books Avenue of Champions and Old Gods. This is a very sad novel! It’s about two friends, Ezzy and Grey, who capture bison from a national park and then set them loose in downtown Edmonton. I really enjoyed the dual POV and the Canadian setting. I also enjoyed the fast pace of the novel and Ezzy’s Aunt May as a grounding character. I’d be eager to read Kerr’s next book!