A taut, exquisitely rendered story exploring the repercussions of a woman’s decision to hide her Métis identity while living in a small, predominantly white prairie town in the 1940s, for readers of The Berry Pickers, Tommy Orange, and The Vanishing Half.
Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, 1946.
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every other Saturday night, without fail.
But one morning, everything changes.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
This extraordinary novel asks us what we will do for our community, for our families, for our friends, even at our own expense. It examines the harrowing effects of choosing to live as someone else—and the radiant peace that comes from finally living one’s truth. Gripping, wrenching, and utterly immersive, Wild People Quiet is a stunning achievement by a remarkable literary talent.
“This is a book of silence, identity, and the ache of belonging. Written with restraint and clarity, place and experience do the work, holding space for what’s hidden and what’s endured. The Nest is a metaphor for leaving, returning, and the possibility of healing. Gereaux has shaped a story of survival and the courage it takes to come home.”
— DAVID A. ROBERSTON, author of The Theory of Crows
“A haunting novel about survival and ambition, family and belonging. A meditation on art and life, and one woman's astounding choice amid impossible circumstances. Wild People Quiet is a gripping story with high stakes. It's also a family story, told in lovingly-rendered detail, with the quiet care and precision of the beadworker at its center. Gereaux leaves nothing on the table. Wild People Quiet is a masterful work of historical fiction, echoing into the present day. It is a powerful, moving, and important read, for all of us, and for many years to come.”
— ELIANA RAMAGE, author of To the Moon and Back
“What a beautifully written and powerful story. kiichi maarsii, kinahnahskomtin ni wahkomahkahn…Every word was michin—medicine. Gentle, strong, healing michin. That is what otipaimsowin—owning yourself—is all about.”
— MARIA CAMPBELL, author of Halfbreed
“There is nothing better than being swept into the current of a great story. That is what Tara Gereaux does from the first page to the beautiful ending. I'm so grateful for Wild People Quiet, a novel that fleshes out some of the dark chapters of the history of Canada, and especially for this wonderful new writer. Mamaskatch!”
— SHELAGH ROGERS, host of Words and Culture: The Michif Episodes; Founding Host, The Next Chapter
