May ILF Book of the Month

Flock: First Nations Stories Then and Now

Edited by Ellen van Neerven

"We all have our own pair of beautiful wings, but we fly together in formation. Together we are stronger. We flock together.”

This is how Ellen van Neerven introduces Flock, an anthology of short stories from First Nations writers – some are more established names like Tony Birch and Tara June Winch, while some are rising stars you mightn’t yet be familiar with. My favourite story in the collection so far is one by Jasmin McGaughey, called Wait For Me. It starts with a woman describing how hard it can be to try on swimsuits, and then it diverts into an unexpected and really affecting narrative about grief, and about mourning a life while the person is still alive. Short stories make you read in a different way than novels do; there are moments and lines in this collection that have stuck with me, like phrases from poems you can’t dislodge from your head. – Maddy

Melissa Lucashenko’s contribution to this wonderful anthology of short stories by Indigenous writers is witty, clever, heartbreaking and sharp.

"Dreamers" follows the story of twenty-year-old Jean, who looks for work on the property of a white couple, Ted and May. Jean’s story becomes complicated as she becomes more invested in the future of the family and their property, and develops into a gritty and poignant tale. This is certainly one to provoke further thought.  – Leona