Smaro Kamboureli
“Cedar speaks. Bones demand the burial and loyalty due to them. Scents unravel memories. A two-headed serpent dislodges itself from a longhouse and wreaks havoc. Stories fiction themselves, have their own mind. Humans trip on the restless past, remember the future. And a shape-shifting mink, witness par excellence, watches it all unfold under its unflinching eye. Lee Maracle's Sto:lo characters re-discover, against all odds, the restoring power of ceremony. Disturbing and heartbreaking, but also uplifting and inspirational, Celia's Song is mind-changing.”
Waubgeshig Rice
“Tremendous.”
Rover Arts
“Lee Maracle is one of Canada's bravest literary voices. She writes with clear-eyed fierceness.”
CBC All in a Day
“There is no book that I've read that has had such an emotional impact. A stunning achievement. It is one of the absolute best books I've read in years and years.”
CBC Books
“Vividly brings to life the destructive legacy of colonial times — and a community's capacity for healing.”
Now Magazine
“The story Maracle tells is one that makes intimate links between personal and cultural renewal, and illuminates the deep value of doing things 'just as her ancestors would have.'”
Quill & Quire
“In gentle yet powerful prose, Maracle underscores the horrifying impact of the Residential School System, the ongoing problem of suicide, and the loss of tradition that continue to plague First Nations communities.”
Winnipeg Review
“Reading Lee Maracle's Celia's Song feels like the best breathing I've ever done. It's like finding an unlikely friend who truly recognizes me ... both the content and structure of Celia's Song transcend my limited worldview and expand my experience of humanity.”
Vancouver Sun
“If you care about reconciliation and justice in Canada, ferociously beautiful prose and complex, compassionate character development, make time this year to listen to Celia's song.”
The Globe and Mail
“Maracle does not shy away from the worst social ills pulling the community apart — suicide, alcoholism, and sexual abuse among them — but she denies the fatalistic view, offering room for hope instead.”
Quill and Quire
“In gentle yet powerful prose, Maracle underscores the horrifying impact of the Residential School System, the ongoing problem of suicide, and the loss of tradition that continue to plague First Nations communities.”
JULY 2024 - AudioFile
In the great tradition of storytelling, Columpa Bobb tells of a village in Nuu'Chahlnuth territory in southwestern British Columbia. Told from the point of view of Mink, a shape-shifter, the account traces events in Celia's village, particularly her attempt to help her community heal after a brutal incident. Bobb takes advantage of rhythm, riding the emotions of the characters and the various threads of their history. She conveys the hopelessness they feel at their alienation from their village's culture. In the end, however, the message of the resilience of the people and their culture is paramount. It's a story best told, not read, and Bobb's poignant performance will stay with the listener for a long time. J.E.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
