Keeper'n Me

by Richard Wagamese

Book Overview

When Garnet Raven was three years old, he was taken from his home on an Ojibway Indian reserve and placed in a series of foster homes. Having reached his mid-teens, he escapes at the first available... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385662831
• ISBN13: 9780385662833
• Release Date: July 2006
• Publisher: Anchor Canada
• Length: 322 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.0" x 7.9"

Customer Reviews

A young man coming home

This is a wonderful tale of a young man stolen from his family at the age of three...coming home to his family after many years of separation.. Richard Wagamese is such a talented story teller...I loved this book... A great read..

Returning to home

A story of a come back. A must read for any-things-indigenous

excellent

Right from the heart Richard like we shared many times before . how are you doing .e-mail me from Donna and M IKE AND KIDS

There is a keeper in all of us

Keeper 'n me By Sean PowellWithout ones culture Can a man live at peace with his soul for what he actually is? Can a Jew be a Jew without the knowledge of what is a Jew? An Indian trapped in a world where he is the only one with his looks. Can discrimination not take place? A man born Christian must know the ways of his religion before he can call himself Christian. In this novel Keeper ' n me a man must confront his racial color and become what he always was but never wanted to be. The story Keeper ' n is all about letting out feelings about ones culture. Garnet Raven is an Ojibway Indian who was separated from his family when he was just a baby. An innocent young boy taken away from his culture and tossed into a false perceptive of the world outside the reserve. The story progresses as Garnet Raven gains a false illusion of his heritage. He turns white, Hawaiian and black as he masks his real Ojibway feelings. He feels trapped and lonely since he thinks he is the only Indian in a city of blacks and whites. Later on Garnet is tracked down by his family and when released from jail. He manages to build up the courage to return to his family. As his culture is renewed Garnet becomes everything his Ojibway religion is. Keeper is a friend of Garnets family who teaches Garnet about his heritage. In trade for the knowledge Keeper asks Garnet for company and a friend. Keeper creates a meaning that pushes Garnet into an Indian man. A man he always thought he would never be. A true Ojibway. For years Indians through out Canada were forced into foster homes. They were stolen from their parents. I myself can not relate to the feeling of being taken away from my parents and thrown into the hands of foster parents. Richard Waganese who is the author adds a realistic feeling into Keeper ' n me. The richly textured dialogue takes you into the life of the Ravens. I take my hat off to Mr. Waganese for completing a difficult task of putting his speaking style onto paper. With in the novel I noticed a lot of symbolism of Garnets character. Ravens are strong, brave and courageous, those are the characteristics of Garnet. I learned from the novel that the powers of ones love and tradition can with stand any large mountain and over come any fear. Keeper ' n me is a wonderful novel about redemption and tradition. I am a Jew and I have gone through tons of religious aspects of my life not knowing where it would take me. Garnet managed to accomplish a difficult task on becoming what his ancestors were and more. He learned more things about his religion then most of his people knew and they weren't seperated from the reserve for 20 years. Richard Waganese did a marvelous job. A must read for anyone in the need of a laugh, a tear or a good time.

Keeper'n Me, a feel good book

I have just finished reading keeper'n me with my North American literature class. I am in grade 11 at centennial Academy in Montreal, Quebec. This book by Richard Wagamese is a great story about a man named Garnet Raven who goes back to his Indian home after being taken away when he was 3 years old. This story is the journey of a man who is a stranger to his own hometown. He becomes accepted and familiar with his home through the love and support from his family. This book taught me that you should find out who you really are and try not to be afraid of it. You should be proud of your culture and religion because it's a part of who your are. Garnet never felt like he had a place in the world until he went home. Garnet finds himself and learns about his people through an old friend of his grandfathers named keeper. There are all kinds of emotions in this book, sometimes it was funny, sad, or happy. So if your looking for a book that just makes you feel good inside, I definitely recommend Keeper'n me.

A "gotta-have-it" book; it speaks to the heart!

I received this book as a gift from my Grandmother,Keewaydinoquay, a gifted author and Ojibwe spiritual leader. KEEPER 'n ME speaks to the heart about coming home to oneself through the love of family and the Mide philosophy. In turn I laughed, cried and reconnected to my own spiritual center. Wagamese gives a good overview of the Midewin ("religion" of the Anishanaabeg) philosophy. This is good for all people to know about in terms of understanding different philosophies. I am so impressed with KEEPER 'n ME that I have tracked down and bought 3 copies to give as gifts. 5 PLUS stars!