Better Call Saul

Canada lacks a common narrative, partly because of competing national mythologies. But there are also the stories we have refused to tell, ones that have been carefully omitted from our history, many of which belong to those who lived here first. When I was growing up, most Canadians, including recent immigrants like my parents, did not consider Indigenous literature to be an integral part of mainstream culture. It wasn’t until I started working in publishing, shortly after finishing university, that I spent time with First Nations stories. A children’s book author on our company’s list, C. J. Taylor, introduced me to the idea that the same land could be experienced in wildly divergent ways. It feels obvious to say it now, but her retellings of Mohawk folklore for kids opened me up.

Despite this revelation, my reading remained limited for years. And, in typically Canadian fashion, I unthinkingly sought out authors from south of the border: Sherman Alexie, Louise...