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A GRANDMOTHER BEGINS THE STORY: A NOVEL


MICHELLE PORTER

3.91
682 ratings153 reviews
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Kindle $13.99

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Award-winning author Michelle Porter makes her fiction debut with an enchanting
and original story of the unrivaled desire for healing and the power of familial
bonds across five generations of Métis women and the land and bison that
surround them.

Written like a crooked Métis jig, A Grandmother Begins the Story  follows five
generations of women and bison as they reach for the stories that could remake
their worlds and rebuild their futures.

Carter is a young mother, recently separated. She is curious, angry, and on a
quest to find out what the heritage she only learned of in her teens truly
means.
Allie, Carter's mother, is trying to make up for the lost years with her first
born, and to protect Carter from the hurt she herself suffered from her own
mother. Lucie wants the granddaughter she's never met to help her join her
ancestors in the Afterlife. And Geneviève is determined to conquer her demons
before the fire inside burns her up, with the help of the sister she lost but
has never been without. Meanwhile, Mamé, in the Afterlife, knows that all their
stories began with her; she must find a way to cut herself from the last threads
that keep her tethered to the living, just as they must find their own paths
forward.

This extraordinary novel, told by a chorus of vividly realized, funny, wise,
confused, struggling characters—including descendants of the bison that once
freely roamed the land—heralds the arrival of a stunning new voice in literary
fiction.
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GenresFictionHistorical FictionContemporaryMagical RealismLiterary
FictionCanadaAdult

...more

336 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2023

Book details & editions

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21.5k people want to read

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

MICHELLE PORTER

16 books70 followers
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MICHELLE PORTER is the descendent of a long line of Métis storytellers. Many of
her ancestors told stories using music and today she tells stories using the
written word. She holds degrees in Journalism, Folklore, English, and a PhD in
Geography. Her academic research and creative work focus on home, memory, and
women’s changing relationships with the land.

Her book A Grandmother Begins the Story: A Novel will be published November 7,
2023.

Her most recent book, Scratching River, a memoir exploring the meaning of her
Métis heritage through her older brother’s life story, was published by Wilfrid
Laurier Press in April 2022. She’s also published a book of creative nonfiction
about her great-grandfather, a fiddler from the Red River, called Approaching
Fire (shortlisted for the Indigenous Voices Award 2021) and a book of poetry,
Inquiries, (shortlisted for the Pat Lowther Memorial Award). Michelle has won
numerous awards for her poetry and journalism and her work has been published in
literary journals and magazines across the country. Currently she is teaching
creative writing and Métis Literature at Memorial University. She is a member of
the Manitoba Métis Federation and she lives in St. John's, Newfoundland and
Labrador.


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COMMUNITY REVIEWS

3.91
682 ratings153 reviews
5 stars

207 (30%)
4 stars

272 (39%)
3 stars

150 (21%)
2 stars

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
Jasmine
262 reviews384 followers
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July 10, 2023
A Grandmother Begins the Story follows five generations of Métis women managing
their traumas and trying to heal from them.

Carter, a young mother, wants to reconnect with her heritage. Allie wants to get
to know her daughter and protect her from her own mother. Lucie tries to get her
granddaughter, whom she’s never met, to help her die. Geneviève wants to
overcome her alcoholism before it’s too late. And Mamé is in the Afterlife torn
between ensuring her descendants are okay and letting them go.

There are also some ancient canine and bison perspectives, which are equally
compelling and heart-wrenching.

The characters are so well-crafted that it is not difficult to keep track of
them, even though there are many. Each character’s chapter was as riveting as
the next. If I had to choose my favourite POVs, they would be Carter, Dee, and
Geneviève. The characters feel fully realized as if they could walk off the page
and start a chat with you.

The chapters are more like vignettes, from half a page to several pages.

Themes include colonialism, generational trauma, grief, life, death, and family.

This novel is beautifully written and entirely captivating. I could have read an
additional three-hundred pages of it. It is emotional and moving but also ripe
with Native humour.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for sending a finished copy to review.

https://booksandwheels.com
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93 likes
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Jodi
399 reviews140 followers
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August 21, 2023
This was the most beautiful, powerful, captivating, mystical book I have ever,
EVER read! I find it impossible to review by describing what happens. I don’t
know how I could do that. I’ve been wracking my brain to think of something to
say that won’t ruin it for readers, but I can’t. I mean, you can read the
synopsis if you like but, really, this is the kind of story that each person
should experience individually. I suppose I could try using a metaphor. O.K.,
think of it as a story that begins as a seedling. It germinates and grows until
it’s ready to sprout. As its growth continues, it might take the shape of a
plant you recognize, or it could mutate slightly to transform itself into
something that’s unexpected. This plant will probably make you smile BIG. And
you might absolutely LOVE this plant, including every single petal it grows!

That probably didn’t work, but here’s the absolute truth… If I could, I would
give a copy of this book to every single one of my Goodreads friends because
it’s indescribably fantastic!! After reading it, you might want to talk to
others about it or, like me, keep it all to yourself because it’s just so bloody
AMAZING you’ll want to wrap yourself up in it!! It could be the kind of book
that comes along only once in a blue moon. And you won’t want to miss it.

⭐∞⭐“All the stars in the night sky”⭐∞⭐
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anthropomorphic best-of-2023 canada

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Stitching Ghost
625 reviews89 followers
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July 12, 2023
Some parts were very strong but most of the time it seemed like a bunch of
anecdotes that were only mildly interesting and a whole lot about boobs for some
reason.

Neutral 2.5 rounded up.



20 likes
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Shannon
4,938 reviews262 followers
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June 19, 2023
This incredible debut novel told through a series of interconnected short micro
stories tells the history of five generations of Metis women.

Richly characterized and deeply moving we learn about these different women,
their families and even at times the buffalo themselves who were so tied to the
history of Indigenous culture and society.

Celebrating their joys, sorrows, traumas and so much more, this is a completely
unique literary feat that was EXCELLENT on audio read by a full cast of
narrators including sound effects and musical accompaniment.

Highly recommended on audio and perfect for fans of books like Stories of Metis
women by Bailey Oster. This book is hard to describe and really just needs to be
experienced to be fully appreciated.
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debuts indigenous-authors short-stories


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Alyssa
88 reviews
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December 7, 2023
Five stars isn’t enough. I’d give this book an entire night sky. The writing
knocked me over and the characters (human, animal, earth, and car) broke my
heart open. I don’t really have words to describe this book, but the lump in my
throat feels like, “achingly beautiful” would be a start. I’ll read again and
again.


8 likes
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Mary
19 reviews3 followers
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June 27, 2023
So I wasn’t sure how to review this boo because there are so many things about
it that I can’t fully capture, my best words for this review would be: read it.

It took me a little longer to finish this book, and partly due to the format of
it. Each page/ few pages is dedicated to a separate story line of a character in
the book. Porter does a fantastic job of giving the characters rich lives,
emotions, actions and choices. But the format can feel funky at first. The best
way to approach this is that the book is a compilation of short stories
dedicated to characters that are all related. It’s wonderful, it’s fresh — don’t
worry if you feel overwhelmed with keeping up with what is happening, just read
each page and enjoy what is being said. You don’t need to stress about
constantly tying back to what has happened.

The ending of this book (no spoilers) was alive. I finished this book on a beach
surrounded by people I love and suddenly I found myself crying over the end. I
was shocked, and I partially unprepared for its ending. By the time I made it to
the ending, I became invested. I had strong feelings because Porter just does a
magnificent job of portraying such visceral emotion. I’m still yearning for
another 10 pages.

I finished the book and suddenly this burst of life hit me, and I can’t say I
had ever felt this way about a book. Everything around me was beautiful, tainted
by the words that were still imprinted in my mind.

If you are looking for a book that brings every inch of you to life, read this.
I am so much better than I was before I read this book.
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The Bookish Narwhal
136 reviews13 followers
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May 26, 2023
First drawn in by the cover, A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter
is a beautiful story that is quietly powerful, begging to be read again and
again.

Meet the Goulet family. They are a Métis family known for their music and
jigging. The story takes readers on a multigenerational journey, and we become
privy to hardships endured and connected traumas. Told from multiple
perspectives, it does contain content relating to death, grief, alcohol and drug
use, and suicide.

Porter’s writing left me filled with charm and wonder. A character-driven novel,
Porter beautifully portrays the voices of each Goulet woman in various stages of
life. I also adore how she includes the voices of the animals and the land
around them. I loved the bison and the many voices who contributed to this
beautiful story.

Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Viking for an eARC in
exchange for my honest review!
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arcs


7 likes
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Miki
661 reviews14 followers
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September 11, 2023
This was SO GOOD. I'm going to read this again and make sure that I have the
physical book along with the audio one!

canadian-fiction cultural-history indigenous-literature


7 likes
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Selina Young
244 reviews10 followers
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September 21, 2023
Wow. How to rate this book?!!! At moments 2 ⭐️ and others 5 ⭐️. The stories of
incredible Metis women were inspiring. Narrators were also bison, prairie grass,
dogs and a car! Love how things wove together eventually.

I really struggled with the style of writing/narration at the beginning. Could
not get my head wrapped around what was going on. Maybe more books should be
like that? So we get uncomfortable with the discomfort. I just leaned in for the
ride and I’m so glad I did.
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Marie Barr
295 reviews12 followers
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May 19, 2023
Too many stories going on at once. I’m not a fan of that. Felt myself skipping
over some. Loved the stories from Dell, Perkins, and Lottery. Loved that they
were animals. Overall good, just not for me.


5 likes
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Bennee
10 reviews47 followers
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November 16, 2023
4.5!


4 likes
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Linda Atkinson
2,130 reviews18 followers
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November 11, 2023
Full cast audio plus magical storytelling made for a truly amazing experience.

nov2023


4 likes
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Elena L.
699 reviews124 followers
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November 7, 2023
This book captures the familial bonds of five generations of Indigenous women.

Punctuated by slice-of-life moments, it is about who gets to tell the stories.
The characters, whose lives are imprinted by the colonialism, deal with their
own pain - they are volatile and long for comfort. There are transitions between
life and the spirit world, which some desire to move on while others in
afterlife still care for the living ones.
Each POV stands on its own, delivering different heaviness and the way they tie
themselves to old feelings is shown with vulnerability. Even though the voices
often are not distinct enough, which can be challenging to get invested into the
story, they build a bigger picture of how one views the world.

People's emotions are interwoven with animal's instincts, revealing that nature
and people belong together. The animal's POV allows one to discover a new voice
and a cross between them offers an interesting meditation on time, healing and
forgiveness. Throughout the story, Porter unapologetically examines death, not
in a macabre way, but as a natural life's course.

Imaginative and with rigid prose, A GRANDMOTHER BEGINS THE STORY is an original
novel that blends tenderness and toughness. If you're looking for a story about
struggling characters holding on to the land and descendants, you might enjoy
this book.

[ I received an ARC from the publisher - Algonquin books . All opinions are my
own ]
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Shirleynature
218 reviews64 followers
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December 24, 2023
Such an unexpected multifaceted tale – immersive haunting and lyrical, a
multi-generational saga of resilient Métis women, their stories and songs, as
well as enchanting interactions of the land with a charismatic bison, some heavy
realism, shapeshifting magical-realism, and liminal interactions between the
living & the dead. And be ready for a few vividly sexy-spicy scenes with one of
the strong women in this novel!
The audio is performed by a full cast of readers! This is the fiction debut for
the Métis-born author and I look forward to her future work.
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debut liminal-intersections magical-realism

...more

7 likes
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Nathaniel
Author 23 books149 followers
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October 11, 2023
This book was clearly a passion project.

And I know...all books are passion projects. Obviously.

But some books stem out of the authors personal need for that story, and this is
clearly that. I'm glad this book exists. It's beautifully written and cleverly
put together. Porter had a vision and she delivered. Did I lose myself in it and
fully understand it? No. That's where the three stars comes in. I liked it, but
I didn't love it.

I have put this on my list of books to reread in the future. I think that future
me (with more experience and life behind me) will enjoy this more than present
me.
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contemporary-fiction fantasy


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Rosemary
8 reviews2 followers
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August 1, 2023
This book is powerful, compelling and haunting. Such a unique story from a truly
gifted writer. I just finished it with tears in my eyes and gratitude for the
lessons it imparted on life and death. If I tried to describe the plot and the
characters I could not do it justice. So I won't try but just urge you to read
this book and you will not be disappointed!


3 likes
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Blanche
1,189 reviews
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August 7, 2023
Libby audiobook - if you want a "full cast" audiobook, this is the one for you.
There were 16 narrators giving voice and life to the characters. Good story and
quite the listening experience 👍


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Cassie
78 reviews
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August 16, 2023
just not for me tbh i kind of read it so fast because i knew if i didnt i would
never finish it because of how boring i found it 1.5


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The Cultivated Library Co
82 reviews
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November 6, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter

I don't know if I can adequately convey just how hauntingly beautiful this book
is. This is not a one-and-done kinda book. It is a tale to be read over and over
at different times of your life, taking something else from its pages each time.

"A Grandmother Begins the Story follows five generations of women and bison as
they reach for the stories that could remake their worlds and rebuild their
futures."

With emotional prose, Michelle Porter draws us into the lives of the Goulet
Métis women and the spiritual bison. Their longing for connection and
forgiveness mingles with their inability to see their worthiness for love.
Through their journeys, Porter shows us the hardest person to forgive is often
ourselves.

A Grandmother Begins the Story would be perfect for your next book club, and I
can't wait to give it a permanent place on my shelves.

Read this if you like:
• Multiple storylines
• Books that make you think
• Indigenous stories

Release date is Nov 7! Many thanks to @netgalley and @algonquinbooks for the
eARC! 
Show more
2023-reads


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Susan
2,910 reviews
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November 10, 2023
If I could, I'd give this a 4.5. A very multi-pov story about 5 generations of
women in the same family, along with the stories from a family of bison, and
even earth made for such a rich story! With so many narrators and the often
short vignette cadence of the chapters, it was easy to get lost and need to stop
to remember where each placed in the family. And I am always not a fan of the
lack of quotation marks. Though if there were a book where that made sense, I
suppose this was the one. So despite technically being a book I wouldn't enjoy
reading, I relished this family's story and the connection I felt to them, and
the bison family. The beauty of the story overcame my reluctance at the
presentation style. That is saying a lot!

Thanks to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for a copy of the book. This review is
my own opinion.
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netgalley


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Christy MacCallum
500 reviews1 follower
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September 30, 2023
I’m not really sure how to explain how I feel about this book. On the one hand,
it was very moving to read about how five generations of women were linked
together by their trauma and coping. On the other hand, there were chapters from
the point of view of bison, grasslands, a truck, and some dogs.

I think there were many parts to the story that were good - some lovely
anecdotes and thoughts about our relationships to others and the way we can sit
in or grow out of the negative things we have inherited from our ancestors.

I really enjoyed the writing style, allowing for different types of prose. Some
characters got more time than others which is fine - I don’t know why the bison
existed in the story except I can’t imagine it without them…?

I think the point is sort of like how Genevieve finished the story in the end,
we are invited to take this story and interpret it to be inspired to finish our
own stories how we want them to end. And how the teachings and medicines of our
forbearers can help us overcome the hurts that have piled up on us, too.
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Vanessa Porter
16 reviews2 followers
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October 21, 2023
Absolutely loved. Instant favourite.

I came across this book at a small independent bookstore in Sechelt. It was so
beautifully and creatively written. I've never read a novel that wove in and out
of perspectives and narration styles so gracefully. You really feel like you
know this family by the end of it in all their strengths and flaws.

The complicated feelings of motherhood is definitely the prevailing theme in the
book. I loved slowly understanding each character's story and learning more as
they learned.

Highly recommend!!!
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Kasey Tutt
7 reviews1 follower
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August 17, 2023
First of all, can we give a round of applause for this cover? This story is told
by five Métis women, and each story was so engaging. You’d think that five POVs
would be hard to follow, but each story was unique that I personally didn’t have
a problem. These women felt so real with their struggles, trauma, hopes, and
wonder. This is my first Métis book, and #michelleporter debut was fantastic. I
loved how she included the voices of the animals and land around them. I learned
a lot, and had a wonderful time reading this. I’m wanting to explore more
Indigenous stories and I’m so thrilled I was given a chance to read this one!

Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for sending me a finished copy in exchange
for my honest review.
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ronnieisreading
37 reviews1 follower
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August 13, 2023
This book was unlike anything I’ve read before. Shifting through prospectives of
the females in a familial line, from great grandmother to present, along with
the story of a young buffalo intertwined through it really details the
importance of family, connection, and how past traumas can impact future
generations.
I loved the flow of the book, and the writers prose.

Thanks to penguin random house for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest
review
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Amanda Borys
242 reviews1 follower
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July 18, 2023
The women in this book are interesting characters, but I feel the author did
them short shrift by dumping the reader in what was the end of their lives. Each
one of these women would have made a great book telling their lives, rather than
just hinting at things that are never really explained.


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Jess
226 reviews
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June 18, 2023
This may have just become my favourite book. Never in my life have I listened to
something like this - and that's how others should consume these stories, by
listening. It was just... So. Good.


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Stella
11 reviews1 follower
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September 1, 2023
One of my favourite reads of the summer a really special story


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Leah M
1,317 reviews44 followers
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November 12, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for providing me with an ARC of this
book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: alcoholism, grief, mention of cancer, sexual assault,
depression, discussion of assisted suicide, mention of death, grief, mention of
miscarriages, child abuse, suicide attempt, substance use, domestic violence,
mention of murder, brief mention of residential school

Here in the United States, it’s Native American Heritage Month, making this the
perfect read for this month. I always try to check out Indigenous authors as
often as I can, especially ones that are new to me, and particularly during this
month. I wasn’t sure what a crooked Métis jig is, but having read some Native
American and First Nations stories before, I went into this knowing that their
style of storytelling isn’t always the same as what mainstream literature has
readers used to, but is nevertheless intriguing and helps me learn more about
the cultures of the many Indigenous tribes.

This is a family saga told through the eyes of multiple characters—Mamé from the
afterlife, Mamé’s daughter Geneviève who is trying to get sober, Geneviève’s
daughter Lucie who wants to die and has recruited the granddaughter she never
met for help, Lucie’s daughter Allie who is working to connect with the daughter
she gave up for adoption, and Allie’s daughter Carter who desperately wants to
learn more about the heritage she only recently learned of, dealing with her
anger, a recent separation, and trying to care for her son.

We also get to hear from a few characters who are bison, and while it sounded
strange at first, it made perfect sense during the reading. At times, it felt
like the bison were symbolic of the Indigenous people themselves, such as when
talking about the importance of sharing knowledge and stories with the younger
generations, treaties, and land. It made a lot of sense, knowing how closely
linked the survival of various tribes were with the bison’s presence. One quote
that really stood out to me was this one, and it really shows how applicable it
can be to both the bison and the human characters, as well as to our own lives:

“The way the world was for this youngest generation, she wasn’t sure what the
right time for anything was.”

Although it can be easy to get lost in a story with this many characters, but at
no time did I ever feel lost or confused. Each of the characters is so
beautifully rendered. They’re all so realistic, with their very human flaws on
full display in this story, as well as their assets. The emphasis on family
bonds and traditional arts, such as music and beading, is present in this story,
showing exactly how resilient these women are on their search for healing of
their intergenerational trauma. I loved how the story was told, and while I
admired each of these women throughout the story, I have to admit that my
favorites were Geneviève, Allie, and Solin. I’m absolutely blown away that this
is a fiction debut, and will definitely be checking out more for Porter, both
her nonfiction backlist, and any upcoming fiction that she puts out.

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Kelly (miss_kellysbookishcorner)
697 reviews
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November 26, 2023
Title: A Grandmother Begins the Story
Author: Michelle Porter
Genre: Literary Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: November 7, 2023

T H R E E • W O R D S

Original • Rich • Lyrical

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Carter is a young mother, recently separated. She is curious, angry, and on a
quest to find out what the heritage she only learned of in her teens truly
means.

Allie is trying to make up for the lost years with her first born, and to
protect Carter from the hurt she herself suffered from her own mother.

Lucie wants the granddaughter she's never met to help her join her ancestors in
the Afterlife.

Geneviève is determined to conquer her demons before the fire inside burns her
up, with the help of the sister she lost but has never been without.

And Mamé, in the Afterlife, knows that all their stories began with her; she
must find a way to loose herself from the last threads that keep her tethered to
the living, just as they must find their own paths forward.

💭 T H O U G H T S

There are times when I am drawn to a book based solely by the cover. And that is
definitely true of A Grandmother Begins the Story - the artwork is absolutely
stunning! I knew this would be the book I would pick up to fulfill the prompt
'written by an Indigenous' author, even before reading the synopsis.

What a captivating, beautiful debut telling the story of five generation of
Métis women. Each of the characters is real and flawed, vivid and wise. Marketed
as a novel, I would say each chapter is more like a vignette, a piece of the
puzzle eventually tying everything together. This format took some getting used
to, yet in the end made for an immersive reading experience. The interweaving of
the bison's perspective was genius. It tied in the land and their importance to
Métis culture.

Because the format took some getting used to, I ended up tandem reading it along
with listening to the audiobook. And I must say the audio is fantastic. Read by
a full cast and interspersed with musical interludes it added an additional
layer of characterization.

A Grandmother Begins the Story is unlike anything I have ever read. Michelle
Porter has managed to tell a complex story with powerful characterization in
such a short book. The structure may not be for everyone, yet I think it fit the
story perfectly. She is a fresh voice in literary fiction that I'll be keeping
an eye on.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of multi generation family sagas
• readers looking for something unique

⚠️ CW: misogyny, child abuse, domestic abuse, sexual content, sexual violence,
sexual assault, cursing, colonization, mental illness, addiction, alcoholism,
drug use, suicidal thoughts, suicide, suicide attempt, assisted suicide,
violence, death, grief, cancer, depression, miscarriage,

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"The way the world was for this youngest generation, she wasn’t sure what the
right time for anything was."

"All I know to say is we’ve got to play our music no matter who leaves us and no
matter who fails us, no matter the memories praying on us in the middle of the
night."
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Jen
72 reviews
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November 13, 2023
I enjoyed this book. I have zero Indigenous ancestry but I've always loved the
story telling of other cultures. There are a lot of stories going on at once
that all interconnect in some way. I very much loved the stories from the point
of views of the animals... Perkins and Lottery specifically (I do wish there was
more from their story!). I also loved that because the story covers 5
generations, part of those are those in the afterlife watching and keeping an
eye on their loved ones. Each of the generations has their own type of
stubborn... which I can relate to as that's a trait that runs in my family that
we joke about. I will say that the youngest generation was a bit more on the
crass side, but it also accurately reflects changes in modesty over the
generations. There are also patterns that seem to follow each generation,
however, the way the come together for each other even when they don't really
know each other was heartwarming.
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