Moon of the Turning Leaves

Following a power failure that led to societal collapse, a community of Anishinaabe people has called the northern Ontario bush country home for the past 12 years. Though they have survived as their ancestors once did, their natural resources are quickly disappearing, and the group’s future is in jeopardy. Evan Whitesky, his daughter Nangohns, and four other tribal members head south to scout their ancestral lands in the Great Lakes region. Once there, they encounter other survivors, those who respect the land and those who live a life of violence. Rice’s follow-up to the Moon Over Crusted Snow immerses listeners in the travails of an Indigenous community trying to survive a broken world. Cree actor Billy Merasty narrates this postapocalyptic novel steeped in Indigenous folklore, myths, and culture in a straightforward way, mirroring Rice’s carefully constructed words. Merasty also captures the intensity of the journey as Evan, Nangohns, and the others confront the dangers of the human and natural world. Though Rice’s earlier book sets the stage for the events here, this can be enjoyed as a stand-alone.