Getting out of your comfort zone

Joining a book club full of curious humans is one of the best things I’ve ever done for my lifelong learning journey.  

I’m a die-hard fiction reader of fantasy and horror, so a lot of the books we choose and our discussions about them challenge me to create space on my bookshelf (and in my heart) for new perspectives and experiences.

Tanya Talaga’s Seven Fallen Feathers was one of them. It’s an eye-opening, emotional book that examines the lives and deaths of seven Indigenous students in Thunder Bay, Ontario. 

It was a hard read, but an important one. It pushed me to get curious about my reading habits and take a good long look at my bookshelf and the types of stories I was prioritizing. 

Seven Fallen Feathers also encouraged me to think critically and consciously about the limitations of my own life experiences, and to look for writers whose stories and experiences could teach me more about what it means to be human.   

If you’re curious about Tanya and her work, you’ll definitely want to register for her upcoming talk about finding the path forward to truth and reconciliation. 

You might also want to explore the library’s Truth and Reconciliation resources and reading lists. Here are a few to get you started: 
eBooks and eAudiobooks available through Libby:

• Indigenous Voices reading list
• Indigenous Children’s Book list
• Residential Schools Reading list
• The Final Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
• National inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Recommended reads from RPL’s print collections: 

• Read for Reconciliation
• Indigenous Voices

The library offers Indigenous programming and resources year-round. Visit our Reconciliation page to learn more. 

Brandi from Marketing