Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story

by David A. Robertson

Other authorsBetty Ross (Afterword), Donovan Yaciuk (Illustrator), Scott B. Henderson (Illustrator), Hon. Murray Sinclair (Foreword)
Paperback, 2021

Status

Available

Call number

371.829 R63 2021

Call number

371.829 R63 2021

Description

Inspired by true events, this story of strength, family, and culture shares the awe-inspiring resilience of Elder Betty Ross. Abandoned as a young child, Betsy is adopted into a loving family. A few short years later, at the age of 8, everything changes. Betsy is taken away to a residential school. There she is forced to endure abuse and indignity, but Betsy recalls the words her father spoke to her at Sugar Falls--words that give her the resilience, strength, and determination to survive. Sugar Falls is based on the true story of Betty Ross, Elder from Cross Lake First Nation. We wish to acknowledge, with the utmost gratitude, Betty's generosity in sharing her story. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Sugar Falls goes to support the bursary program for The Helen Betty Osborne Memorial Foundation. This 10th-anniversary edition brings David A. Robertson's national bestseller to life in full colour, with a foreword by The Hon. Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and a touching afterword from Elder Betty Ross herself.… (more)

Publication

HighWater Press (2021), Edition: 10th Anniversary, 48 pages

Original publication date

2011

Original language

English

Language

User reviews

LibraryThing member gypsysmom
I heard about this graphic novel on a book blog that I follow. Since it chronicles the life of a Manitoban who went to a residential school I thought I would get it from my library. It is obviously meant for a young audience as it is very basic. However it would be a good resource for teachers and
Show More
others seeking to show young people what a residential school was like. Will there ever come a time when the ramifications of this policy are only history? I hope so.
Show Less
LibraryThing member villemezbrown
A fictional framing sequence about a high school kid writing a report about the Canadian residential school system and its forced assimilation of indigenous children brackets the true story of Betty Ross, an Elder of the Cross Lake First Nation in Manitoba, Canada. Ross is the victim of corporal
Show More
punishment and sexual abuse at the hands of the school's nun and priest.

The story captures her feelings of disorientation and fear quite well, but assumes knowledge on the part of the reader as to why and how Ross is placed in this situation by the Canadian government. I would have welcomed more context in the story or in the end matter, especially since this seems to be aimed at educating a younger audience.
Show Less
LibraryThing member RandyMorgan
Sugar Falls is a captivating read that depicts the experience of divulging suppressed experiences. With support from the community, Elder Betty Ross opens up about the suffering sustained in residential schooling. This composition elegantly portrays the relationship between storyteller and the
Show More
audience. The afterword from Elder Betty Ross really solidifies an intimacy between the reader and the story.

Sugar falls contains content regarding: child neglect, child abandonment, child abuse, and child molestation.
Show Less
LibraryThing member BibliLakayAyizan
Abandoned as a young child, Betsy was found, and adopted by a kind and loving family. But when Betsy turned 8 years old, everything changed. She is now old enough according to the government to join the nearby residential school run by the Catholic Church , where she is supposed to learn the
Show More
“civilized” way.

The art by Scott B. Henderson is extraordinary, especially the character’s facial expressions. This Middle Grade/Young Adult graphic novel puts the readers face to face with everyday life in a residential school. In them took place a cultural genocide sponsored by the Canadian gouvernement.

Sugar Falls is a powerful graphic novel. Inspired by the life of Elder Betsy Ross, it transcribes true, painful, and violent events. Tragedy and pain are at the heart of her story, but also a beautiful message of hope.
Show Less

ISBN

1553799755 / 9781553799757

Barcode

97815537997571
Page: 0.2519 seconds