“Tricky Grounds: Indigenous Women’s Experiences in Canadian University Administration”by Candace Brunette-DebassigePublished by University of Regina PressReview by Sally Meadows$34.95 ISBN 9780889779778 Tricky Grounds is a passionate reflection by author Candace Brunette-Debassige as she documents “the experiences and challenges that Indigenous women administrators face in enacting Indigenizing policies in Canadian universities” (p. 10) with an eye towards “more transformative, decolonial approaches to Indigenous leadership and policy practices” (p. 10). The book begins with a personalized account of what led to Brunette-Debassige’s own research–this is her published PhD dissertation–followed by a critical (i.e. important) review of historical policies, institutional approaches, university participation, teaching agendas, and research agendas as they pertain to Indigenous people from the 1800s to present. Highlighted is the consistently and devastatingly undermined, marginalized, suppressed, and even silenced, non-European (particularly for the context of this book, Indigenous) ways of knowing of traditional Euro-Western universities. I was shocked to read, for example, that the Indian Act of 1876 forced First Nation men (and later, women) who wanted to attend university to “surrender their Treaty rights and terminate their Indigenous legal status and…reserve lands” (p. 33-34), a legality that remained in place until 1951. I champion this book as an invaluable resource…

Fireboyby Edward WillettPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$22.99 ISBN 9781998273423 There are several things I can count on each time I open a book for young readers by Regina author Edward Willett: the story will be technically well-written; the characters credible and clever; and whatever weird, fantastical situations the young cast finds themselves in, there’s bound to be laughs along the way. In short, I know I’ll be impressed. Fireboy is the Aurora Award-winning author and publisher’s latest title, and with this blaze-paced novel it’s clear that Willett’s lost none of his … fire. The story’s told by thirteen-year-old Samantha “Sam” MacReady, who missed out on her Grade 7 overnight field trip (“a camping-trip-and-astronomy-adventure”) in May and thus was spared when her fellow “Limberpine,” Alberta classmates were involved in a tragic school bus accident. The bus was driven by Grade 7 science teacher Dr. Ballard, and he and a single student—loner Meg, from the wrong side of the tracks—were the sole survivors. The remaining nineteen students mysteriously vanished, and no one can say for sure what even caused the bus to flip on its side. After the news crews left the small town folks alone and “The rest…

Cupboard Loveby Mark MortonPublished by Shadowpaw Press RepriseReview by Michelle Shaw$29.99 ISBN 9781998273355 If you’ve ever wondered about the plural of asparagus (asparagi), or the origins of Camembert (invented during the French revolution) or why there are so many spellings of perogie…perogey…piroghi (it’s complicated),then wonder no more. Mark Morton’s extensively researched Cupboard Love: A Dictionary of Culinary Curiosities explores the definitions and origins of a vast array of culinary terms in a fascinating and very witty way. From à la (as in à la carte and à la king) to zuppa inglese, Morton examines how the definitions of words have developed – sometimes far from their original meanings. This is actually the third edition of the book (so clearly, it’s stood the test of time) and it has been updated and expanded. It was originally published in 1996 and was one of three books nominated for a 1996 Julia Child Cookbook Award in the Food Reference/Technical Category (Calphalon Award) and was included in The Globe and Mail’s list of “required reading” notable books for 1997. I’m a linguistic nerd so I was fascinated about Morton’s research process through the years. When the book was first published in 1996, his primary…