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Exiled from his community after serving time for his father's murder, a young Innu man finds himself adrift on the streets of Montreal.
Released from prison after ten years spent behind bars for the murder of his violent, alcoholic father, Elie Mestenapeo finds himself out in the world again, but alone. Banished for life from his community, Nutashkuan, he heads south to Montreal, where he becomes part of a new community-Cree, Nakota, Inuit, Innu, Mohawk and Atikamekw come together in Cabot Square. There, Elie meets Mary and Tracy, Inuuk twin sisters who take him under their wing; Jimmy, a Nakota man who hands out hot meals to those the city has forgotten; and Mafia Doc, an aging, self-proclaimed nurse who refuses to abandon his tent even as winter's brutal cold descends.
In this deeply compassionate novel, Michel Jean gives voice to those living on society's margins. With tenderness and unflinching honesty, he reveals lives scarred by violence and addiction but also sustained by resilience, kinship, and the faint, persistent light of hope.
Exiled from his community after serving time for his father's murder, a young Innu man finds himself adrift on the streets of Montreal.
• BESTSELLING AUTHOR: The French edition of Tiohtiá:ke (Libre Expression; 2021) has sold over 50,000 copies in Québec. The English translation of Michel Jean's previous novel, Kukum (Anansi; 2023), has sold over 5000 copies in North America.
• HUMANIZING THE HOUSING CRISIS: Ninan: Tiohtiá:ke, Montreal explores the daily realities of living on the street, the emotional impact of instability and stress, and the strength and magnificence of Indigenous community building.
• CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY: At turns tender and sweet, Ninan: Tiohtiá:ke, Montreal is the story of starting a new life, tackling compelx trauma, and emotional healing through an Indigenous lens.
Released from prison after ten years spent behind bars for the murder of his violent, alcoholic father, Elie Mestenapeo finds himself out in the world again, but alone. Banished for life from his community, Nutashkuan, he heads south to Montreal, where he becomes part of a new community-Cree, Nakota, Inuit, Innu, Mohawk and Atikamekw come together in Cabot Square. There, Elie meets Mary and Tracy, Inuuk twin sisters who take him under their wing; Jimmy, a Nakota man who hands out hot meals to those the city has forgotten; and Mafia Doc, an aging, self-proclaimed nurse who refuses to abandon his tent even as winter's brutal cold descends.
In this deeply compassionate novel, Michel Jean gives voice to those living on society's margins. With tenderness and unflinching honesty, he reveals lives scarred by violence and addiction but also sustained by resilience, kinship, and the faint, persistent light of hope.
Exiled from his community after serving time for his father's murder, a young Innu man finds himself adrift on the streets of Montreal.
• BESTSELLING AUTHOR: The French edition of Tiohtiá:ke (Libre Expression; 2021) has sold over 50,000 copies in Québec. The English translation of Michel Jean's previous novel, Kukum (Anansi; 2023), has sold over 5000 copies in North America.
• HUMANIZING THE HOUSING CRISIS: Ninan: Tiohtiá:ke, Montreal explores the daily realities of living on the street, the emotional impact of instability and stress, and the strength and magnificence of Indigenous community building.
• CELEBRATION OF COMMUNITY: At turns tender and sweet, Ninan: Tiohtiá:ke, Montreal is the story of starting a new life, tackling compelx trauma, and emotional healing through an Indigenous lens.