Empire of Wild

A NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER

'Deftly written and gripping: a rip-roaring read!'

Margaret Atwood

'Tough, funny, beautiful, honest and propulsive'

Tommy Orange

'An utterly compelling blend of propulsive narrative, starkly beautiful writing and passionate, near dysfunctional love'

Daily Mail

'Haunting and resonant'

New York Times

Broken-hearted Joan has been searching for her missing husband, Victor, for almost a year - ever since he went missing on the night they had their first serious argument.

One hung-over morning she is drawn to a revival tent in a nearby town - and there is Victor. Only he insists he is not Victor, but the Reverend Eugene Wolff, on a mission to bring his people to Jesus.

With only two allies - her Johnny-Cash-loving, 12-year-old nephew Zeus, and Ajean, a foul-mouthed euchre shark with deep knowledge of the old Metis ways - Joan sets out to remind the Reverend Wolff of who he really is. If he really is Victor, his life and the life of everyone she loves, depends upon her success.

“A blend of close-knit emotional bonds and ambiguous menace ... Dimaline's novel is able to take the plot to some unexpectedly phantasmagorical places without losing sight of its emotional core... Dimaline here turns an old story into something newly haunting and resonant . - New York Times Review of Books Empire of Wild is a small book. But it is not a slight book. It is close, tight, stark, beautiful - rich where richness is warranted, but spare where want and sorrow have sharpened every word . - NPR”

Deftly written, gripping and informative. Empire of Wild is a rip-roaring read! Margaret Atwood
Empire of Wild is doing everything I love in a contemporary novel and more. It is tough, funny, beautiful, honest and propulsive . . . Cherie Dimaline is a voice that feels both inevitable and necessary. Tommy Orange, author of THERE THERE
Settle in for an utterly compelling blend of propulsive narrative, starkly beautiful writing and passionate, near dysfunctional love, based in the mixed-heritage Métis community of western Canada. Daily Mail
A blend of close-knit emotional bonds and ambiguous menace... Dimaline's novel is able to take the plot to some unexpectedly phantasmagorical places without losing sight of its emotional core... Stories and their telling run throughout this book, from official histories to tales of uncanny and mythic creatures whispered about late at night... Dimaline here turns an old story into something newly haunting and resonant. New York Times Review of Books
Empire of Wild is a small book. But it is not a slight book. It is close, tight, stark, beautiful - rich where richness is warranted, but spare where want and sorrow have sharpened every word. And through multiple narrators (including free-floating, disjointed chapters from Victor which haunt every major angle of the plot), disconnected timelines, the strange geographies of memory and storytelling, Dimaline has crafted something both current and timeless, mythic but personal. It is the story of Joan and her love. Joan and her loss. Joan and her family. Joan and her monster. NPR
Sharp. New Yorker
Wildly entertaining and profound and essential. New York Times
Exhilarating. Lit Hub
Revelatory... Gritty and engaging, this story of a woman and her missing husband is one of candor, wit and tradition." Ms. Magazine
Dimaline trusts her readers. Her characters reiterate the importance of heritage, culture, and representation to their careless and dismissive youth, but she uses language that compels everyone to take heed - native or not; old or young... Dimaline has written this narrator as if she is moving from room to room, traveling through the pages: yes, she has seen and survived it all and when it comes right down to it, Dimaline makes it clear that when it comes to standing up for her people, she is wildly excited about the choreography of a damn good fight. Chicago Review of Books
The novel is at times sad, at times humorous, and at times terrifying. Smartly written with believable characters, a tight plot, and breathtaking sentences, this is a must-read literary thriller. Publishers Weekly (starred review)
Canadian writer Cherie Dimaline blends fantasy, monsters and contemporary First Nation struggles in a powerful and inventive novel... Empire of Wild seamlessly mixes realistic characters with the spiritual and supernatural. As much a literary thriller as a testament to Indigenous female empowerment and strength, Empire of Wild will excite readers with its rapid plot and move them with its dedication to the truths of the Métis community. Book Page (starred review)

Cherie Dimaline is a member of the Georgian Bay Metis Community in Ontario. Her 2017 book,THE MARROW THIEVES, won the Governor General's Award, the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers and was named a Book of Year on numerous lists including the National Public Radio, the New York Public Library, the Globe and Mail and the CBC, and continues to be a national bestseller 2 years later.

Her new novel EMPIRE OF WILD became an instant bestseller and was named Indigo's #1 Best Book of 2019.

A NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER 'Deftly written and gripping: a rip-roaring read!' Margaret Atwood 'Tough, funny, beautiful, honest and propulsive' Tommy Orange 'An utterly compelling blend of propulsive narrative, starkly beautiful writing and passionate, near dysfunctional love' Daily Mail 'Haunting and resonant' New York Times Broken-hearted Joan has been searching for her missing husband, Victor, for almost a year - ever since he went missing on the night they had their first serious argument.One hung-over morning she is drawn to a revival tent in a nearby town - and there is Victor. Only he insists he is not Victor, but the Reverend Eugene Wolff, on a mission to bring his people to Jesus.With only two allies - her Johnny-Cash-loving, 12-year-old nephew Zeus, and Ajean, a foul-mouthed euchre shark with deep knowledge of the old Metis ways - Joan sets out to remind the Reverend Wolff of who he really is. If he really is Victor, his life and the life of everyone she loves, depends upon her success.

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