Through Black Spruce

{{Infobox book

| image = Through Black Spruce.jpg |

| caption = First edition

| name = Through Black Spruce

| author = Joseph Boyden

| country = Canada

| genre = Canadian literature, First Nations

| publisher = Viking Canada

| release_date = September 9, 2008

| media_type = Print (Hardback)

| pages = 360 p. (Viking Canada (Penguin Group) hardcover edition)

| isbn = 978-0-670-06363-5

| isbn_note = (Penguin Group Canada)

| oclc= 225774686

| preceded_by = Three Day Road

| followed_by = The Orenda

}}

Through Black Spruce is a novel by Canadian writer Joseph Boyden, published in 2008 by Viking Press. It is Boyden's second novel and third published book.

Through Black Spruce was named the winner of the 2008 Scotiabank Giller Prize on November 11, 2008.[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081111.wboyden12/BNStory/Entertainment/home "Boyden wins literature's Giller"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113011614/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081111.wboyden12/BNStory/Entertainment/home |date=2008-11-13 }}, The Globe and Mail, November 11, 2008.

Plot summary

Through Black Spruce is set in Moosonee, Ontario and is narrated by Will Bird and his niece Annie Bird with the narration switching between chapters.

Will, a former bush pilot, is in a coma. Over the course of the novel Will recounts the events of the previous year which led to him being in a coma to his nieces, Annie and Suzanne. Meanwhile, in the present day, Annie recounts the previous year of her life and her sojourns to Toronto, Montreal, New York City and Moose Factory Ontario to see Will in an attempt to help to revive him from his coma.

Film adaptation

A film adaptation by Don McKellar was released in 2018,{{cite news |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/article-boyden-adaptation-through-black-spruce-heads-to-tiff-sparking-debate/ |title=Boyden adaptation Through Black Spruce selected by TIFF, reigniting debate over authorship |work=The Globe and Mail |date=July 24, 2018 }} receiving two Canadian Screen Award nominations at the 7th Canadian Screen Awards in 2019, for Best Actor (Brandon Oakes) and Best Original Score (Alaska B),{{cite news |url=https://nowtoronto.com/movies/features/canadian-screen-awards-2019-nominations/ |title=Canadian Screen Awards 2019: English-Canadian films shut out of best picture category |work=Now |date=February 7, 2019 }} winning the latter.{{cite news |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1161646/prix-ecrans-canadiens-2019-gagnants |title=Les Québécois remportent plus de la moitié des trophées à l'avant-gala des prix Écrans canadiens |trans-title=Quebeckers bring home over half the trophies at the Canadian Screen Awards pre-gala |publisher=Ici Radio-Canada |date=March 31, 2019 }}

References

Category:2008 Canadian novels

Category:Novels by Joseph Boyden

Category:Novels set in Northern Ontario

Category:Novels set in Toronto

Category:Novels set in Montreal

Category:Giller Prize–winning works

Category:Cochrane District

Category:Canadian novels adapted into films

Category:Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement