By Caprice Hogg
This beautifully written memoir describes a love story and demonstrates how two people from dramatically different upbringings, cultures, and spiritual beliefs can come together and share a profoundly happy life. For ten years, Annie was married to her husband Herb when he suddenly passed away. She describes her journey through grief and gives us a personal account of their deep relationship. She left her Mennonite roots in the United States and moved to Northern Ontario to be with her husband. The author gives us a glance into her life with an Oji-Cree man, absorbing his way of life, his spirituality, and his profound teachings. We get a glimpse from the outside, looking in on a world not available to most of us. This gives us a sense of how we can incorporate these ancient Indigenous teachings into our own lives.
I was originally drawn to this book as I have been through my own deep grief. Annie gives her perspective on how to navigate these troubled times when it seems impossible for life to go on without your loved one by your side. She talks openly about grief but also balances the pain of the absence of her husband by sharing the joy that she carries within her from the years they had together. She writes of the Spirit of Indigenous teachings that give strength, encouragement, and hope. She shares the ancient wisdom that she learned from her husband.
The author also gives a personal account of growing up as a young, white Mennonite girl in a strict family. She continues to work on dissolving what she calls “The Suppression of Happiness Disorder”. Her upbringing dramatically differed from her husband’s as he went to residential schools in Canada. While she does not go into great details about the atrocities he experienced, she does tell stories from his childhood and how he grew up with problems of addiction and anger. Herb referred to the negative aspects of his personality as “rascals”, and Annie writes about how he was able to acknowledge and deal with these “rascals”. By using the traditional wisdom of the Anishinaabe, Herb was able to overcome his addictions and spent his life teaching, writing and travelling around the world, sharing his wisdom, and helping others.
This book not only tells the life story of Annie’s incredible journey but also honours and cherishes the life of her husband. It is a wealth of information and knowledge that is respectfully passed on to those who read it and hopefully benefit from the teachings. For me, this one line describes the book perfectly:
“Following Herb’s death, my personal goal of writing about the things Herb had wanted to put in his second book, which we’d been unable to complete, has been a guiding light for me. It has been a way for me to continue the conversation with him and hold closely the treasure of his wisdom.”
Thanks to Latitude 46 Publishing for the complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.