Brenna and Joe venture to Canada's Northern Territories to spend time with Richard Van Camp's lyrical and melancholy 1996 novel The Lesser Blessed and Anita Dorin's 2012 film adaptation. This is an extremely heavy, but ultimately rewarding pair of texts that merit the extra-long run time (fun fact: when Brenna teaches the book, it takes her three weeks to unpack!)

Brenna goes into much-needed teacher-mode to elaborate on the background of Residential schools, one of Canada's most shameful historical events, which is essential for understanding the book's exploration of trauma and pain. Joe, meanwhile, makes a shocking discovery in a review of the film from the time of its release and the pair celebrate the book's willingness to tackle challenging material. It's not an easy read, but it is vital.

Other Contemporary Indigenous text recommendations: The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King.

In homework: Brenna recommends The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo while Joe opts for Raziel Reid's Heathers-inspired book, Kens, after its recommendation by a listener!

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