Katherena Vermette
The Break by Katherena Vermette focuses on four generations of Métis women from the same family. The Métis are of mixed European and indigenous descent originating in Western Canada.
The story begins with Stella, a young Métis mother who witnesses a violent attack just outside her home. The police are called in to investigate. Since there is no body, the police dismiss the incident and imply Stella may have imagined the whole thing. But when a young girl is admitted to the hospital having been brutally raped, the police begin a thorough investigation.
The story unfolds primarily through the multiple perspectives of four generations of women related to the young victim. All are descended from the matriarch of the family, the great grandmother, known as Kakoom. Emily, the victim, is Kakoom’s thirteen-year old great grand-daughter. The perspectives alternate between the sisters, aunts, nieces, friends, and acquaintances. Included is the lone male perspective—a young Métis police officer who is sympathetic to the victim and her family.
Each of the women reveals her backstory as she struggles to cope with the horror of what has happened to Emily. What emerges from their stories and from their current situation is their exposure to violence. In one way or another, all the women have been victims of violence, whether directly or indirectly. They have become hardened and suspicious toward the outside world as a result.
These are women who have had to be strong in order to survive. Threaded throughout their narratives are stories of addiction, domestic violence, sexual assault, gang violence, distrust of the system, exposure to police apathy, and floundering relationships with men. Sons are present, but fathers are noticeably absent. The women have only each other and their traditions to cling to for support. They band together in times of crisis, surrounding Emily in a cocoon of love and support.
Vermette effectively contextualizes the challenges facing these women as members of the Canadian Métis community. The characters are sympathetically drawn as each struggles with her own personal demons and tragedies. Unfortunately, the constantly shifting perspective of this very large cast of characters is problematic. The family tree at the beginning of the book helps to alleviate some of the confusion. But it doesn’t bode well when one has to frequently refer to it to situate one of the many women within the family. In addition, the constantly shifting perspectives does not allow a strong connection to be forged with any of the characters. We are given barely a glimpse of a character’s past or current situation before the perspective shifts to someone else. This has the effect of diluting character development, with no one character emerging as fully developed.
A dark and intense intergenerational family saga that sheds light on the plight of Métis women in Canada. The story is very powerful; the language, beautiful; the execution, problematic. This is not an easy read because of the nature of the subject matter.
Recommended with some reservations.