Self-described as SA国际影视传媒渟mall compared with the magnitude of its themes,SA国际影视传媒� Trevor HerriotSA国际影视传媒檚 book Towards a Prairie Atonement fuses the conventions of historical and ecological writing to craft a book that insightfully explores both the land and people of the Canadian Prairies. In this process, Herriot turns what may look like a small step SA国际影视传媒� as this book is shorter than my hand SA国际影视传媒� into learning about the prairie provinces and spins it into a massive leap in knowledge and appreciation for that area that affected me and, ISA国际影视传媒檓 sure, anyone else who ventures into the world of this book.
Flipping between the history of the Prairies and HerriotSA国际影视传媒檚 own journey to collect this information, Towards a Prairie Atonement pays particular attention to the wildlife photographers, social activists, land owners, M茅tis leaders, and many others who contributed to the true mosaic of this book. Herriot also emphasizes not only his role in creating this book but also our own role as readers. Contrary to the typical order of a book, instead of starting at chapter one it instead opens up with HerriotSA国际影视传媒檚 SA国际影视传媒淎cknowledgments.SA国际影视传媒�
In these acknowledgments, HerriotSA国际影视传媒檚 first sentence is basically that the book itself SA国际影视传媒� how it feels in your hand, the authorSA国际影视传媒檚 delicate gold illustration of the Prairie grasses that appear on the bookSA国际影视传媒檚 cover, and its size SA国际影视传媒� should contribute to how enjoyable it is to read this book. This bookSA国际影视传媒檚 intentional beauty invites us to revisit the grasslands, which can seem plain and impersonal, through new eyes. Each of these thoughtful details definitely contributed to my interest in this book, and I really appreciate the effort that the author and his publisher put into making this little white book something special both inside and out.
A book ISA国际影视传媒檝e jokingly described as an SA国际影视传媒渁utobiography of SaskatchewanSA国际影视传媒�, Towards a Prairie Atonement truly succeeds in transforming the province into something I can understand and engage with, rather than leaving it simply as a point between A and B on a road trip. It also made me reflect on how little we focus on the Prairies themselves. On TV, in books, or in our day-to-day conversations, Prairie stories just arenSA国际影视传媒檛 told often. Unlike the popularity of American Westerns, the story of settler occupation of the prairies, the language and culture of the M茅tis people, or the feuds between the Hudson Bay Company and the North West Company donSA国际影视传媒檛 typically leave the middle school classroom in Canada (with the comic book series A Girl Called Echo by Katherena Vermette being a fantastic exception).
A joy to read and a joy to write about, Towards a Prairie Atonement is a delightful guide for history buffs or those wide-eyed to learn more. Including a few blank pages at the end of the book in which to make your own field notes, HerriotSA国际影视传媒檚 book encourages loving and perceptive engagement with the natural world around us, whether we are on the Prairies or the Canadian Shield.
