(2000), Eden Robinson’s first novel, elaborates on her short story “Queen of the North”, which first appeared in her collection
Traplines(1996). This coming-of-age narrative is framed as a mystery – two sailors have gone missing in a shipwreck – and is related in a series of non-linear, retrospective episodes centered on the experiences of a young Haisla woman. Robinson, herself a member of the Haisla and Heiltsuk First Nations, informs the novel with traditional mythic elements, including descriptions of the
b’gwus(“wild man of the woods” [7] or sasquatch), birds who speak Haisla, and tree spirits apprehensible to those with special powers.
The novel
was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award and the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and won the…
956 words
Citation: Hamilton, Geoff. "Monkey Beach". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 28 July 2019 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=38903, accessed 21 November 2024.]
