In Search of April Raintree - by Beatrice Mosionier (Paperback)

About the Book

In this moving story, two young sisters are placed in different foster homes. Despite the distance, they remain close, even as their decisions threaten to divide them. As one sister embraces her Métis identity, the other tries to leave it behind. This anniversary edition features a new foreword and an essay on the child welfare system.

Book Synopsis

Memories. Some memories are elusive, fleeting, like a butterfly that touches down and is free until it is caught. Others are haunting. You'd rather forget them, but they won't be forgotten. And some are always there. No matter where you are, they are there, too.

In this moving story of legacy and reclamation, two young sisters are taken from their home and family. Powerless in a broken system, April and Cheryl are separated and placed in different foster homes. Despite the distance, they remain close, even as their decisions threaten to divide them emotionally, culturally, and geographically. As one sister embraces her Métis identity, the other tries to leave it behind.

Will the sisters' bond survive as they struggle to make their way in a society that is often indifferent, hostile, and violent?

Beloved for more than 40 years, In Search of April Raintree is a timeless story that lingers long after the final page. This anniversary edition features a foreword by Governor General's Award-winning author Katherena Vermette, and an afterword by University of Regina professor, Dr. Raven Sinclair (Ôtiskewâpit), an expert on Indigenous child welfare.

Review Quotes

[The] author's seminal novel remains relevant even after 40 years. Heartbreaking and uplifting...a story that resonated mightily.

As crafted by Mosionier, April's history shines a light on a place and its iniquities; and it exposes a citizenry, composed of the kindhearted and cruel, whose own journey to civility is far from complete.

Forty years on, In Search of April Raintree remains a groundbreaking novel.

[An] influential Indigenous novel, Beatrice Mosionier's story of resilience, sisterly love and identity paved the way for Indigenous storytellers.

About the Author

Born in St. Boniface, Manitoba, Beatrice Mosionier is a Métis writer best known for her novel In Search of April Raintree, first published in 1983. A school edition, April Raintree, followed in 1984.

The youngest of four children, Beatrice was three years old when the Children's Aid Society of Winnipeg took her from her family. Losing both of her sisters to suicide--Vivian in 1964 and Katherine in 1980--compelled Beatrice to use her experiences growing up in foster homes to write In Search of April Raintree. Since then, it has become a beloved classic, read by generations of Canadians.

Most recently, she wrote the foreword for Overcome, Stories of Women Who Grew Up in the Child Welfare System, by Anne Mahon. She has written several other books, including a play and a short film, and she is the former publisher of Pemmican Publications. She now lives in Enderby, British Columbia.

katherena vermette (she/her/hers) is a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In 2013, her first book, North End Love Songs (The Muses' Company) won the Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry. Since then, her work has garnered awards and critical accolades across genres. Her novels The Break (House of Anansi) and The Strangers (Hamish Hamilton) were both national best sellers and won multiple literary awards.

She is the author of numerous other bestselling titles, including the A Girl Called Echo series (HighWater Press) and the Seven Teachings Stories series (HighWater Press).