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2004 Alberta Children's Book of the Year

Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award shortlist 2004

In this lyrical coming-of-age story, Governor General's Award-winner Rudy Wiebe captures the anxiety of a boy who feels powerless to help his people, but who must speak his dreams if they are to survive. Steeped in aboriginal myth and lore, Hidden Buffalo is also the tale of how a whole tribe can turn its gaze from the horizon to see to the wisdom of a child.

Original paintings by noted Cree artist Michael Lonechild capture the colorful palette of the prairie landscape in autumn and the rich detail of Cree life in the late nineteenth century. ... Read more

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In 1944, as war rages across Europe and Asia, famine, violence and fear are commonplace. But life appears tranquil in the isolated farming settlement of Wapiti in northern Saskatchewan, where the Mennonite community continues the agricultural lifestyle their ancestors have practised for centuries. Their Christian values of peace and love lead them to oppose war and military service, so they are hardly affected by the war – except for the fact that they are reaping the rewards of selling their increasingly valuable crops and livestock.

Thom Wiens, a young farmer and earnest Christian, begins to ask questions. How can they claim to oppose the war when their livestock become meat to sustain soldiers? How can they enjoy this free country but rely on others to fight to preserve that freedom? Within the community, conflicts and broken relationships threaten the peace, as the Mennonite tradition of close community life manifests itself as racism toward their “half-breed” neighbours, and aspirations of holiness turn into condemnation of others. Perhaps the greatest hope for the future lies with children such as Hal Wiens, whose friendship with the Métis children and appreciation of the natural environment offer a positive vision of people living at peace with themselves and others.

Wiebe’s groundbreaking first novel aroused great controversy among Mennonite communities when it was first published in 1962. Wiebe explains, “I guess it was a kind of bombshell because it was the first realistic novel ever written about Mennonites in western Canada. A lot of people had no clue how to read it. They got angry. I was talking from the inside and exposing things that shouldn't be exposed.” At the same time, other reviewers were unsure how to react to Wiebe’s explicitly religious themes, a view which Wiebe found absurd. “There are many, many people who feel that religious experience is the most vital thing that happens to them in their lives, and how many of these people actually ever get explored in modern novels?”

The concept of peace is an important theme in Wiebe’s first three books. The attempt to live non-violently, one of the basic tenets of the Mennonite faith as taught by the sixteenth-century spiritual leader Menno Simons, is what has “caused the Mennonites the most difficulty in their relationship with everybody,” forcing them to move again and again. The theme of peace versus passivity is further explored in The Blue Mountains of China, where inner peace, a state of being, is contrasted with the earthly desire for a place of public order and tranquility where the church is “there for a few hours a Sunday and maybe a committee meeting during the week to keep our fire escape polished,” as Thom, the protagonist puts it.. Wiebe has said, “To be an Anabaptist is to be a radical follower of the person of Jesus Christ. . . and Jesus Christ had no use for the social and political structures of his day; he came to supplant them.”

While Peace Shall Destroy Many takes place in a Mennonite community, its elements are universal, delineating the way young idealism rebels against staid tradition, as a son clashes with his father. In the face of violent confrontations between beliefs all over the world,the novel remains as compelling now as it was nearly forty years ago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Worth the Effort
PSDM tells the story of Thom Wiens, a young Mennonite man struggling to make sense of his faith in a world of increasing complexity. Set in the rural town of Wapiti, Saskatchewan, during WWII, the relationship of peace and Christianity stands as the central theme of the book. As the other reviews show, this is a character (and not plot) driven book.

The belief in peace and nonviolence is probably the central and most compelling aspect of Anabaptist belief. While other Christian traditions place numerous qualifications on the Sermon on the Mount, Mennonites have high regard for the hardest and literal words of Jesus. As a result of their noncompliance with 'worldly' government, they have also been historically persecuted, leading to a narrative identity as a "peculiar people."

While one of the most important forms of Christianity, Anabaptists also have many internal problems as a result of their beliefs. In many instances, Mennonite communities become insular and xenophobic, havens for power mongers and anti-intellectualists, and sadly, shelter for abusers.

In this book, Thom Wiens struggles to reconcile biblical imperatives with the teachings of Deacon Block. Block is a Mennonite Moses, a strong and conflicted leader of conviction who has built Wapiti with sheer will power and tireless effort. While Wiens seeks to live out his Christian faith and to love his Metis and Native neighbours, Block simultaneously seeks to protect the community from the influence of outsiders. Wiens grows increasingly aware of the darker side of Mennonite separation, seen in Block's own family and in the devil's choice between community and evangelism.

The most compelling sections of this book show the dissonance between the events of the wider world and the particular fascinations of the Mennonite vision. In one scene, Thom grapples with the ethics of a mixed marriage between an estranged Mennonite and a Metis "breed," without being aware of the war-time broadcast of the liberation of France on the radio. It is hard to fault Thom for worrying more about this threat to his rigid ethic more than the fate of a continent.

PSDM is a cri de coeur for an authentic Mennonite vision in a changing world. It is the work of an insider, a Mennonite who must have walked Thom's path of conversion himself. Wiebe clearly loves the Mennonite tradition despite his own reservations about it. As the dissolution of a Christian narrative, it is not a joyous book, nor is it Wiebe's best. It is important for its portrayal of a man on the cusp of a decision --- Peace or Love?

Difficult reading choice
I had to read this book for my Anabaptist Theology class at Fresno Pacific University. I had a difficult time following the plot and getting characters mixed up. I would encourage anyone to try to read this book in only one or two sittings, I had to read it over the course of 2 weeks and I felt that I lost some of the emotions in the novel. The novel raises soem very interesing questions about Mennonite views. I woudl encourage anyone involved with a Mennonite church to read this novel - it gave me great insight to our church.

Wiebe's beautiful first novel
There is a tendency to tokenize traditional Mennonite communities.Their separated lifestyle demonstrates, for many, an attractive way of being; the oddity of their appearance both mystifies and intrigues us.Yet, many cannot see beyond these romanticized notions.Rudy Wiebe explores the more hidden cultural and social aspects of traditional Russian Mennonite life in his book Peace Shall Destroy Many.Wiebe paints a picture of a tense, complex and changing community, struggling to stay true to the faith, but prone to prejudice, corruption and divisiveness.

It goes on and on and on and on and on...
I had to read this book in grade twelve...twice!Once for a Christian Ethincs Class and once for English studies on Canadian Literature. It was quite disappointing, taking a long time to build up to a climax that didn't exist...it was more of an anti-climax. The symbolism in the book makes upfor the less-than-admirable plot about a boy deciding whether to rebelagainst his upbringing and allow war and violence into his life. ... Read more

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Infused with the same storytelling style and energy that have made him one of Canada's most widely read and respected novelists, Rudy Wiebe's First and Vital Candle is the powerful story of one man's search for meaning, both in the mean streets of our urban landscape, and in the wilderness beyond.Rebellious, adrift and alone in his quest, the middle aged hero of this compelling novel settles finally with a band of Ojibway in Northern Ontario where, confronted with the mystical and spiritual qualities of the North and its people, he is finally able to open his heart to love and profound understanding. ... Read more

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When it began, he was just another stranger without a name. When it ended, he was the most notorious criminal in North America, the object of the largest manhunt in RCMP history.This is the story of Albert Johnson, the Mad Trapper, a silent man of superhuman strength and endurance, who defied capture for fifty days in the bitter cold of winter, north of the Arctic Circle. He was a man who crossed hundreds of miles of frozen tundra on foot, who survived dynamite blasts and the pursuit of police, trappers and the army, and who became the first man to cross the Richardson Mountains in a blizzard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Not all that great
This novel is based on an incident during the winter of 1932, when a trapper in the NWT, Canada by the name of "Albert Johnson" led the RCMP on a epic cross-country chase through the Canadian arctic.Although a media sensation, the story soon faded to obscurity; only to be resurrected by Dick North, a small-town newspaper editor, in his book The Mad Trapper of Rat River, and the dubious Thomas P. Kelley in his The Rat River Trapper.Both published in 1972.Soon afterwards, Saskatoon-based Granicus Films began work on a movie based on the story, enlisting Rudy Wiebe as screenwriter.When the financial backing for the movie fell through, Wiebe reworked the screenplay into a novel.Although I have yet to read much of Wiebe's work, what I have read has impressed me much, so I was looking forward to reading his take on the Mad Trapper.It was not far into the book that my interest began to wane; it is not particularly well written, but what disappointed me more was fairly significant manner in which the plot was reworked for dramatic effect.The most obvious of these changes is the role that Constable Millen plays.Also the characterization of "Wop" May, whose role in tracking of the MAd Trapper was instrumental in its success, was somewhat questionable.Not surprisingly, this novel is not considered among Wiebe's best. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Another truth
I chose this book to read for a review assignment, and I must say, I'm glad I chose it. It is the life-story of a woman, the hardships she had to face throughout her life, as seen through her eyes. The book also shows how the judicial system, which we often view as having distinct boundaries, and as having the final hand in society, cannot ultimately be seen as such. While others may view Yvonne Johnson as a "cold-blooded criminal" and her subsequent novel as a "commercial enterprise", it is rather that this book is simply a means for her to have her voice heard, in a world that has silenced her for so long. We all want to have our voices heard, we all want to find our strengths. This book is how she found hers.

Shameful
It's a shame when we put our criminals up on pedestals like this, especially with a murder so cold-blooded and senseless. That anyone can profit financially from such a heinous crime is deplorable and tells us something significant about our culture.

As to the questions of injustice, it's not pointed out very often that Ms.Johnson was not the only native involved in this crime. Her co-conspirators were also native, as was the victim Leonard Charles Skwarok. Where then can we point the finger of racism?

I personally did not find this book very poetic at all. Its narrative is uselessly disjointed, its grammar is often clumsy, and its poetic devices nearly non-existent. While Ms.Johnson writes most of the book in first person, the crucial chapters detailing the murder are written in third person. Is this because Ms.Johnson can't clearly remember what happened that night because she was drunk at the time, or because she wishes to detach herself from the incident, and have us see her more as an observer than as a participant? In any case, it's a clever device designed to separate the criminal from the crime. I for one don't buy it.

Scary, heartbreaking, shocking
I just finished the book about Yvonne and her hardships. I read it in Norwegian, but that did not diminish the affect it had on me. It's unbelievable what some people have to go through, without anyone doing something about it. And then actually surviving it all, amazing!
She said it herself in the book that people who have been through hard experiences easier can understand what others have to struggle with. And being as she is a Medicine Woman it is in her blood to try and help, wherever possible.
It is also a startling report on how the Natives are still treated in both America and Canada. One can only hope that books like this can help open at least a few peoples eyes...

Stolen Life: The Jorney of a Cree Woman
I have actually just begun to read the book as I became interested in this particular book very recently -- my family grew up in the same neighborhood as Yvonne Johnson and I felt compelled to read the book.I recall certain incidents from childhood such as her father on the front porch lining up all the children &(drunk) screaming "Indians on the Warpath" and one time grabbing my own sister off her bike, throwing her down (mistaking her for Yvonne) and then having to apologize profusely (he was drunk that time also)to my family.I recall her oldest brother dying while in the county jail, how my mother had him at times mow our lawns & we recalled how sad that time was, how the youngest, Perry, looked like a female with the long flowing hair (he had the lightest coloring), the girls Karen, Sharon, Kathy, Yvonne, how the Mother drove truck--the hard-scrabble life they led--I am sure it took a tremendous amount of courage to write this book, I recalled how she struggled with her speech, etc and how people could be mean to her.

Don't let your fears stand in the way of your dreams!
Tansi,

I come from a small reserve in northern Manitoba.What I read in "Journey of a Cree Woman" was unbelievable.I cannot believe how many hardships this woman had to go through, and yet she still continueson.This book really opened my eyes as to what other women go through .This book touched my heart and many times I got shivers down my back.Thisbook is an awesome book, that I recommend especially for women.There aremany good things I could say about this book, but there is a limit.Icommend Rudy on his awesome work and continuied support with Yvonne.Icommend Yvonne for sharing her story with us as it is not easy to tell astory that is nothing but the truth! ... Read more

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In her entertaining study of Rudy Wiebe's novels, Penny van Toorn presents a new way of reading his work. She analyzes Wiebe's struggle to control the "socially contested territory" of language and principles that underlie his complex narrative structures. Drawing on Wiebe's manuscript materials, interviews, and Wiebe's Mennonite background, history, and political values, van Toorn gives the first real answer to his famous question: "Where is the voice coming from?" ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from Manitoba History, published by Manitoba Historical Society on September 22, 1996. The length of the article is 1478 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Rudy Wiebe and the historicity of the word.
Publication: Manitoba History (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 1996
Publisher: Manitoba Historical Society
Issue: 32Page: 42-3

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Rudy Henry Wiebe, OC (born 4 October 1934) is a Canadian author and professor emeritus in the department of English at the University of Alberta since 1992. Wiebe was born at Speedwell, near Fairholme, Saskatchewan in what would later become his family's chicken barn. For thirteen years he lived in an isolated community of about 250 people, as part of the last generation of homesteaders to settle the Canadian west. He did not speak English until age six since Mennonites at that time customarily spoke Plautdietsch (Low German) at home and standard German at Church. He attended the small school three miles from his farm and the Speedwell Mennonite Brethren Church.He received his B.A. in 1956 from the University of Alberta and then studied under a Rotary International Fellowship at the University of Tübingen in West Germany, near Stuttgart. In 1958 he married Tena Isaak; they now have three children. In Germany, he studied literature and theology and travelled to England, Austria, Switzerland and Italy. ... Read more

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Word count: 2688. ... Read more

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Chapters: Menno Simons, John Howard Yoder, Rudy Wiebe, A. James Reimer, Guy Hershberger, Tripp York. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 31. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Menno Simons (1496 31 January 1561) was a Dutch Anabaptist religious leader from the Friesland region of the Low Countries. Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers and his followers became known as Mennonites. Menno Simons () was born in 1496 in Witmarsum, Friesland, Holy Roman Empire. He grew up in a poor peasant environment, but very little is known concerning his childhood and family. His father's name must have been Simon, Simons being a patronym, while he had a brother named Pieter. Simons grew up in a disillusioned and war torn country. Friesland was ravaged by war in the late 15th and early 16th century. Landsknecht soldiers haunted the Frisian lands in the 1490s to force the 'Free' Frisians to accept the duke of Saxony-Meissen as their head-of-state. The duke was the governor of the Netherlands for the Habsburg family. One of the archenemies of the Habsburgs, the Duke of Guelders, invaded Friesland in 1515 and conquered half of it. The other half was ceded by Saxony to the Habsburgs. The Frisians tried to regain their freedom but they were too weak and eventually accepted the imperial authority of the Habsburg emperor Charles V. Simons learned Latin and some Greek and he was taught about the Latin Church Fathers during his training to become a priest. Before or during this training, he had never read the Bible, out of fear that he would be seduced, once he would do this. When he later reflected about this period, he called himself stupid. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1515 or 1516 at Utrecht, he was then made a chaplain in his father's village Pingjum (1524). Around 1526 or 15...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=301503 ... Read more

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First published in 1933, Fruits of the Earth has come to be regarded as a landmark in Canadian fiction, an unparalleled depiction of the ordeals endured by the early pioneers of the western prairies. In his portrait of Abe Spalding, Frederick Philip Grove captures the essence of the pioneering spirit: its single-minded strength, its nobility, and ultimately, its tragedy. A novel of broad scope and perception, Fruits of the Earth displays a dignity and stature rare in contemporary works of fiction. ... Read more

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Exploring relationships in the alien hyperworlds of circus performers, taxi drivers, and single fathers, Martin Sherman looks at the shattered universes of characters struggling to persist amid shards of their faith. ... Read more