• Age: 16
• Grade: 11

A beautifully written collection of interconnected short stories told primarily through the eyes of a young Anishinaabe woman struggling with her relationships with lovers, friends, family, children, community and culture. As some relationships dissolve or are wrenched apart, others endure and gain strength. An intimate glimpse into the reality faced by many young First Nations women, The Colour of Dried Bones is by turns dark and brooding, sensual and filled with intense longing , infused with anger and brutality and, ultimately, uplifting in its portrayal of one woman's winding path to reclaim her culture and sense of self.

Born and raised in Garden River First Nations, located outside of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, Lesley is an Ojibwe writer and spoken word performer. She has an M.A. in English Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Windsor. Lesley's fiction, poetry, and plays have been published in journals and anthologies in Canada and the US and she has performed her spoken word pieces at various events. An advocate for Indigenous arts, Lesley has hosted several poetry cabarets featuring Ojibwe hand-drumming and highlighting the work of local Indigenous performers. Lesley is a part-time university instructor and trustee at the Garden River Reserve Community Trust. She lives in Kingston, Ontario with her family.

Lesley Belleau's profile page

https://fieryfirstfiction.blogspot.com/2008/03/colour-of-dried-bones.html

The Colour of Dried Bones