The Hill Times 100 Best Book of 2024

The incomparable first-hand account of the historic Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada told by one of the commissioners who led it.

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established to record the previously hidden history of more than a century of forced residential schooling for Indigenous children. Marie Wilson helped lead that work as one of just three commissioners. With the skills of a journalist, the heart of a mother and grandmother, and the insights of a life as the spouse of a residential school survivor, Commissioner Wilson guides readers through her years witnessing survivor testimony across the country, providing her unique perspective on the personal toll and enduring public value of the commission. In this unparalleled account, she honours the voices of survivors who have called Canada to attention, determined to heal, reclaim, and thrive.

Part vital public documentary, part probing memoir, North of Nowhere breathes fresh air into the possibilities of reconciliation amid the persistent legacy of residential schools. It is a call to everyone to view the important and continuing work of reconciliation not as an obligation but as a gift.

DR. MARIE WILSON (CM, ONWT, MSC) spent six years crisscrossing the country as a commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. She has spoken throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand on the potential of reconciliation. Born in Ontario, she has lived, studied, and worked as a journalist, teacher, professor, trainer, and executive in Canada, France, Burkina Faso, South Africa, and parts of South America. She lives in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories.

Marie Wilson's profile page

• Commended, The Hill Times 100 Best Book of 2024

“North of Nowhere is beautifully written.” — Winnipeg Free Press

“Profoundly moving.” — Broadview Magazine

“The former Truth and Reconciliation commissioner Marie Wilson’s North of Nowhere serves as an accessible companion text to the commission’s 2015 final report, which documents the history of Canada’s residential schools. The book’s value lies in her attention to survivors’ testimonies … Given all she has heard, it’s worth noting that Wilson keeps hope at the centre of her book.” — Literary Review of Canada

“An outstanding book.” — Saltwire