TWELVE HORSES FOR JULIA

THE STORY OF A SOUTHERN ALBERTA PIONEER

by Lara Malmqvist ‧ RELEASE DATE: N/A

A young woman from Iowa settles in Canada in the 19th century.

This novel is the lightly fictionalized tale of Malmqvist’s (The Drone at the Diamond Valley Chop Shop, 2019, etc.) great-great-grandmother that’s based on both family lore and documented history. Julia, the daughter of a French Canadian man and his Oglala Sioux and French wife, leaves her Iowa farm at age 8 after her father kills a thief and antagonizes the local authorities. The family spends several years on a nearby reservation with relatives. After the U.S. government opens land for settlement, Julia and her family set out for Oregon in 1865. During the trip, they are attacked by Blackfoot, and Julia and two younger siblings are adopted by the tribe. Their transition is aided by the presence of Sara, another white adoptee. At 15, Julia marries Moïse (the book’s title refers to the bride price he pays) and joins him on his Oregon farm. After several years of marriage and a reunion with her father, Julia is convinced by Moïse to move to Canada’s newly organized Northwest Territory, where the family settles into ranching in a rural community in southern Alberta. The group later adapts to the arrival of the train and other connections to the wider world. An author’s note elaborates on the historical Julia’s experiences and how Malmqvist came to learn about her family’s past. The novel does an excellent job of capturing Julia’s discomfort as her way of life repeatedly changes (“This was the first house that I’d been in since we’d fled our farm in Iowa when I was a small child”). And while the kidnapped-by–Native Americans trope is a frequently problematic one, the author balances the facts of Julia’s capture with well-rounded portrayals of her adoptive family. The writing is generally strong, although there are occasional bits of stilted dialogue as characters deliver historical trivia (“Have you heard of the Kentucky Derby?...The first race was held last year”). Still, Malmqvist generally turns limited facts into a plausible and highly readable narrative.

An enjoyable tale of Canadian pioneer life inspired by the author’s family history.

Pub Date: N/A

ISBN: 978-1-5255-4531-3

Page Count: 211

Publisher: FriesenPress

Review Posted Online: June 20, 2019

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

GENERAL FICTION