Description
Good for Nothing is the English translation of the French young adult novel compilation, Journal d'un bon a rien, Le coeur sur la braise, and Hiver indien, by Quebec writer Michel Noel. First published in the French language edition in 1999 as three novels this English compilation was released in 2001. The English translation by Shelley Tanaka. The story revolves around the main character, an Algonquin/Metis fifteen-year-old youth from a reserve in Quebec. Raised by a foster mother in the local town, Nipishish has just been kicked out of residential school and returns home to the reserve. The only good time about residential school is the fact he found the love of his life, Pinamen. The story about this young couple is told over a two-year period and is set in Quebec in 1959. The English translation tells the story of this young couple's marriage, time spent living on the land, the young man's activism, and his attempt at solving the mystery of his father's death. In the story this young couple faces the birth of a child, racism, corrupt RCMP, the struggle to maintain their culture and identity, and their efforts to lead the community against forestry devastation. ATOS Reading Level: 4.4; Guided Reading Level: Z