The trauma and the pain, but also the love written in Birdie painted a more realistic picture of modern indigenous life in remote reserves. Birdie and her reflections on her past jump from distant to recent, from Gibsons to Edmonton, to time spent with her aunts on the reserve to prom shopping with her British foster parents. It all jumbles together and builds a picture of how one can love your family while also being hurt by them. The number of strong female characters is also encouraging -- for Birdie but also for the reader. I had to stick this book out. The emotional weight of the book and the visceral tug to read and learn made it not easy to read, but the end made it totally worth it.