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Wild People Quiet: A Novel
A taut, exquisitely rendered story exploring the repercussions of a woman’s decision to hide her Métis identity while living in a small, predominantly white prairie town in the 1940s, for readers of The Berry Pickers, Tommy Orange, and The Vanishing Half.
Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, 1946.
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every Saturday night, without fail.
But one morning at the end of summer, everything changes.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
This extraordinary novel asks us what we will do for our community, for our families, for our friends, even at our own expense. It examines the harrowing effects of choosing to live as someone else—and the radiant peace that comes from finally living one’s truth. Gripping, wrenching, and utterly immersive, Wild People Quiet is a stunning achievement by a remarkable literary talent.
Torduvalle, Saskatchewan, 1946.
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every Saturday night, without fail.
But one morning at the end of summer, everything changes.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
This extraordinary novel asks us what we will do for our community, for our families, for our friends, even at our own expense. It examines the harrowing effects of choosing to live as someone else—and the radiant peace that comes from finally living one’s truth. Gripping, wrenching, and utterly immersive, Wild People Quiet is a stunning achievement by a remarkable literary talent.
304 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2026
About the author
Tara Gereaux
4 books31 followersTara Gereaux’s debut novel, Saltus, was released in 2021. Her first book, a teen novella called Size of a Fist (Thistledown Press, 2015), was nominated for two 2016 Saskatchewan Book Awards. Her writing has been published in several literary magazines and has won awards, including the City of Regina Writing Award in 2016 and 2019.
After graduating with an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, Tara worked as a story editor and writer in film and television for ten years.
From the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan and of Métis and European heritage, Tara lived in Vancouver for nearly two decades before returning to her home on the prairie. She lives in Regina, SK.
After graduating with an MFA in creative writing from the University of British Columbia, Tara worked as a story editor and writer in film and television for ten years.
From the Qu’Appelle Valley in Saskatchewan and of Métis and European heritage, Tara lived in Vancouver for nearly two decades before returning to her home on the prairie. She lives in Regina, SK.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 103 reviews
December 9, 2025
[Will post quote about Michif lives post publication]
A choice she makes in desperation to be free, Florence Campeau decides to become Florence Banks and slip out of her old life to become someone else.
For the past 11 years, Florence has been a secretary at Pratt’s Insurance and Real Estate in Torduvalle, Saskatchewan. She “blends in with everyone else”; nobody would know she’s one of ‘them’. Them, or half-breeds as the predominantly while Prairie community of 1940s Saskatchewan calls the Métis, are a mixed-race Indigenous people. They were not afforded the same respect or opportunities as European settlers.
Tara Gereaux, a Métis person and extremely talented author, has written this five-star story exploring the repercussions of one woman’s decision to hide her Métis identity. Gereaux’s narrative is focused, gentle, vivid, and methodical; the same approach you’d expect from someone skilled enough to be doing beadwork. Like Indigenous beadwork, the quiet narrative produces a noteworthy result. Will we Canadians sit up and pay attention?
I have taught Canadian history and understand the 1885 Northwest Resistance and the script system, but I had never heard of ‘Road Allowance People’, the NRTA of 1930, or ‘Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act of 1935’. Gereaux educated me. I read in horror at the heartbreaking suffering experienced due to poverty and racism. As a country, we have certainly failed in our responsibility to protect the Metis. Their history is full of dispossession and extinction. It didn’t need to be that way.
Things that gave me pause:
💔the author’s exploration of whether we can be two people at the same time or if we need to split, keeping two separate parts of ourselves
💔the realization that, in keeping something from someone, we actually are keeping something very important and valuable from ourselves.
💔despite the appalling situations forced upon these people, this Road Allowance community is rich in so many ways. I was in awe of the tight community that supported each other as they continued to struggle to keep their culture and way of life intact.
Gereaux brings to life the burden of living as someone else as she shares a little-known element of Metis history, culture and identity. The author’s focus is on resilience and resistance and the book packs a punch despite its soft delivery. It’s one historical fiction lovers and Canadians need on our reading lists ASAP.
I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
A choice she makes in desperation to be free, Florence Campeau decides to become Florence Banks and slip out of her old life to become someone else.
For the past 11 years, Florence has been a secretary at Pratt’s Insurance and Real Estate in Torduvalle, Saskatchewan. She “blends in with everyone else”; nobody would know she’s one of ‘them’. Them, or half-breeds as the predominantly while Prairie community of 1940s Saskatchewan calls the Métis, are a mixed-race Indigenous people. They were not afforded the same respect or opportunities as European settlers.
Tara Gereaux, a Métis person and extremely talented author, has written this five-star story exploring the repercussions of one woman’s decision to hide her Métis identity. Gereaux’s narrative is focused, gentle, vivid, and methodical; the same approach you’d expect from someone skilled enough to be doing beadwork. Like Indigenous beadwork, the quiet narrative produces a noteworthy result. Will we Canadians sit up and pay attention?
I have taught Canadian history and understand the 1885 Northwest Resistance and the script system, but I had never heard of ‘Road Allowance People’, the NRTA of 1930, or ‘Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Act of 1935’. Gereaux educated me. I read in horror at the heartbreaking suffering experienced due to poverty and racism. As a country, we have certainly failed in our responsibility to protect the Metis. Their history is full of dispossession and extinction. It didn’t need to be that way.
Things that gave me pause:
💔the author’s exploration of whether we can be two people at the same time or if we need to split, keeping two separate parts of ourselves
💔the realization that, in keeping something from someone, we actually are keeping something very important and valuable from ourselves.
💔despite the appalling situations forced upon these people, this Road Allowance community is rich in so many ways. I was in awe of the tight community that supported each other as they continued to struggle to keep their culture and way of life intact.
Gereaux brings to life the burden of living as someone else as she shares a little-known element of Metis history, culture and identity. The author’s focus is on resilience and resistance and the book packs a punch despite its soft delivery. It’s one historical fiction lovers and Canadians need on our reading lists ASAP.
I was gifted this copy by Simon & Schuster Canada and was under no obligation to provide a review.
March 3, 2026
This story centres around Florence, a Métis woman, who is masking as a white woman in Saskatchewan in the 1940s. When a group of Métis men arrive as hired help, a past connection threatens to topple her carefully crafted life.
This novel was beautiful, exploring identity, community, and belonging. I loved how the writer linked in bead working, giving a glimpse into Canadian history we should all be more aware of.
4.5⭐️
This novel was beautiful, exploring identity, community, and belonging. I loved how the writer linked in bead working, giving a glimpse into Canadian history we should all be more aware of.
4.5⭐️
March 3, 2026
4.5 stars
Torduvalle, Saskatchwan, 1946 - Florence Banks has created a beautiful life for herself in this small prairie town where she has been working as a secretary in an insurance office for the past 11 years. She's a model employee and resident of the town, keeps an immaculate home filled with beautiful objects and her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde because she's meticulous about never letting her brown roots show. But one morning at the end of summer, Florence sees a group of Métis men hired for seasonal farm work and recognizes one who has a connection to her past that threatens to shatter her carefully-constructed life.
This dual timeline historical fiction novel set in a fictional small town in Saskatchewan (with flashbacks to the main character's childhood and early adulthood) is a deeply personal novel. The author's grandfather was Métis but when she was growing up her family told people they were French. As an adult, she sought to explore Métis history to better understand the decision her grandfather and others made to hide their heritage and also to reconnect to the Métis culture herself.
This is a gentle yet thought-provoking exploration of identity and the repercussions of one young woman's decision to live her life as someone else. I also appreciated the history lesson woven into this novel as I didn't know about much of what the Métis people endured during this shameful chapter of Canadian history. Tara Gereaux puts a very human face on the history by introducing us to characters living with the discrimination, mistreatment and pressure to assimilate and by showing the impact that government policy had on them.
Wild People Quiet is a beautifully-written, extraordinary story of one unforgettable woman finding her way back to her family and reclaiming her culture but also a story of the history, culture and resilience of the Métis people.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
Torduvalle, Saskatchwan, 1946 - Florence Banks has created a beautiful life for herself in this small prairie town where she has been working as a secretary in an insurance office for the past 11 years. She's a model employee and resident of the town, keeps an immaculate home filled with beautiful objects and her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde because she's meticulous about never letting her brown roots show. But one morning at the end of summer, Florence sees a group of Métis men hired for seasonal farm work and recognizes one who has a connection to her past that threatens to shatter her carefully-constructed life.
This dual timeline historical fiction novel set in a fictional small town in Saskatchewan (with flashbacks to the main character's childhood and early adulthood) is a deeply personal novel. The author's grandfather was Métis but when she was growing up her family told people they were French. As an adult, she sought to explore Métis history to better understand the decision her grandfather and others made to hide their heritage and also to reconnect to the Métis culture herself.
This is a gentle yet thought-provoking exploration of identity and the repercussions of one young woman's decision to live her life as someone else. I also appreciated the history lesson woven into this novel as I didn't know about much of what the Métis people endured during this shameful chapter of Canadian history. Tara Gereaux puts a very human face on the history by introducing us to characters living with the discrimination, mistreatment and pressure to assimilate and by showing the impact that government policy had on them.
Wild People Quiet is a beautifully-written, extraordinary story of one unforgettable woman finding her way back to her family and reclaiming her culture but also a story of the history, culture and resilience of the Métis people.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing an ARC of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
April 12, 2026
4.25🌟 This was really well done! This book had already been on my radar and and then I saw the author on a Canadian morning talk show and it interested me even more. I really enjoyed the beadwork part of the story and found myself looking things up while reading. I have another book by this author and will read that soon🇨🇦
April 7, 2026
Between a 3.5-4 ⭐️. I really enjoyed this dual timeline historical fiction novel which highlighted the history, culture and resilience of the Métis. It sheds light on Canada’s dark history. Once finished, I found myself searching for more information on the history of the Métis and their beautiful beadwork.
March 8, 2026
This story is going to sit with me indefinitely. Wow. Beautifully written. Can you imagine now, in 2026, living under an alias just so you can have a job, own a home, and not be looked down upon by everyone in your city? The lengths you have to go to hide and distance yourself from you family and heritage. Heartbreaking but raw and real.
February 24, 2026
This is the kind of book that I know will be a 2026 bestseller. Gereaux's voice is incredibly beautiful, the techniques throughout are absorbing, and I could not put this book down.
Beyond addressing some serious Canadian systemic issues, this book made me think about family, loyalty, the choices we make and how they influence our life. The way Gereaux addresses the Métis in the book is well done and I hope that it can resonate with people that have a smaller understanding of this Canadian history. Everything is beautifully melded together and I cannot wait for this book to get on the shelves. I will certainly be recommending it to many people!!!
Beyond addressing some serious Canadian systemic issues, this book made me think about family, loyalty, the choices we make and how they influence our life. The way Gereaux addresses the Métis in the book is well done and I hope that it can resonate with people that have a smaller understanding of this Canadian history. Everything is beautifully melded together and I cannot wait for this book to get on the shelves. I will certainly be recommending it to many people!!!
April 24, 2026
Wild People Quiet is a wonderful novel exploring the crossroads of systemic bigotry and personal trauma, and the wreckage left in their wake. While the story centers on Florence’s search for self, it is equally a story on the fractured bond between her and her brother, Clancy. As their mirrored lives unfold, their grief manifests in two opposite ways: one by weaving themselves into the world, while the other chooses the path of confrontation and change.
As the Florence’s sense of self begins to unravel, so do the masks worn by those around her. It’s a haunting portrayal of a life spiraling from a single reveal. This is a story that demands a second read, deep reflection, and further discussion, not just on the narrative, but also on the social structures that shaped it. It leaves the reader with an essential question: what does it truly mean to move forward?
As the Florence’s sense of self begins to unravel, so do the masks worn by those around her. It’s a haunting portrayal of a life spiraling from a single reveal. This is a story that demands a second read, deep reflection, and further discussion, not just on the narrative, but also on the social structures that shaped it. It leaves the reader with an essential question: what does it truly mean to move forward?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2026
Important story. Another lesson in the damage of other’ing people, the impacts of shame, and the harms Indigenous people experience(d).
April 21, 2026
This was a great historical fiction on the Métis experience in Saskatchewan. 4.25
April 25, 2026
A story to remind us that the good old days were not good for most people, including indigenous and Métis people.
January 26, 2026
This was a really compelling, well-written novel. It’s about a Métis woman in Saskatchewan in alternating timelines of 1946 and 1906-1913. The narrator, Florence, grows up in a Métis community as a kid but as an adult she passes as white and hides her heritage. I found the characters and relationships interesting and they will stay with me. I learned some history I didn’t know and want to continue that learning. I also really enjoyed the role that beadwork played in the story. This comes out in March and is well worth checking out!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
An exceptionally gorgeous historical novel of Metis culture in Saskatchewan in the early to mid 1900s – this is the story of Florence, a Metis woman who shuns her heritage and tight-knit community when she realizes she can pass and gain all the white privilege that accompanies it, is heartbreakingly beautiful and historical fiction at its finest. It is an outstanding example of small, rural (white) town living and its prejudices juxtaposed with the small, but emotionally and culturally rich, supportive communities of Metis.
Florence’s decision to hide her past in exchange for a ‘better’ life begins to unravel after decades of living a secret life and denying not just her ancestry, but her entire family. Florence’s gradual and quiet realization of what she has sacrificed and lost slowly emerges as she begins to rediscover her true self. This was beautifully illustrated in the gentle, subtle (and rocky) reconnection with her family as the crumbling of Florence’s carefully constructed and comfortable life begins.
I found myself so emotionally invested in this story… I was tense, outraged… furious as a town that once accepted her as ‘one of their own’ immediately begins to disenfranchise and callously shun her. Florence, despite her earlier choices, demonstrates a singularly graceful resilience.
Gereaux’s prose is gorgeously visual and heartbreaking. Her quietly soulful descriptions of Florence’s rediscovery of her culture and identity through her gradual reintroduction to her childhood past of beading was some of the most beautiful and emotionally descriptive of loss and rediscovery – a perfect metaphor for Florence’s life.
I think I’ve read my favourite book of the year already. I can’t express how much I loved this novel – I haven’t been so emotionally invested in a story and its characters like this in quite some time. An immediate classic of literature!
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
Florence’s decision to hide her past in exchange for a ‘better’ life begins to unravel after decades of living a secret life and denying not just her ancestry, but her entire family. Florence’s gradual and quiet realization of what she has sacrificed and lost slowly emerges as she begins to rediscover her true self. This was beautifully illustrated in the gentle, subtle (and rocky) reconnection with her family as the crumbling of Florence’s carefully constructed and comfortable life begins.
I found myself so emotionally invested in this story… I was tense, outraged… furious as a town that once accepted her as ‘one of their own’ immediately begins to disenfranchise and callously shun her. Florence, despite her earlier choices, demonstrates a singularly graceful resilience.
Gereaux’s prose is gorgeously visual and heartbreaking. Her quietly soulful descriptions of Florence’s rediscovery of her culture and identity through her gradual reintroduction to her childhood past of beading was some of the most beautiful and emotionally descriptive of loss and rediscovery – a perfect metaphor for Florence’s life.
I think I’ve read my favourite book of the year already. I can’t express how much I loved this novel – I haven’t been so emotionally invested in a story and its characters like this in quite some time. An immediate classic of literature!
My thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily; all opinions are my own.
March 29, 2026
It's 1946 in Torduvalle, Saskatchewan. Florence lives a carefully curated and controlled life. Her home is filled with beautiful things, she wears beautiful clothes, her hair is a beautiful shade of blonde, and she's a secretary who's respected for her professionalism and skill.
One day she sees a few Métis workers from out of town, and one of them recognizes her. She pretends not to know the man, but she does. It's her younger brother Clancy. Florence has done her best to distance herself from her former life, and Clancy's presence threatens everything.
She's subsequently overwhelmed by memories of their childhood, while wanting no one to know that she's associated with "those people", the half-indigenous, half-white Métis, who are treated with derision and hatred.
When Florence learns what the government has in store for a nearby Métis community, she's faced with a decision; does she let her brother know?
I had not known of the specific Acts and regulations mentioned in this book that the government dreamed up to disenfranchise the Métis, but it does not surprise me at all. It's all of a piece of the horrible things the Canadian and provincial governments have done for centuries to dispossess and kill non-whites.
The story is told with great sensitivity and compassion; we understand Florence, even while she's doing her best to outrun her past and pretend to be someone she is not. We also enjoy the friendship she's begun to build with her neighbour Jennie, whose life is coming apart because she wants to work outside of the home, a decision her husband is deeply frightened by.
Florence's beadwork is a wonderful way to connect her to her past, and it is also much more than skilful in its execution. Florence is a gifted beadworker, and it calms her, but also is a source of hope and possibility for her. The lovely cover is no doubt a reference to this important side of Florence.
Of course, things don't work out in a way that allows Florence to maintain her deceptions, but they do allow her to reconnect with her family, and to begin to find out who she really is.
Tara Gereaux has created a deeply emotional, and informative, story about a woman whose must find her true identity and reclaim her culture. It's beautifully written, and wonderful.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
One day she sees a few Métis workers from out of town, and one of them recognizes her. She pretends not to know the man, but she does. It's her younger brother Clancy. Florence has done her best to distance herself from her former life, and Clancy's presence threatens everything.
She's subsequently overwhelmed by memories of their childhood, while wanting no one to know that she's associated with "those people", the half-indigenous, half-white Métis, who are treated with derision and hatred.
When Florence learns what the government has in store for a nearby Métis community, she's faced with a decision; does she let her brother know?
I had not known of the specific Acts and regulations mentioned in this book that the government dreamed up to disenfranchise the Métis, but it does not surprise me at all. It's all of a piece of the horrible things the Canadian and provincial governments have done for centuries to dispossess and kill non-whites.
The story is told with great sensitivity and compassion; we understand Florence, even while she's doing her best to outrun her past and pretend to be someone she is not. We also enjoy the friendship she's begun to build with her neighbour Jennie, whose life is coming apart because she wants to work outside of the home, a decision her husband is deeply frightened by.
Florence's beadwork is a wonderful way to connect her to her past, and it is also much more than skilful in its execution. Florence is a gifted beadworker, and it calms her, but also is a source of hope and possibility for her. The lovely cover is no doubt a reference to this important side of Florence.
Of course, things don't work out in a way that allows Florence to maintain her deceptions, but they do allow her to reconnect with her family, and to begin to find out who she really is.
Tara Gereaux has created a deeply emotional, and informative, story about a woman whose must find her true identity and reclaim her culture. It's beautifully written, and wonderful.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Simon & Schuster Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
April 6, 2026
An important story in Saskatchewan history, and a good story in general. Something about it bothered me that
I’m not sure I can articulate well. I found Florence really relatable and admired her. I know it is a story meant to be from a Métis perspective about being true to yourself. From a feminist perspective, it bugged me that Florence’s choices were all taken away by men, and that includes her own brother. I didn’t see him as awakening her desire to connect with her heritage, he forced it, then blamed her near the end of the book for all that happened. Just no. Takes place in 1946, men ruled all of course, but I wish the author had given Florence the agency to make the choice herself from an inner desire, not because her life lay in ashes around her.
I’m not sure I can articulate well. I found Florence really relatable and admired her. I know it is a story meant to be from a Métis perspective about being true to yourself. From a feminist perspective, it bugged me that Florence’s choices were all taken away by men, and that includes her own brother. I didn’t see him as awakening her desire to connect with her heritage, he forced it, then blamed her near the end of the book for all that happened. Just no. Takes place in 1946, men ruled all of course, but I wish the author had given Florence the agency to make the choice herself from an inner desire, not because her life lay in ashes around her.
April 20, 2026
This book manages to wrench the soul with the main character's numerous efforts to racially pass just so she can have a chance of what she views as a regular life that would be denied to her otherwise, and the numerous injustices that follow when her true identity becomes revealed. But Wild People Quiet also simultaneously lifts the spirit with its accompanying themes of family, resilience, and belonging.
Simply put, a fantastic read that I genuinely was unable to put down, and I mean that quite literally. I managed to read the last two thirds of this book in the span of one morning between waking up early and when I had to go in for work.
Simply put, a fantastic read that I genuinely was unable to put down, and I mean that quite literally. I managed to read the last two thirds of this book in the span of one morning between waking up early and when I had to go in for work.
April 6, 2026
✨Book Review✨
Wild People Quiet - Tara Gereaux
Thank you to @simonschusterca for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!
This is a historical fiction novel set in the Canadian Prairies. It follows a woman named Florence who is Métis but white passing. She hides her heritage and identity to be welcomed in her small town and work as a secretary. But when someone from her past arrives life as she knows it is threatened.
I thought this was a very straightforward historical fiction that still really packed a punch. I loved the characters and I truly felt for Florence the whole way through this book.
This book will also make you angry, heartbroken, and anxious as you follow the life of a woman and a people who just want to be seen as human but whose opportunities for success are taken from them at every turn.
I also think this book would be appropriate for younger readers and readers who are just getting into historical fiction. It was well done and educational while having a lot of heart.
4/5⭐️ I recommend for anyone but especially Canadian readers!
Wild People Quiet - Tara Gereaux
Thank you to @simonschusterca for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review! This book is out now!
This is a historical fiction novel set in the Canadian Prairies. It follows a woman named Florence who is Métis but white passing. She hides her heritage and identity to be welcomed in her small town and work as a secretary. But when someone from her past arrives life as she knows it is threatened.
I thought this was a very straightforward historical fiction that still really packed a punch. I loved the characters and I truly felt for Florence the whole way through this book.
This book will also make you angry, heartbroken, and anxious as you follow the life of a woman and a people who just want to be seen as human but whose opportunities for success are taken from them at every turn.
I also think this book would be appropriate for younger readers and readers who are just getting into historical fiction. It was well done and educational while having a lot of heart.
4/5⭐️ I recommend for anyone but especially Canadian readers!
April 12, 2026
The author creates a wonderful protagonist in Florence , taking the reader back and forth between her earlier days and her present in small-town Saskatchewan. I enjoyed the Métis language segments spoken by Aunt Lillian and the descriptions of the art of beading. The historical elements are interesting and important for Canadians to learn.
March 26, 2026
This would be a great book for 2027 Canada Reads! Must find out how to suggest it. I was pretty much sucked in right away by the preface and quote from J0hn A. Macdonald. Or maybe lured in by the beautiful beading on the cover. Anyway, a terrific Canadian historical fiction read. Can't wait to see what the next book is about, hope you're busy writing Tara!
January 29, 2026
A beautiful and necessary novel about a shameful period in Canada’s history that is too often forgotten. I loved learning more about Métis history and was heartbroken by the rejection and oppression Métis people endured at the hands of white settlers. Sadly, much of this mistreatment still exists today.
Gereaux does an incredible job of revealing the collective memory of the Métis people through the unraveling of Florence’s carefully constructed life. Florence is hiding in plain sight, and her fear of being discovered as Indigenous is palpable. Acknowledging her heritage would mean giving up her career, her material comforts, and the relationships she had built over a lifetime. Reading this was enraging.
I especially loved how Gereaux uses beadwork as a metaphor for Florence’s life, with each stitch representing both beauty and pain. Now more than ever, we need books like these. Overall, this was a beautifully written and deeply evocative read.
Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the advanced reader’s copy.
May 6, 2026
The kind of book you think about in the shower
Unsettling in the best way no pun intended
Unsettling in the best way no pun intended
May 17, 2026
So good, so moving, so relatable.
May 15, 2026
I read this book just before attending the Vancouver Writers Festival Books and Ideas event, The Next Bestsellers at which Tara Gereaux was featured.
📖
Florence is a Métis woman who ran away from home to get away from the poverty and racism that was the reality of being Métis in the early 1900’s in Saskatchewan. She makes a new, very controlled life for herself where she “passes” as white and supresses her Métis culture and heritage … until her brother shows up.
📖
This story takes place in Saskatchewan, even a section in Regina, and I loved being able to picture the streets, towns and the land in my mind. I also loved how the art of beading wound through the story. I appreciated getting a better understanding of the elements that need to be included in this Métis art form.
📖
Florence is a Métis woman who ran away from home to get away from the poverty and racism that was the reality of being Métis in the early 1900’s in Saskatchewan. She makes a new, very controlled life for herself where she “passes” as white and supresses her Métis culture and heritage … until her brother shows up.
📖
This story takes place in Saskatchewan, even a section in Regina, and I loved being able to picture the streets, towns and the land in my mind. I also loved how the art of beading wound through the story. I appreciated getting a better understanding of the elements that need to be included in this Métis art form.
March 19, 2026
A straight-forward story of the struggles of the native Métis people of Canada, told from the perspective of a woman who disguised herself to integrate into society. When she is discovered, the repercussions are severe and heartbreaking. I enjoyed learning about this history, but overall the novel was otherwise flat.
March 29, 2026
Very believable and interesting novel about what it might have been like to be Metis / Michif 1900-1950. I appreciate that it examined racism, road allowances, beading and family relationships. Would recommend for lit circles.
March 27, 2026
Thank you SO MUCH to Simon & Schuster Canada for the physical ARC of this novel.
As a Saskatchewan-born-and-raised gal, it was sad but unsurprising reading Florence's story. Yes, reading about my city or towns i'd actually been to was neat, because we never get mentioned, but it was also incredibly frustrating and emotional.
I kept hoping that things would work out for Florence and her family the way I wanted to, but this book wasn't written only to have a HEA, it was written to show the pain, the grit, and the tireless effort of people deemed different based on looks and culture. It was written to expose situations that may-well-have happened in our past, and it hits home.
Gereaux's writing is concise and poetic in its own way; with dashes of colour and harmonies echoing, just like the beadwork in this book and the beautiful cover.
This novel touches on identity, difficult decisions, and accountability; all-in-which are hard for us as humans to navigate and accept, but are important pillars for growth.
Florence grows throughout this entire novel, and it maybe wasn't the way I thought it would, or in a way that's palatable to all, but it's growth nonetheless and IMPORTANT growth.
I encourage all who pick this book up to read the quotes at the beginning of the book. I was initially confused about the title of this novel, but the quote at the start sets up the whole novel and I personally couldn't stop thinking about it.
As a Saskatchewan-born-and-raised gal, it was sad but unsurprising reading Florence's story. Yes, reading about my city or towns i'd actually been to was neat, because we never get mentioned, but it was also incredibly frustrating and emotional.
I kept hoping that things would work out for Florence and her family the way I wanted to, but this book wasn't written only to have a HEA, it was written to show the pain, the grit, and the tireless effort of people deemed different based on looks and culture. It was written to expose situations that may-well-have happened in our past, and it hits home.
Gereaux's writing is concise and poetic in its own way; with dashes of colour and harmonies echoing, just like the beadwork in this book and the beautiful cover.
This novel touches on identity, difficult decisions, and accountability; all-in-which are hard for us as humans to navigate and accept, but are important pillars for growth.
Florence grows throughout this entire novel, and it maybe wasn't the way I thought it would, or in a way that's palatable to all, but it's growth nonetheless and IMPORTANT growth.
I encourage all who pick this book up to read the quotes at the beginning of the book. I was initially confused about the title of this novel, but the quote at the start sets up the whole novel and I personally couldn't stop thinking about it.
March 25, 2026
Title:
Wild People Quiet
Author: Tara Gereaux
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 3, 2026
I received a complimentary eARC from Simon and Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Informative • Wrenching • Reflective
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every Saturday night, without fail.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
But one morning at the end of summer, everything changes.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As soon as I read the synopsis for Wild People Quiet I knew it was a 2026 release I would prioritize from a new-to-me voice in Canadian fiction.
Alternating between Florence's present life and her childhood, the writing flows effortlessly painting a tapestry of the atrocities inflicted by European settlers on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, while keeping the main focus on the life - both the struggles and triumphs - of one Métis family. It's an exploration of identity, community, and belonging. I appreciated the Indigenous perspective of ‘passing’ and was both intrigued and compelled by the exploration of what is lost and gained through such a choice.
While the story and characters are strong, one of my favourite parts of the entire thing was the intricate detail and meaning of beadwork. This thread was woven perfectly into the narrative mirroring the metaphor of Florence's internal struggle. And how it's incorporated into the stunning cover as well was the perfect touch.
Wild People Quiet is a novel brimming with gentleness, hurt, and community, which brings an important part of Canadian history to life and prompting empathy and understanding from the reader. It's a book that deserves to be put into more hands and one I'll be recommending in my circle.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Indigenous authors
• Canadian history
• dual timeline HF
⚠️ CW: racism, xenophobia, colonization, residential schools, alcohol, grief, death, death of parent, poverty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But it's by looking underneath that you can really see all the hard work, the effort. Both sides are part of the whole, but one gets covered up, hidden."
Author: Tara Gereaux
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: March 3, 2026
I received a complimentary eARC from Simon and Schuster Canada via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Informative • Wrenching • Reflective
📖 S Y N O P S I S
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every Saturday night, without fail.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
But one morning at the end of summer, everything changes.
💭 T H O U G H T S
As soon as I read the synopsis for Wild People Quiet I knew it was a 2026 release I would prioritize from a new-to-me voice in Canadian fiction.
Alternating between Florence's present life and her childhood, the writing flows effortlessly painting a tapestry of the atrocities inflicted by European settlers on Indigenous Peoples in Canada, while keeping the main focus on the life - both the struggles and triumphs - of one Métis family. It's an exploration of identity, community, and belonging. I appreciated the Indigenous perspective of ‘passing’ and was both intrigued and compelled by the exploration of what is lost and gained through such a choice.
While the story and characters are strong, one of my favourite parts of the entire thing was the intricate detail and meaning of beadwork. This thread was woven perfectly into the narrative mirroring the metaphor of Florence's internal struggle. And how it's incorporated into the stunning cover as well was the perfect touch.
Wild People Quiet is a novel brimming with gentleness, hurt, and community, which brings an important part of Canadian history to life and prompting empathy and understanding from the reader. It's a book that deserves to be put into more hands and one I'll be recommending in my circle.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• Indigenous authors
• Canadian history
• dual timeline HF
⚠️ CW: racism, xenophobia, colonization, residential schools, alcohol, grief, death, death of parent, poverty
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"But it's by looking underneath that you can really see all the hard work, the effort. Both sides are part of the whole, but one gets covered up, hidden."
March 24, 2026
A moving historical fiction novel about a mixed race woman living in a small, predominantly white Saskatchewan town who deliberately hides her Métis identity and passes as a young white woman. This was a story about identity, family and the fraught race relations and forced removal of Indigenous peoples off their land in the 1940s and beyond.
I really enjoyed getting to know more about Florence, her complicated relationship with her Métis culture and heritage and her love for beading. It was good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Prairie Edge, Berry Pickers and Passing by Nella Larsen. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more by this new to me Indigenous Canadian author.
I really enjoyed getting to know more about Florence, her complicated relationship with her Métis culture and heritage and her love for beading. It was good on audio and perfect for fans of books like Prairie Edge, Berry Pickers and Passing by Nella Larsen. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading more by this new to me Indigenous Canadian author.
May 14, 2026
This story moves between early–mid 1900s Saskatoon and follows Florence, a woman who left her Métis community when she was young to build an entirely new life — new town, new look, new education, new identity. When someone from her past unexpectedly returns, it forces her to confront choices she made long ago, just as her community begins making decisions that will deeply affect a nearby Métis community. Though it’s fiction, it felt incredibly educational, heart-warming, and devastating all at once. Florence is a quiet but proud main character who carries a lot with grace — even when life pushes her into decisions that aren’t fully her own.
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