Klee Wyck

Klee Wyck, by acclaimed Canadian painter and author Emily Carr, is a collection of 21 short stories about her journeys on her quest to paint the totem poles and native villages that dotted the West Coast of Canada in the early 20th century. Due to pressure to conform to a ‘civilized’ life brought by European settlers, the Indigenous people of the West Coast were leaving their remote villages for the cities. Therefore, they had ceased to carve their iconic totem poles that recorded the histories and myths of the tribes who had inhabited the west coast for centuries. In Klee Wyck, Carr relates her adventures to reach the isolated villages so that she could sketch the abandoned totem poles before they rotted away. Carr also writes down her observations of the places, the melting pot of cultures, the people she encounters, and the friends she makes. 

If you love art, history, or feel at home in the wild places of the West Coast, Klee Wyck might be your next favorite read! 

Suggested age: MYP3+