Book cover of Good for Nothing

Book description

The year is 1959, and fifteen-year-old Nipishish returns to his reserve in northern Quebec after being kicked out of residential school, where the principal tells him he can look forward, like all Native Americans, to a life of drunkenness, prison, and despair. But despite his new freedom, the reserve offers


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Why read it?

1 author picked Good for Nothing as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

In 1959, orphaned, fifteen-year-old Nipishish, a Metis, is kicked out of a residential school and returned to his reserve in northern Quebec. But there is nothing there for him but trouble and hopelessness. He is sent to a nearby town, billeted with a white family to attend high school. That doesn’t work out well either. This is an inspiring story bringing to light native issues and once again, showing how resilience and courage can overcome prejudice and hopelessness.

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