The Evolution of Alice

By David A. Robertson

Peopled with unforgettable characters and told from multiple points of view, this is a novel where spirits are alive, forgiveness is possible, and love is the only thing that matters.

Alice is a single mother raising her three young daughters on the rez where she grew up. Life has never been easy, but she's managed to get by with the support of her best friend, Gideon, and her family. When an unthinkable loss occurs, Alice is forced to confront truths that will challenge her belief in herself and the world she thought she knew.

The Evolution of Alice is the kaleidoscopic story of one woman’s place within the web of community. 

• Language: English
• Publisher: HighWater Press
• Release date: Aug 1, 2014
• ISBN: 9781553795278

David A. Robertson

DAVID A. ROBERTSON, a writer and freelance journalist, is the recipient of the Writers’ Union of Canada Freedom to Read Award. His memoir, Black Water, won the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award and the Alexander Kennedy Isbister Award for Non-Fiction. His middle-grade fantasy series, the Misewa Saga, includes the #1 national bestseller The Barren Grounds. He won the Governor General’s Literary Award for the illustrated books On the Trapline and When We Were Alone. Robertson is also the writer and host of the award-winning podcast Kiwew. The Theory of Crows is his first novel for adults. David A. Robertson is a member of Norway House Cree Nation. He lives in Winnipeg.  

Reviews for The Evolution of Alice

[karen59_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Evolution of Alice by David A. Robertson is a lyrical, haunting, though frustrating story of a mother and her three daughters who live on a reservation. Her story is mostly told through her friend Gideon's eyes who is the most well-drawn character in the story. He is witness to the on-going healing of this family hurt by domestic abuse. and is part of the process itself as his care and love prove vital in their recovery, A brutual loss however forces Alice, her children to examine her life and she will have to decide whether to re-engage with her children, her life and the rez. One of my major difficulties with this book is that I did not feel connected to Alice's story or her struggle. I thought she was the weakest character and her pain and despair did not feel believable to me. Gideon, his father, the girls and some of the other characters, though some are only written about briefly, seeemed more alive and the multiplicity of characters highlighted the interconnectiveness of rez life and community. I only wish I could say the same of Alice.