Home Waltz

By G.A. Grisenthwaite

In 1973, fifteen-year old Qʷóqʷésk̓iʔ, or "Squito" Bob, is a mixed-blood Nłeʔkepmx boy trying to find his place in a small, mostly Native town. His closest friends are three nłeʔkepmx boys and a white kid, an obnoxious runt who thinks himself superior to his friends. Accepted as neither Native nor white, Squito often feels like the stray dog of the group and envisions a short, disastrous life for himself. Home Waltz follows the boys over thirty-six hours on what should be one of the best weekends of their lives. With a senior girls volleyball tournament in town, Squito's favourite band performing, and enough alcohol for ten people, the boys dream of girls, dancing, and possibly romance. A story of love, heartbreak, and tragedy, Home Waltz delves into suicide, alcohol abuse, body image, and systemic racism. A coming of age story like no other, Home Waltz speaks to one Indigenous teenager's experience of growing up in a world that doesn't want or trust him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Palimpsest Press
• Release date: Oct 15, 2020
• ISBN: 9781989287675

G.A. Grisenthwaite

G. A. Grisenthwaite is Nłeʔkepmx, member of the Lytton First Nation. His stories and poems have appeared in The Anitgonish Review, Our Stories Literary Journal, and Prism International. His work has earned a number of prizes, including the 2014 John Kenneth Galbraith Literary Award. He lives in Kingsville, ON.

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