Bad Cree
Mackenzie's dreams are becoming terrifyingly real, starting with a crow's head in her hands. As the supernatural horrors bleed into her waking life, she's forced to confront a dark family secret tied to her sister's death. Returning to her rural hometown, Mackenzie must uncover the truth before the past consumes her.
A young Cree woman in Vancouver whose dreams begin following her into waking life after the deaths of her sister and her kokum.
Mackenzie's twin sister, who died of a brain aneurysm the year before the novel opens; her death and its aftermath drive the plot.
Mackenzie and Sabrina's surviving sister, who joins Mackenzie in confronting the wheetigo haunting their family.
Mackenzie's cousin, who joins Mackenzie and Tracey at the lake to confront the wheetigo.
The novel is an expansion of the author's award-winning short story of the same name, which won the 2020 Writers' Trust McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize.
The author wrote this book partly as a response to a creative writing professor who advised students never to write about dreams, a suggestion she disagreed with due to the cultural significance of dreamwork in Cree tradition.
The text incorporates the Cree language, specifically within the chapter titles, to reflect the cultural context of the story.