Home Waltz

In 1973, fifteen-year old Qqski, or "Squito" Bob, is a mixed-blood Nekepmx boy trying to find his place in a small, mostly Native town. His closest friends are three nekepmx 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 Waltzfollows 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 Waltzdelves into suicide, alcohol abuse, body image, and systemic racism. A coming of age story like no other,Home Waltzspeaks to one Indigenous teenager's experience of growing up in a world that doesn't want or trust him. (From Palimpsest Press)

G. A. Grisenthwaite is Nekepmx, amember of the Lytton First Nation who currently lives in Kingsville, Ont. His work has appeared inThe Antigonish Review,Our Stories Literary JournalandPrism International.

Home Waltz is on the shortlist for the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. The winners will be announced on Nov. 17, 2021.

• The finalists for the 2021 Governor General's Literary Award for fiction