The Break is the first in a trilogy of novels by Katherena Vermette that are set in Winnipeg, Manitoba and feature a recurring cast of Métis characters. The Break is a good novel that tells a powerful story, but its frank depictions of sexual assault make this novel difficult to stomach at times.

The Break begins with a possible sexual assault that occurs outside the home of Stella McGregor, a young Métis woman who witnesses the assault in the middle of a winter’s night from her window. By the time the police arrive, the perpetrators and the possible victim are gone, leaving blood behind in the snow. The police do not initially believe that Stella witnessed a sexual assault, but eventually the truth comes out as the events of that fateful night are revealed through the perspectives of Stella’s aunt, Cheryl Traverse, an artist with an alcohol addiction; Cheryl’s daughters, Louisa, a social worker who thinks her boyfriend is cheating on her, and Paulina, a nurse who has just moved in with her boyfriend; Paulina’s daughter, Emily, a naïve teenage girl with a crush on the wrong type of boy; Emily’s friend, Ziggy, who is not as naïve; Phoenix Stranger, a violent Métis girl who breaks out of a detention centre; and Stella’s kookom (grandmother), Flora, who is nearing the end of her life.

The alternating perspectives show how addiction, racism and trauma can affect generations of a family, but also how Stella’s family’s love for one another gives them strength. The female Métis perspectives also show the resilience of Indigenous women who are often let down by the men in their lives. The only male perspective in the story is that of one of the police officers who responds to Stella’s call about the assault. Officer Scott is also Métis, but he finds his ability to do good police work and to advocate for his community restricted by the systemic racism in policing.

Vermette presents her story matter-of-factly and unflinchingly. It seems as though she leaves it up to the reader to decide whether to empathize with the characters or not, and this novel really tested the limits of my ability to empathize when it came to one of the characters, Phoenix. Her actions are so despicable that I could not feel sorry for her at all. The Break is not a story that you will enjoy reading, but I am glad that I decided to read it.