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Supporting the careers of Canadian craftspeople since 1931.
Supporting careers of Canadian craftspeople since 1931.

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Book - Ga's / The Train

Original price $19.95 - Original price $19.95
Original price
$19.95
$19.95 - $19.95
Current price $19.95
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“I’m waiting for what we lost that day to come back to us.”

Ashley meets her great-uncle by the old train tracks near their community in Nova Scotia. When she sees his sadness, he shares with her the history of those tracks. Uncle tells her that during his childhood the train would bring their community supplies, but there came a day when the train took away with it something much more important. One day he and the other children from the reserve were taken aboard and transported to residential school, where their lives were changed forever. They weren't allowed to speak Mi'gmaq and were punished if they did. Uncle tells her he tried not to be noticed, like a little mouse, and how hard it was not to have the love and hugs and comfort of family. He also tells Ashley how happy she and her sister make him. They are what give him hope. Ashley promises to wait with her uncle as he sits by the tracks, waiting for what was taken from their people to come back to them.
  • Written by Jodie Callaghan and illustrated by Georgia Lesley, translated by Joe Wilmot
  • The dual-language edition, in English and Mi'gmaq, of the Silver Birch Express-nominated title, The Train.
  • Shortlisted for the Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children’s Writing
  • Shortlisted for the Indigenous Voice Award for Published Work in an Indigenous Language

Jodie Callaghan is a Mi'gmaq woman from the Listuguj First Nation in Gespegewa’gi near Quebec. She has always been drawn to story-telling and has found writing to be the best way to connect to her history and her culture. She was inspired to write The Train after listening to many people tell her about their residential school experience. Jodie is currently working as an adult education teacher in her community. She lives with her husband, child, and her two pugs.