Indians on Vacation

2022 Longlist

Inspired by a handful of postcards sent nearly a hundred years ago, Bird and Mimi attempt to trace long-lost Uncle Leroy and the family medicine bundle he took with him to Europe.

“I’m sweaty and sticky. My ears are still popping from the descent into Vaclav Havel. My sinuses ache. My stomach is upset. My mouth is a sewer. I roll over and bury my face in a pillow. Mimi snuggles down beside me with no regard for my distress.

‘My god,’ she whispers, ‘can it get any better?’”

By turns witty, sly and poignant, this is the unforgettable tale of one couple’s holiday in Europe, where their wanderings through its famous capitals reveal a complicated history, both personal and political.

About the Author/Translator

Thomas King is an award-winning writer whose fiction includes Sufferance; Indians on Vacation, which won the Leacock Award for Humour; Green Grass, Running Water; Truth and Bright Water; and The Back of the Turtle, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award. He is a Companion of the Order of Canada and the recipient of a National Aboriginal Achievement Award. Thomas King lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Librarian’s Comments

Our reader’s advisory team obtained the most nominations for this title, siting this work as unique and humorous, and Mr. King as an important literary voice, who highlights unique indigenous Canadian experiences. Vancouver Public Library, Canada