katherena vermette (she/her/hers) is a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

In 2013, her first book, North End Love Songs (The Muses' Company) won the Governor General's Literary Award for Poetry. Since then, her work has garnered awards and critical accolades across genres. Her novels The Break (House of Anansi) and The Strangers (Hamish Hamilton) were both national best sellers and won multiple literary awards.

She is the author of numerous other bestselling titles, including the A Girl Called Echo series (HighWater Press) and the Seven Teachings Stories series (HighWater Press).

Scott B. Henderson (he/him/his) is author/artist of the sci-fi/fantasy comic The Chronicles of Era and has illustrated select titles in the Tales From Big Spirit series, as well as the A Girl Called Echo, The Reckoner Rises, and 7 Generations series. He is also the artist for AIYLA Honour Book Fire Starters, Eisner Award-nominee A Blanket of Butterflies, and select stories in This Place: 150 Years Retold. In 2016, he was the recipient of the C4 Central Canada Comic Con Storyteller Award. Find Scott on social media with @ouroboros09.

Is enthralled the correct word when describing such a dark chapter in Métis dispossession, along the road allowances in the western prairies? Or is enraging more apt? Or maybe brilliant blinding beauty? Because that's what Vermette has achieved here. Even as the graphic novel closed, I was reflecting on this staggering and respectful work. A swell in my chest, a pride in my spirit; you'll feel the strength of our people, the Free People, the Otipemisiwak, against the injustice of Canadian imperialism in the late 19th- and early 20th-centuries.

--Jesse Thistle

This fourth volume in the A Girl Called Echo series rounds out the history of Métis dispossession from their land and subsequent social marginalization brilliantly. While dealing with the hard issues of colonialism, Vermette sensitively points to the resilience, determination, and power of Métis people. In Road Allowance Era, the stories of Ste. Madeleine and Rooster Town take their place alongside the more prominent stories of Métis nationalism situating the power of Métis family as the source of their survival.

--Brenda Macdougall, University of Ottawa

Among CBC Books 22 Canadian comics to watch for in spring 2021

-- "CBC Books"

Brilliantly mixes the portrait of a contemporary teen named Echo...with a time travelling adventure that takes her back to four key moments in the history of her people. Beautifully illustrated..., this concluding book offers a heart-wrenching look at how appallingly the Métis were treated....

--Jeffrey Canton "The Globe and Mail"

Among The Globe and Mail's Spring break 2021 reading list: 15 new books for kids and young adults

-- "The Globe and Mail"

This series is relatable for many young readers faced with the same situations of fitting in, popularity, connection and finding their place in the world. These volumes draw out the realities of many Métis who find their way home by finding strength and pride in their histories.

-- "The Ormsby Review"

Highly Recommended!

--Jean Mendoza "American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL)"

Among CBC Books Best Canadian Comics of 2021

-- "CBC Books"

Among Penn GSE's Best Books for Young Readers 2021 list

-- "Penn GSE"

Publisher: Highwater Press

Pub date: 2021-04-27

Length: 48 pages