Small Fires, Long Winters, Ryan Murray

Home & Well Verified independent store

→

Small Fires, Long Winters is a creative non-fiction memoir that recounts the author’stime as a young teacher in Kashechewan, a remote Cree First Nation community onthe west coast o f James Bay in Northern Ontario. Seeking direction after finishinggraduate school and struggling with debt, Murray accepted a teaching position thatimmersed him in the unfamiliar and isolated community. Through strongstorytelling, Murray describes his journey north, the challenges of life in thecommunity, and his relationships with colleagues, students, and locals. Hewitnessed both hardship and beauty—unsafe water, poverty, and trauma alongsidelaughter, strength, and cultural pride. Themes of hockey, survival, and communitybonds run throughout—whether in the classroom, on the rink, or through culturalexperiences such as a sweat lodge ceremony. He also adopted a stray puppy whobecame both a steadfast companion and a symbol of resilience. By the end, heleaves Kashechewan, changed by the experience. The epilogue reflects on what hecarried forward: a deeper understanding of Indigenous resilience, an enduringfriendship with students and colleagues, and a lifelong connection to the North. Show more