Norma Dunning’s book Tainna is a series of six short stories that draw readers into the contemporary world of Inuk characters as they navigate life in urban centres away from their northern homes. While each story includes mature themes, from intergenerational trauma and abuse to homelessness and addiction, Dunning’s compelling use of dream imagery, Elder voice, and connection to the spirit world offer characters comfort and guidance in their times of need. Inuktut language and character names are used throughout the stories as an effective text feature that weaves traditional ways of knowing into modern life. A glossary of Inuktut words is also included at the end of the book. Intended for older readers, this collection would complement Language Arts courses seeking to use short stories to explore themes of belonging, identity, and safety.

160 pp., 5.5 × 8.5"

Norma Dunning (Inuit)

Source: Association of Book Publishers of BC - Canadian Indigenous Books for Schools (2021-2022)

Norma Dunning is an Inuit writer, scholar, professor and grandmother. She grew up beyond the tundra and lived mainly in smaller, northern communities across Canada. She will say that she grew up in the places that no one would ever think to drive to. She completed all three of her university degrees within 9.5 years. She won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award in 2018 for her short story collection "Annie Muktuk and Other Stories." In the same year, she won the Writers' Guild of Alberta's Howard O'Hagan Award for the short story "Elipsee", and was a shortlisted finalist for the City of Edmonton Book Award. She is the mother of three sons and grandmother to four children. Dunning writes in both poetry and prose, with poetry being her first go-to when it comes to creative work. Through the support of other Indigenous writers, Dunning came to realize that what she writes matters, although it remains difficult for her to share her work widely. She lives in Edmonton Alberta.

Norma Dunning's profile page

• Short-listed, Short Story Collection Award at the Alberta Literary Awards
• Short-listed, ReLit Award (Short Fiction)
• Winner, Governor General’s Literary Awards
• Short-listed, 2021 Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award

“[Tainna] hit me right in the heart… my body responds to reading these stories.”

Angie Abdou, <i>Daybreak Alberta</i> on CBC Radio One

“Dunning demonstrates considerable confidence in both her readers and her own skills, rarely slowing to explain, allowing the narrative to reveal connections and truths as it progresses.”

<i>Quill and Quire</i>

“Dunning’s tone throughout the book is candid and colloquial...each [short] story uses a slightly different voice, and that’s where we see the elegance in Dunning’s craft as a writer...raw and profound...Readers will quickly realize that Tainna is a work of real-life fiction. The characters may be fabricated but the stories are undoubtedly ones of many truths. Tainna will break your heart, mend it, and break it again.”

Ciana Hamilton, <i>Room Magazine</i>