Half-bads in white regalia : a memoir / Cody Caetano.
"When Cody and his family move to Happyland (into what he calls the "half-bush," somewhere in between the bush and the suburbs), their house becomes a gathering place for friends, colourful characters, and not-quite-cousins, with Rock 95 blasting on the radio and fresh cases of Molson Canadian thumping onto the tempered-glass patio table. But when his parents careen into their inevitable divorce, Cody and his siblings are thrust into a period of neglect, scraping by on skimpy cupboard offerings and watching the house in Happyland fall apart around them. From there the family is caught between aspiring to be "good lifers" and navigating the "baddie" temptations all around them. There's Cody's mom, Mindimoo, who after discovering her Anishinaabe heritage and Sixties Scoop origin story embarks on a series of fraught relationships and fresh starts. There's his dad, O Touro, whose "big do, little think" attitude upends the lives of everyone around him. There's his fiercely protective older sister, Kristine, who'll do whatever it takes to keep Cody safe and fed, and his big brother, Julian, who facilitates his regular escapes into the world of video games. Capturing the chaos and wonder of childhood and garnished with a slang all its own, Half-Bads in White Regalia is a memoir that unspools a tangled family history with warmth, humour, and deep generosity."-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780735240858 (trade paperback)
- Physical Description: 269 pages ; 21 cm
- Publisher: Toronto : Hamish Hamilton Canada, 2022.
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Caetano, Cody. Caetano, Cody > Family. Indigenous peoples > Manitoba > Biography. First Nations authors > Manitoba > Biography. First Nations > Manitoba > Biography. |
Genre: | Biographies. Autobiographies. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lakeshore Branch | 819.8603 Caeta | 31681010278372 | NONFICPBK | Available | - |
- Penguin Putnam
*WINNER OF THE 2023 INDIGENOUS VOICES AWARD FOR PUBLISHED PROSE IN ENGLISH*
*FINALIST FOR THE 2023 EDNA STAEBLER AWARD FOR CREATIVE NON-FICTION*
*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 LEACOCK MEDAL FOR HUMOUR*
*LONGLISTED FOR CANADA READS 2023*
*LONGLISTED FOR THE 2023 TORONTO BOOK AWARDS*
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
A family tries to learn from the mistakes of past generations in this whirlwind memoir from a wholly original new voice.
The Caetanos move into a doomed house in the highway village of Happyland before an inevitable divorce pulls Codyâs parents in separate directions. His mom, Mindimooye, having discovered her Anishinaabe birth family and Sixties Scoop origin story, embarks on a series of fraught relationships and fresh starts. His dad, O Touro, a Portuguese immigrant and drifter, falls back into âbig do, little thinkâ behaviour, despite his best intentions.
Left alone at the house in Happyland, Cody and his siblings must fend for themselves, even as the pipes burst and the lights go out. His protective big sister, Kris, finds inventive ways to put food on the table, and his stoic big brother, Julian, facilitates his regular escapes into the world of video games. As life yanks them from one temporary solution to the next, they steal moments of joy and resist buckling under âbaddieâ temptations aplenty.
Capturing the chaos and wonder of a precarious childhood, Cody Caetano delivers a fever dream coming-of-age garnished with a slang all his own. Half-Bads in White Regalia is an unforgettable debut that unspools a tangled family history with warmth, humour, and deep generosity.