Books & Reviews

New Memoir Chronicles a Métis Woman's Journey Across Canada

‘Rooted and Roaming’ dives deep into cultural identity, land, and personal healing as author Elise Tremblay recounts her travels and reconnections.

July 20, 2025 at 15:43 — By Gina Moore, Leaf & Thought

With sparse lines and sweeping natural imagery, Yukon-based poet Graham Li captures themes of grief, resilience, and belonging in his new collection, 'Still North.'

Published by Boreal House, the collection draws heavily on Li’s time living near Dawson City, where harsh winters and isolation shaped his creative outlook. Many of the poems were written in a small cabin overlooking the Yukon River.

Li says the collection was a response to personal loss, but also an attempt to reconnect with the land that held space for his healing. 'There’s something about silence that invites the truth out,' he said in a recent CBC interview.

The book includes verses dedicated to local landmarks: the Top of the World Highway, Bonanza Creek, and the Midnight Dome. Others address memories of his father, who passed away two years ago after a long illness.

Critics have noted the musicality of the work and its ability to evoke vast emotion in few words. 'Li’s poetry is like stepping into snow—still, cold, but deeply alive beneath the surface,' wrote one reviewer.

The collection has been shortlisted for the 2024 Governor General’s Literary Awards and is quickly becoming a favorite among Canadian poetry circles.