Tara Gereaux
In conversation with Danielle Paradis
Thursday, October 22 | 7 PM
Forsyth Hall, Downtown Library | $10
Wild People Quiet:
Set in a small Saskatchewan prairie town in 1946, this powerful novel follows Florence, a Métis woman who has spent years hiding her identity to build a secure life in a predominantly white community. When the arrival of Métis seasonal workers forces her to confront her past, Florence must choose between the life she has created and the truth of who she is. A moving story of identity, belonging, and the cost of living as someone else.
— David A. Robertson, author of The Theory of Crows
About Tara Gereaux
Tara Gereaux is the author of Saltus, which was shortlisted for the 2022 ReLit Novel Award and three Saskatchewan Book Awards; and Size of a Fist, a teen novella, which was also shortlisted for two Saskatchewan Book Awards.
Tara holds an MFA in creative writing from UBC and has worked as a writer and story editor for film and television. She is a citizen of the Métis Nation- Saskatchewan and lives in Regina on Treaty 4 territory and the homeland of the Métis.
Wild People Quiet
Florence has created a beautiful life for herself. Her home is immaculate; she is a model employee at Pratt’s Insurance, where she works as a secretary. Her hair is the perfect shade of movie-star blonde—never once does she allow her brown roots to show. She dyes them every other Saturday night, without fail.
But one morning, everything changes.
Florence notices a new group of men at the local diner, Métis workers from out of town, hired on for the season at a nearby farm. And one of them has a connection to the past that Florence has spent her entire life outrunning. He has one simple request for her.
Suddenly, Florence is thrown back into memories of her life before. Suddenly, the line between who she once was and who she has chosen to be feels very thin.
And when Florence learns of the government’s plans for the Métis community on the fringes of town, she will be faced with a choice—one that will shatter her carefully constructed life forever.
This extraordinary novel asks us what we will do for our community, for our families, for our friends, even at our own expense. It examines the harrowing effects of choosing to live as someone else—and the radiant peace that comes from finally living one’s truth. Gripping, wrenching, and utterly immersive, Wild People Quiet is a stunning achievement by a remarkable literary talent.
Danielle Paradis is an award-winning journalist, educator, and media professional who focuses on Indigenous stories and bridging traditional knowledge with contemporary life. As a proud member of the Alberta Métis Nation, she brings a unique perspective with her multifaceted career in journalism, academia, and community leadership. You can read her at her Substack, Dispatches from Paradis.
