Set in a small northern town, under the mythical shadow of the Sleeping Giant, Wake the Stone Man follows the complicated friendship of two girls coming of age in the 1960s. Molly meets Nakina, who is Ojibwe and a survivor of the residential school system, in high school, and they form a strong friendship. As the bond between them grows, Molly, who is not native, finds herself a silent witness to the racism and abuse her friend must face each day.
In this time of political awakening, Molly turns to her camera to try to make sense of the intolerance she sees in the world around her. Her photos become a way to freeze time and observe the complex human politics of her hometown. Her search for understanding uncovers some hard truths about Nakina’s past and leaves Molly with a growing sense of guilt over her own silence.
When personal tragedy tears them apart, Molly must travel a long hard road in search of forgiveness and friendship.
“Highly recommended.” – Jill Bryant
“McDougall reminds her readers that they have the strength and courage to change their own lives, and the world.” – My Pen My Voice
“Carol McDougall taps into the little details with such ease and gusto; with just a few words you leave feeling moved and more conscious of the world around you. Wake The Stone Man is a powerful novel that stays with you long after you have finished leafing through its pages and placed the book down. And, as a reader, not only will you gain a keener perspective as you peer into the lens of injustice, but perhaps you may just walk away determined to make the world a better place. Very few novels can attest to having that power.” – Sukasa Reads
“Wake the Stone Man, the coming of age story of Molly Bell, mirrors our own journey to consciousness as a country. Set in a northern Ontario town in the sixties and seventies, the novel reveals Molly’s growing understanding of the inequities of her world. It is through art that Molly clears her confusion and expiates her guilt. It is through art we see the world clearly. This novel rings with truth.” – Mary Jo Anderson, writer and host of the Banff Centre Radio show, Writers Range
“McDougall’s exploration of Molly and Nakina’s evolving friendship rings true, providing a satisfying reading experience.” – Winnipeg Free Press
“McDougall’s exploration of Molly and Nakina’s evolving friendship rings true, providing a satisfying reading experience.” – Winnipeg Free Press
“Carol McDougall has written a story that is engaging and readable from beginning to end, and appealing to a wide audience. Which is good news, because it is the kind of book that everyone should read.” – Consumed by Ink
“McDougall’s writing is brave, fierce, funny and wise. We are better — and we know better — after having read Wake the Stone Man.” – Sheree Fitch, award-winning author
“Who should read it? Every Canadian. Every woman. Every First Nations person. Everyone.” – Living in the Kitchen with Puppies
“McDougall’s exploration of Molly and Nakina’s evolving friendship rings true, providing a satisfying reading experience.”
“Carol McDougall taps into the little details with such ease and gusto; with just a few words you leave feeling moved and more conscious of the world around you. Wake The Stone Man is a powerful novel that stays with you long after you have finished leafing through its pages and placed the book down. And, as a reader, not only will you gain a keener perspective as you peer into the lens of injustice, but perhaps you may just walk away determined to make the world a better place. Very few novels can attest to having that power.”
McDougall’s writing is brave, fierce, funny and wise. We are better — and we know better — after having read Wake the Stone Man.
“Wake the Stone Man, the coming of age story of Molly Bell, mirrors our own journey to consciousness as a country. Set in a northern Ontario town in the sixties and seventies, the novel reveals Molly’s growing understanding of the inequities of her world. It is through art that Molly clears her confusion and expiates her guilt. It is through art we see the world clearly. This novel rings with truth.”
“Highly recommended.”
“Carol McDougall has written a story that is engaging and readable from beginning to end, and appealing to a wide audience. Which is good news, because it is the kind of book that everyone should read.”
“Who should read it? Every Canadian. Every woman. Every First Nations person. Everyone.”