My People, Myself

Kerry Abel is a professor of history at Carleton University. She is the author of Drum Songs: Glimpses of Dene History, co-editor of Aboriginal Resource Use in Canada: Historical and Legal Aspects, and co-editor of Northern Visions: New Perspectives on the North in Canadian History.

In this simple, direct, and often painfully intimate memoir, Mary
Lawrence details her struggle to come to terms with her life, the
elements of which are sadly familiar: residential schools, foster
families, rape, drug abuse, violent partners, and prison. The book’s
matter-of-fact tone serves to heighten rather than diminish the horror
of a world viewed through the deadened eyes of a heroin addict. In the
end, a note of optimism is introduced as the author puts her addiction
behind her and builds a new relationship with her children. Her book,
which she tells us is intended to help others understand their own
addiction problems, would be a valuable resource for

discussion groups involving addicts and social workers. For the general
reader, My People, Myself puts a human face on current debates over the
problems faced by many Native people in Canada.