In Tyson Stewart’s debut novel, themes of broken family ties, reconnection, and ethical dilemmas are explored within an Anishinaabe family in northern Ontario. The Return of the Nish is a very quick read with a page-after-page hook that keeps a reader engaged in the storyline. The writing, however, is a bit simplistic and lacking in original expression. Oftentimes, the dialog between characters is structured in very plain prose reliant upon a weak narrative to portray the emotion. Each character’s exposition lacks sufficient depth, so we never seem to have a window into the deeper psychology of what they are thinking. Connection to the characters and story is superficial but still relatable enough that a reader will want to root for a family struggling over a couple decades with abandonment issues.
Gerry Smith’s story unfolds against the continual timeline jump of his briefly infamous father’s short-lived hockey career, and subsequent life of crime. There are, in real life, too small a number of Indigenous hockey players who have made it to the NHL. Gerry’s father, Dale, is the elite player from the OHL who makes it to the big league, but we’re not given the thrill of the ride along the way. There is no opportunity to connect with Dale’s journey as the author has chosen to focus on external events, rather than the internal chaos that propels this anti-hero. The story burns too fast with a poorly used time-jump device, so when we arrive at a redemptive arc in Gerry’s own personal dilemma with commitment, it feels forced on the audience.
As I read the passages on how quickly Gerry bonded with his father’s side of the family after years of separation, it felt inauthentic. Family abandonment trauma cannot be resolved within a few pages, leaving gaps of disconnection for the reader. Opportunities to explore more of the Anishinaabe ceremony and deeper meaning within the context of significance for this family were missed.
Overall, this story has all the right bones and potential. In its current state, it can be finished in less than a 3 to 4 hour plane ride. But it could definitely be stretched into a longer story with more focus on character development in the son (Gerry), mother (Amy), and father (Dale). There are deeper stories within, and the author could best serve these worthy characters by spending more time with their psyches and drawing out the interesting seeds of personal motivation. It makes for more interesting story telling, especially with dialogue.
Tyson Stewart is an author of the Teme-Augama Anishnabai and an associate professor of Indigenous Studies at Nipissing University. He has delivered numerous lectures and presentations on Indigenous noir in media, exploring the genre’s historical influences and the concept of biskaabiiyang (returning to ourselves). The Return of the Nish is his debut novel.
Publisher: Cormorant Books (June 6, 2026)
Paperback 5.45″ x 8.45″ | 238 pages
ISBN: 9781770868380
Mala Rai is a poet, drummer, psychology student, and technical writing hired gun on the West Coast. Her most recent poems have appeared in Eclectica Magazine, High Shelf Press, and Anti-Heroin Chic. You can follow her on Instagram @malaraipoetry
- Mala Raihttps://miramichireader.ca/author/mala-rai/
- Mala Raihttps://miramichireader.ca/author/mala-rai/
- Mala Raihttps://miramichireader.ca/author/mala-rai/
- Mala Raihttps://miramichireader.ca/author/mala-rai/
- Mala Raihttps://miramichireader.ca/author/mala-rai/
- Mala Raihttps://miramichireader.ca/author/mala-rai/
