Sarah O'Connor

I received this book from River Street Writing in exchange for an honest review.

“You wished for revenge. She heard you. SHE HEARD YOU. Do you understand? SHE! HEARD! YOU!” (Smith 11).

After her Sister-Cousin dies on the Highway of Tears, a young Indigenous woman  embarks on a journey with her na̱xnox to find the killer and bring justice to her and the other missing Indigenous women who have died.

Calling Gitwaałtk a novel is a generous word. At 61 pages and bite-sized chapters, even novella seems too big a word for such a compact book, but there’s no denying the impact that Smith has created in her story.

Smith has such a talent of creating deep emotion in few pages and words. The unnamed narrator of Gitwaałtk is grieving, angry, and determined. This sadness permeates the text and creates an inspiring story of that grief over her Sister-Cousin’s death leading her to wanting to bring about justice not only for her but the many other Missing and Murdered Indigenous women that exist today. I was impressed by how strongly Smith was able to convey these emotions in her text.

I also really enjoyed the use of Indigenous language throughout the text. Smith does not offer translations or insight to non-Indigenous readers on what these words mean but relies on readers to figure out the meanings from the larger context of the story, and I do think for many of the words mentioned inferences can be made on the meaning. I liked that she didn’t provide a translation for what these words meant because it isn’t her responsibility to tell readers, as readers it is something we can research and learn on our own. I thought the use of Indigenous language created an intimacy with the narrator and her family. It was cultural, private, and lovely to see these languages being used.

While the plot is very cut-and-dry and there isn’t a huge amount of character developments outside the unnamed narrator, Gitwaałtk was a fantastic little story. Packed with emotion, I would love to see Smith work on a larger, full-length novel because she has an amazing voice that deserves a place in CanLit.

Publication: April 1 2026
Publisher: The Porcupine’s Quill
Pages: 61 pages (Paperback)
Source: River Street Writing
Genre: Fiction, Indigenous, Canadian
My Rating: ⛤⛤⛤⛤
Summary:

Gitwaałtk by Crystal AJ Smith is the story of a young Indigenous woman who loses her Sister-Cousin to the highway of tears and who embarks on a journey with her na̱xnox to find and bring to justice to the person responsible for her Sister’s disappearance. 
It’s an exploration of how grief and loss can find strength in family, community, and tradition.