The StoryKeepers: Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, by Drew Hayden Taylor.

(From a series of reflections by Jennifer David on contemporary Aboriginal fiction in Canada.)

Many of you will familiar with Drew Hayden Taylor. You may have read his columns in Windspeaker, seen his plays, or caught some of his TV and documentary work. (You'll deduce from this introduction that Drew is a pretty versatile author).

Last year Drew published Motorcycles and Sweetgrass, his first novel for adults. With Drew's trademark humour, he sets out to answer the question, "If Nanabush were alive today, what would he look like, and what kind of havoc might he cause?"

Nanabush is a trickster figure in Anishnaabe (Ojibway) culture. He's mischevious, self-centred and makes a lot of mistakes; but his stories teach us how to live in community, what is expected of us in our various roles, and who we are as a people. Both the theme and the character fit perfectly with Drew's own playful sense of humour.

The story begins with a deathbed wish by aging Dorothy - a wish to have Nanabush visit her once before she dies. She tells him a secret and asks him to take care of her daughter Maggie (who happens to be the chief of the First Nation) and her grandson. In true Nanabush fashion, after a number of mishaps and adventures, we find out that his goal was to get Maggie to spend more time with her son, value family and enjoy time together. But of course, the resolution that Nanabush envisioned is not at all how things work out. Or, well, maybe it was...

The book is consistently amusing, with some hilarious sections (like a conversation between Nanabush and Jesus), and an interesting premise. Unfortunately, the writing is weak in some points, and some sections feel like narrative conceived for the stage, Drew's usual medium. But the strengths he brings to all his writing are very much part of the work; thoughtful exploration of complex issues and difficult emotions, expressed through humour.

The book takes on a deeper meaning for readers familiar with the Nanabush legend; but even for readers new to Aboriginal culture, Motorcycles and Sweetgrass is a fine introduction to modern reserve life, and to the different ways that people choose to live their culture and traditions in the modern world. It's also a good example of the humor-laced magic realism that is a staple of contemporary Canadian Aboriginal fiction.

Oh, and the motorcycle refers to a vintage Indian motorcyle that Nanabush rides into town on. The sweetgrass? Well, you'll have to read the book to see how that fits in.

Motorcycles and Sweetgrass was published in 2010 by Alfred Knopf.