''The Lesser Blessed'' is a novel by

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

writer

Richard Van Camp Richard Van Camp (born September 8, 1971) is a Dogrib Tłı̨chǫ writer of the Dene nation from Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, Canada.

, first published in 1996 by

Douglas & McIntyre Douglas and McIntyre (2013) Ltd. is a Canadian book publishing firm. Douglas & McIntyre was founded by James Douglas and Scott McIntyre in 1971 as an independent publishing company based in Vancouver. Reorganized with new owners in 2008 as D&M P ...

Plot

Larry Sole, a

Tłı̨chǫ The Tłı̨chǫ (, ) people, sometimes spelled Tlicho and also known as the Dogrib, are a Dene First Nations in Canada, First Nations people of the Athabaskan languages, Athabaskan-speaking ethnolinguistic group living in the Northwest Territ ...

teenager from the fictional Fort Simmer, befriends newcomer Johnny Beck. The two become friends though Larry is jealous of Johnny's relationship with Juliet Hope, his crush. Larry eventually opens up to Johnny about his rapist father and the abuse he suffered under him while living in Fort Rae. Darcy is Larry's arch-nemesis in the movie. Darcy and Larry have a past that goes a lot deeper than Fort Simmer, where they live now. Darcy knows Larry from Fort Rae, where Larry and his mom have relocated. Darcy knows the secrets of why Larry had to move from Fort Rae, and he uses this information to torment Larry throughout. Larry lets Darcy treat him like crap to not upset him into spilling the secrets he holds from the incident in Fort Rae. Darcy is also a friend and possible love interest of Larry's Crush Juliet, another of Darcy's disdain for Larry.

Reception

The novel received positive notices from ''

Quill & Quire ''Quill & Quire'' is a Canadian magazine about the book and publishing industry. The magazine was launched in 1935 and has an average circulation of 5,000 copies per issue, with a publisher-claimed readership of 25,000. ''Quill & Quire'' reviews ...

'' calling Van Camp "a writer to watch" and praising the novel for its "awful, unavoidable truth."

Adaptation

In 2012 filmmaker

Anita Doron Anita Doron (born June 3, 1974) is a Hungarian-Canadian film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, author, and a 2010 TED Fellow. Doron is best known for her 2012 film adaptation of the 1996 novel '' The Lesser Blessed'', written b ...

adapted the novel into a

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

starring

Benjamin Bratt Benjamin Bratt (born December 16, 1963) is an American actor and producer who has worked in film and on television. He had supporting roles in the 1990s in such box office hits as ''Demolition Man'' (1993), ''Clear and Present Danger'' (1994), ...

Kiowa Gordon Kiowa Joseph Gordon (born March 25, 1990) is an American actor of Hualapai descent. He is best known for his role as shapeshifter Embry Call in '' The Twilight Saga,'' as well as Junior in the TV series ''The Red Road''. Early life Gordon wa ...

and Joel Evans.

References

1996 Canadian novels First Nations novels Douglas & McIntyre books Novels set in the Northwest Territories {{Canada-novel-stub