'Empire of Wild' interweaves mystery and love

Bookseller Nadine Teisberg of Birchbark Books in Minneapolis is recommending the novel “Empire of Wild” by Cherie Dimaline. Teisberg calls the novel an intriguing mystery and a powerful love story, interwoven with Dimaline’s own Georgian Bay Métis culture and traditions.  In “Empire of Wild,” Joan has been searching for her missing husband for almost a year when she finds herself drawn into a revival tent by the voice of a loud, charismatic preacher. There, she recognizes her husband—but he insists that he is a different person entirely. One mystery is solved, but a new one begins.  Related 'Empire of Wild' tells a small story — but not a slight one Also, the story incorporates the traditional Métis story of the Rogarou, which Teisberg says is “like a werewolf but way scarier.” Fans of young adult books might recognize Dimaline as the author of “The Marrow Thieves,” which was a Read Brave St. Paul book for 2020.