What does it mean to be Mi'kmaq? And if Swift Fox can't find the
answer, will she ever feel like part of her family?
When Swift Fox's father picks her up to go visit her aunties, uncles,
and cousins, her belly is already full of butterflies. And when he tells
her that today is the day that she'll learn how to be Mi'kmaq, the
butterflies grow even bigger. Though her father reassures her that
Mi'kmaq is who she is from her eyes to her toes, Swift Fox doesn't
understand what that means. Her family welcomes her with smiles and
hugs, but when it's time to smudge and everyone else knows how, Swift
Fox feels even more like she doesn't belong.
Then she meets her cousin Sully and realizes that she's not the only one
who's unsure--and she may even be the one to teach him something about
what being Mi'kmaq means. Based on the author's own experience, with
striking illustrations by Maya McKibbin, A Long Way to a New Place is
a poignant story about identity and belonging that is at once personal
and universally resonant.