Where Should You Start Reading Cherie Dimaline?
Cherie Dimaline is one of Canada's most celebrated Métis storytellers, known for weaving traditional legends, contemporary struggles, and speculative fiction. Because she writes across several age groups and genres, the best place to start depends on your personal taste:
- For Dystopian and YA Fans: Start with The Marrow Thieves (2017). This is Dimaline's breakout masterpiece and most famous work. Set in a future where global warming has devastated the earth and non-Indigenous people have lost the ability to dream, Indigenous people are hunted for their bone marrow. It is a brilliant, emotional, and fast-paced entry point to her writing.
- For Urban Fantasy and Folklore Lovers: Start with Empire of Wild (2019). This adult novel reimagines the traditional Métis legend of the Rougarou (a werewolf-like creature). It combines suspense, dark fantasy, and themes of community, love, and land protection.
- For Cozy Paranormal or Modern Fantasy Fans: Start with VenCo (2023). This adult novel features a contemporary coven of witches, secret histories, and a road trip across North America. It is lighter in tone but still steeped in cultural depth.
- For Contemporary YA and Ghost Stories: Start with Funeral Songs for Dying Girls (2023). It follows a teenage girl living in a cemetery who accidentally starts a rumor that she is a ghost, only to form a connection with a real ghost.
The Marrow Thieves Series Reading Order
This is Dimaline's only direct continuation series. The books must be read in publication order, as the plot and character development of the second book rely entirely on the events of the first.
- The Marrow Thieves (2017) – Introduces Frenchie, a Métis boy surviving in the wild with a makeshift family of other Indigenous runaways, fleeing recruiters who harvest their marrow.
- Hunting by Stars (2021) – Takes place immediately after the events of the first book. Frenchie is captured and taken to a government facility, while his chosen family risks everything to rescue him.
Cherie Dimaline's Standalone Novels
Dimaline's standalone novels can be read in any order. They showcase her range across YA, adult contemporary, historical fantasy, and reimagined classics.
- The Girl Who Grew a Galaxy (2013) – A lyrical contemporary novel about trauma, anxiety, and a young woman named Lorelei who literally sprouts planets, stars, and space debris around her head as a physical manifestation of her emotional struggles.
- Empire of Wild (2019) – A dark adult fantasy set in a Georgian Bay Métis community. Joan's husband has been missing for a year, only for her to find him acting as a charismatic Christian preacher with no memory of his past life, leading Joan into a battle against a ancient, predatory force.
- VenCo (2023) – A fast-paced fantasy novel following Lucky St. John, a Métis woman who discovers she is part of a ancient lineage of witches. She goes on a cross-country quest to find the remaining members of her coven.
- Tiger Lily and the Secret Treasure of Neverland (2023) – A middle-grade adventure that centers the character Tiger Lily, offering a fresh, respectful, and folklore-infused perspective on the classic Neverland lore.
- Funeral Songs for Dying Girls (2023) – A YA novel exploring grief, first love, and identity. Winona lives on a cemetery property with her father and forms a relationship with the ghost of a girl from a historic residential school.
Multi-Author Series Contributions
Dimaline also contributed to the popular YA series Remixed Classics. This series features reimagined versions of classic literary works written by diverse, marginalized authors. While there are several books in the collection, they are completely standalone and written by different creators. Dimaline's contribution is:
- Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix (2023) – A reimagining of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden, set in the wilderness of Georgian Bay. It follows Mary Lennox as she discovers the healing power of the land and her own identity.
Short Story Collections, Non-Fiction, and Anthologies
To fully experience Dimaline's storytelling roots, consider exploring her shorter works and personal essays:
- Red Rooms (2007) – Her debut collection of stories. It focuses on the interconnected lives of urban Indigenous people occupying rooms in a downtown hotel, reflecting on history, ancestry, and urban survival.
- A Gentle Habit (2015) – A collection of short stories that explore the concept of addiction, compulsion, and human connection through extraordinary and often bizarre characters.
- An Anthology of Monsters: How Story Saves Us from Our Anxiety (2023) – A short non-fiction essay based on Dimaline's Kreisel Lecture. It is a deeply personal look at her lifelong struggles with anxiety and how storytelling, history, and family lore serve as vital medicine.
- Love Beyond Body, Space & Time (2016) – A landmark Indigenous LGBT and Two-Spirit speculative fiction anthology. Dimaline contributed the short story "Legends are Made, Not Born," which deals with Indigenous resilience and identity on a future "New Earth."
What to Know Before You Start
Cherie Dimaline writes with a focus on Indigenous—specifically Métis—identity, resilience, and community. Her work often addresses dark themes, including the legacy of residential schools in Canada, environmental collapse, and historical trauma. However, her books are also deeply hopeful, centering on the strength of family, the preservation of oral traditions, and the connection to the land. Whether you are reading her dystopian YA or her adult urban fantasy, expect stories that honor ancestral roots while engaging with modern realities.