Moon of the Crusted Snow

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Evan hunts, stores food, and chops wood to prepare for winter long before the crisis. Are there any preparations you make in your own life that might help during unexpected emergencies? What prompts you to do so?

2. Aileen tells Evan that the Anishinaabe have survived multiple “apocalypses” before. When have you witnessed communities coming together to overcome significant challenges?

3. Have you ever had a dream that seemed to offer insight into a situation you were facing, similar to the prophetic dreams in the novel? How do you understand dreams, generally (e.g., as reflections of subconscious concerns, as spiritual messages, etc.)?

4. How do you think your own community would respond to a crisis similar to the one depicted in the novel?

5. Evan values traditional knowledge while embracing useful modern conveniences. In what ways do you balance tradition and innovation in your own life?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. In what ways does the historical context of colonial policies enhance your understanding of the characters’ responses to crisis?

2. What does the novel reveal about the relationship between Indigenous communities and broader Canadian society?

3. Justin Scott is an outsider who disrupts the community’s cohesion through his actions and attitude. What commentary does this suggest about the dangers of ignorance, bigotry, and imperialism?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Which recurring dream in the novel did you find most significant to the story’s development, and why?

2. Rice connects Justin Scott to the wendigo, a creature that symbolizes greed and consumption in Anishinaabe mythology. What does this reveal about Scott’s character and role in the story?

3. The title refers to a specific time in the Anishinaabe calendar. What symbolic meaning does this hold within the story?

4. Compare the leadership styles of Terry Meegis and Walter Meegis during the crisis. How do their contrasting actions and points of view support the novel’s overall meaning?

5. What does Evan’s tipi symbolize in relation to both his character development and the novel’s broader themes?

6. How does Rice’s portrayal of apocalypse and Indigenous resilience compare to that in Cherie Dimaline’s The Marrow Thieves, another Indigenous post-apocalyptic novel?