A wringing read, filled with the stories of people we walk past and never see- homeless and alcoholic, down and out. A few of them find themselves together, guided by a native woman who finds them and links them. An unexpected event throws the group into disarray, as each member deals with past hurts and damage in their own way.
Will they find their way back together as a chosen family?
Despite some gruelling scenes, this is a profoundly optimistic and heartwarming book. It is a nice thought that homeless people form families and look after each other, keep each other safe. I’m not sure this happens often. Though I enjoyed the read, I did find some of the characters too stereotypical, and amazingly good-hearted. ( )

Loved it! The story pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. There’s alot in this book. Very interesting. You can’t help but learn to understand the homeless. ( )

I love Richard Wagamese's writing, and I knew that I'd love this book, but I wasn't expecting to be absolutely blown away by it. This is a beautiful, remarkable, masterpiece of a book. It's about four homeless people that you will come to know and love as you read this 400 and some page book that seemed to whiz by in the blink of an eye. I guarantee that you will never look at homeless people in the same way again. I also guarantee that you will cry, laugh and be mesmerized by Digger, One for the Dead, Double D and Timber. The book is about the love these four people have for each other , and even though they are homeless, they are never alone. They always have each other. They each discover a whole new world in a darkened movie theatre when they go in to watch a movie in order to get out of the cold for a little while. Then their lives change completely when Digger finds a winning lottery ticket in a discarded cigarette package. The secondary characters are just as wonderful as these four. We have a disillusioned ex-journalist by the name of Granite, a remarkable lawyer named James and Granite's girlfriend Margo. What a remarkable story Richard Wagamese was, and we lost a great talent two years ago when he passed away. I highly recommend that you read this book. It is simply wonderful and the best portrayal of human nature that I've ever read. ( )

Digger, Timber, Double Dick, and One For the Dead, live on the city streets, each fighting their own demons, but forming a sort of family over the years, watching out for each other and sharing. One particularly cold winter day, they decide to go to the movies to stay warm, and there they meet Granite, a "square John" who befriends them. They meet off and on with Granite as they form a movie-going habit. Their lives change dramatically when Digger finds a winning Lotto ticket--they have won more than $13 million, which they have decided to share, and they need Granite's help to collect it.
The book is told in chapters narrated alternately by each of the 5 main characters. Over the course of the book, we learn of their past lives, and what brought each of them to life on the streets, as well as what they each choose to do to make that life worthwhile after winning the lottery.
I enjoyed this mostly, but occasionally found it a bit simplistic or fairy-tale-ish. Sometimes the characters seemed a bit too naive or childish to have survived so long on the streets, and the "square Johns" who took care of them (or at least their money) after the lottery win seemed a bit like adult minders for the feeble-minded. Still, overall I think this was a good look at the unique world of society's marginalized.
The author was an Ojibway from the Wabassee First Nation in Ontario and has first-hand knowledge of this life. Several of the characters have Native American heritage, and their traditions and beliefs permeate the book. Some of their experiences were heart-breaking. I'm glad I read this book.

Recommended. 3 stars ( )

I cried and the beginning and I cried at the end. Though really it's a heartwarming story about friendship. It's a very interesting read about homelessness and I enjoyed the inclusion of First Nation stories and spirituality. ( )