Dawn's Reviews > When I Was Eight

In an attempt to educate the reader about the abuses suffered by aboriginal children in the residential school system the authors have created a new form of discrimination. The nun in this story is illustrated and described to resemble a fairy-tale witch, even going so far as to cackle in the text. Several times the crucifix she wears is prominently displayed while doing something awful. This disrespectful representation of a religious group as a whole makes this a poor choice to use with students. Based on a true story, Olemaun was definitely mistreated by a nun. However this story seems to suggests to small children that nun and witch are one and the same.
After having read Fatty Legs a reader can recognize that the author actually means to refer to the nun as the “raven” due to her angular lines and beak like nose, which may explain the depiction of her in this book. However, in this book, which is targeted at an audience too young to read Fatty Legs this is not explained at all. Without that understanding the portrayal is exactly as you would expect to see the “The Wicked Queen” in Snow White, “The Witch” in Hansel and Gretel and so forth.
This is an oversimplification of a complex situation and the demonization of a religious group as a whole for the actions of a few is highly inappropriate. Rather than creating an environment of healing and understanding this book opens the door for children to harbor fear and hatred of catholic people, which could lead to bullying in a classroom. This kind of attitude cannot be allowed in a healthy learning environment. If the kind nun who was given a passing mention had played a larger roll in the story, demonstrating that nuns themselves are not evil, rather some people are evil, this book would have been a moving and painful story.
The authors have written Olemaun’s story for older children in the novel Fatty Legs and A Stranger at Home, which are a far better choice than this one or Not my girl.