By Carmen Lebar
Content warning: sexual assault, racism, homophobia, physical violence, drug use
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead is a beautifully written character driven novel about a Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer character. The novel centres around Jonny and his life in and outside the reservation. Jonny moves to Winnipeg for a better life, eventually working as a sex worker. The story is told in vignettes of Jonny’s life, leading up to his eventual return to the reservation to attend his stepfather’s funeral. These vignettes aren’t chronological, and they focus on his close relationships with his friends Tias and Jordan, his mother, and his grandmother. Jonny Appleseed navigates Jonny’s life as he tries to understand himself and the way he wants to live. I found the novel emotionally profound and brutally honest.
Whitehead eloquently writes Jonny’s story, capturing his character growth. Every hardship Jonny experiences is complex and intersectional; he is not just experiencing racism, but homophobia and classism as well. Jonny often mentions these moments with self-deprecating humour. The comedic relief in the novel is always placed at the right time and never takes away from the more emotional or difficult moments. I enjoyed reading Jonny’s raw first-person narrative. From his perspective, he reveals that the emotional ups and downs he faces in his present have been ultimately molded by his past. And while reading this novel, it made me realize how the world needs more books like this.
Jonny Appleseed has received numerous accolades from various authors and has won many awards and it is deserving of praise and recognition from critics of literary fiction. Many important and difficult topics are brought up in the novel and written in such a beautiful and poignant language - I don't want the hype of this novel to die down. This was the first novel I have read by a Two-Spirit/Indigiaqueer author and it won't be my last.
Jonny Appleseed is a novel that I will continue to refer to and revisit in the future. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who is actively wanting to read widely and diversely–especially if you want to read more books by queer and Indigenous authors. After the buzz dies down from this book, I hope it still is something people talk about and will read in the years to come. Jonny Appleseed is a timeless novel that deserves every bit of praise it has received.