Moon of the Crusted Snow

• Genre: Fiction; postapocalyptic horror
• Originally Published: 2018
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 780L; college/adult
• Structure/Length: 2 parts; 31 chapters and epilogue; approx. 213 pages; approx. 6 hours, 46 minutes on audio
• Protagonist and Central Conflict: On a fictional First Nation reservation, a power outage turns out to be the first sign of a much larger infrastructure collapse. Evan Whitesky and his family and friends are making plans to conserve resources when an outsider arrives—a charismatic survivalist who sows discord in the community.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Substance abuse; murder; suicide; cannibalism

Waubgeshig Rice, Author

• Bio: Born in 1979; member of the Wasauksing First Nation in Ontario, Canada; a journalist, podcast host, and writer of short stories and novels; as a teenager, wrote about his experiences as an Indigenous exchange student in Germany for Canadian newspapers; earned his degree in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University; cohosts (with Jennifer David) the Storykeepers podcast about Indigenous books; lives in Ontario with his wife and children
• Other Works: Drum Making: A Guide for the Anishinaabe Hand Drum (2005); Midnight Sweatlodge (2011); Legacy (2014); Moon of the Turning Leaves (2023)
• Awards: John W. Campbell Memorial Award (shortlisted; 2019); First Nation Communities Read Award (shortlisted; 2019/20)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Unit: