The Orenda

The Orenda by Joseph Boyden is a powerful, haunting novel set in 17th-century Canada, where cultures collide and faiths clash amid the meeting of Indigenous peoples and European settlers.

Told through the voices of a Huron warrior, a young Iroquois girl, and a Jesuit missionary, this epic story explores violence, spirituality, survival, and the sacred bonds of community and land. Boyden’s lyrical prose and unflinching honesty bring to life a time of profound transformation and tragedy, illuminating the birth of a nation and the cost of its creation.

Winner of the Canada Reads 2014 competition and shortlisted for the Governor General’s Literary Award, The Orenda is a modern Canadian classic — bold, unforgettable, and deeply moving.

Condition: Very Good