Throwaway People

Birdie’s world is forever changed when she discovers the lifeless body of a fisherman on a Scottish beach. This tragic event brings back haunting memories of her older brother’s mysterious disappearance from her family when she was just eleven years old. Birdie was told to forget him, and eventually she did-until that day on the beach when she knew that she must return to her Native roots, to find her brother Gerald. Birdie’s quest takes her from the Scottish Highlands, where she has found love and family, to her British Columbia hometown to seek the truth about her brother and her ancestral history. As a Métis woman, she must grapple with her Indigenous heritage, a legacy she’s been raised to conceal, and mend the fragments of their family. However, to achieve that goal, she must risk everything to navigate a challenging path of racism, betrayal, and her own guilt. Her exploration of a painful past leads her into the path of an old murder, a wrongful conviction, and a relentless murderer intent on burying his crimes at any cost. While Birdie navigates her way through a labyrinth of secrets, the inconvenient truths of the historical and contemporary experiences of Indigenous people emerge. Her pursuit of the truth becomes a transformative odyssey, both for her lost family and for herself. As Birdie confronts her fears, she uncovers answers-about family, reconciliation, and love.