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Slash is one of the older books on CBC's list of "12 Books by Indigenous Women You Should Read". It was first published in the 80s and is often read and studied in high school. The main character, Thomas Kelasket receives the nickname, Slash, after inadvertently participating in a knife fight. The novel is the story of Slash’s gradual political and spiritual awakening. It weaves historical information concerning the struggle for Indigenous rights into the fictional narrative of Slash’s life. The novel succeeds in bringing forth important themes concerning Indigenous rights. This is probably the reason it is studied in high schools. The novel is less successful in presenting an engaging story to captivate the reader. Slash hangs out on the periphery of the American Indian Movement (AIM) and political events occurring in Canada. At times, his story seems merely to be a vacant vehicle to recount the struggle of Indigenous peoples in the 70s and 80s. The history was interesting to read, as it provided important background information for how the campaign for Indigenous rights evolved over time. The story was a little weak. However, as this was Armstrong’s first novel, perhaps I am being overly critical.