The Outside Circle
Senator LaBoucane-Benson's first novel, The Outside Circle, was illustrated by Kelly Mellings and published in English in 2015 by House of Anansi Press, and in French by Glénat Québec in 2023. In this important graphic novel, two Indigenous brothers surrounded by poverty, drug abuse, and gang violence try to overcome centuries of historic trauma in very different ways to bring about positive change in their lives.
Pete, a young Indigenous man wrapped up in gang violence, lives with his younger brother, Joey, and his mother who is a heroin addict. One night, Pete and his mother's boyfriend, Dennis, get into a big fight, which sends Dennis to the morgue and Pete to jail. Initially, Pete keeps up ties to his crew, until a jail brawl forces him to realize the negative influence he has become on Joey, which encourages him to begin a process of rehabilitation that includes traditional healing circles and ceremonies.
Powerful, courageous, and deeply moving, The Outside Circle is drawn from Dr. LaBoucane-Benson's twenty years of work and research on healing and reconciliation of gang-affiliated or incarcerated Indigenous men.
