Son of a Trickster (2017)

Son of a Trickster is a 2017 coming of age novel by Indigenous Canadian author Eden Robinson. The first novel in The Trickster trilogy, it follows 16-year-old Jared, who wades through the complications of a broken family, social pressure, drugs, alcohol, and poverty. The novel interweaves the Indigenous myth from Haisla/Heiltsuk oral storytelling, as Jared discovers the Haisla trickster, Wee'jit. The story is set in Kitimat, British Columbia.

It took Robinson eight years to write, and is followed by the 2018 novel, Trickster Drift. The third and final novel, titled Return of the Trickster, was published in 2021.

Reception and awards

The novel was selected for the 2020 edition of Canada Reads, in which it was defended by actress Kaniehtiio Horn.

Television adaptation

Filmmaker Michelle Latimer and Streel Films secured the rights to adapt the book into a TV series. The series premiered on CBC Television as Trickster in 2020.

Awards and nominations

2017 Giller Prize shortlist

2018 BC Book Prizes - Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize shortlist

2018 Ontario Library Association’s Evergreen Award shortlist

2018 Sunburst Award shortlist