A teacher lesson plan to further explore the book, Broken Home, Healed Nest. May include comprehension questions, group activities, conversation starters, quizzes, language arts activities, and coloring pages.
Jessica has contemplated suicide for a while now. Grappling with the reverberating grief of losing her beloved grandmother and the trauma of a broken home, young Jessica is reaching a place so far from herself, her community, and the traditional Indigenous teachings she once lived by, it is frightening.
When it all becomes too much, Jessica attempts to take the final step over the ledge. What follows is a journey through the sacred spaces within memory, song, and the spirit world, guided by two playful tricksters—eagles, who happen to have lifetimes of wisdom to share. With a love of riddles and soaring beyond the edges of possibility, they turn and twist Jessica’s reality until she can finally ground herself in what she has known all along, and allow the love, strength and voice of her beloved grandmother to once again be remembered and heard. The trajectory of Jessica’s life will be changed forever.
From Hopi Elder, Pershlie "Perci" Ami, and Street Outreach Worker, Anthony Goulet, comes a creative, sensitive, and thoughtful approach to the topic of suicide. With over forty years of combined experience in youth development and suicide prevention, they have created a unique opportunity for readers to have an open conversation on topics that may be uncomfortable, yet are crucial to hold space for the healing of our loved ones.
