One Book, One Halton Hills 2025

52 Ways to Reconcile by David A. Robertson

David A. Robertson is a bestselling, award-winning author, a proud member of Norway House Cree Nation, and a powerful voice in Canadian literature. He's also the founder of Swift Water Books, the first Indigenous children's imprint within a major Canadian publishing house. Join David for an engaging evening of conversation hosted by Elamin Abdelmahmoud, CBC Radio host and writer. David will share insights, answer audience questions, and connect with the community. A book signing will follow.

Host Information

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is the host of CBC Radio’s daily arts, pop culture and entertainment show COMMOTION, and a former writer for BuzzFeed News. His work has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Maclean's, Rolling Stone and others. Elamin is the bestselling author of Son of Elsewhere: A Memoir in Pieces. His second book, Elbows Up!: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance will be released in October 2025.

Start your reconciliation journey

52 Ways to Reconcile includes actionable steps you can take with your library card. From watching an Indigenous film to learning about Indigenous history, start your reconciliation journey with the following resources:

• Reserve your copy of 52 Ways to Reconcile through our catalogue
• Join our Book Chat on the Acton Reading Deck
• Watch an Indigenous movie with Kanopy
• Borrow an Indigenous book club set
• Discover Indigenous musicians with Freegal
• Take time for reflection with a Moccasin Identifier kit
• Learn more about Reconciliation in Canada
• Read another book by our One Book author

About the author

DAVID A. ROBERTSON is the author of numerous books for young readers including Governor General’s Literary Award winners On the Trapline and When We Were Alone. The Barren Grounds, Book 1 of The Misewa Saga series, was a Kirkus, NPR, and Quill & Quire best middle-grade book of 2020, as well as a USBBY and Texas Lone Star selection. Winner of the Writers’ Union of Canada’s Freedom to Read Award, as well as the 2021 Globe and Mail Children’s Storyteller of the Year recipient, Dave is a member of Norway House Cree Nation and currently lives in Winnipeg, Canada. For more information, visit his website: www.darobertson.ca and follow him on X: @DaveAlexRoberts. 

From bestselling author of the Misewa Saga series David A. Robertson, this is the essential guide for all Canadians to understand how small and attainable acts towards reconciliation can make an enormous difference in our collective efforts to build a reconciled country. 

52 Ways to Reconcile is an accessible, friendly guide for non-Indigenous people eager to learn, or Indigenous people eager to do more in our collective effort towards reconciliation, as people, and as a country. As much as non-Indigenous people want to walk the path of reconciliation, they often aren’t quite sure what to do, and they’re afraid of making mistakes. This book is the answer and the long overdue guide. 

The idea of this book is simple: 52 small acts of reconciliation to consider, one per week, for an entire year. They’re all doable, and they’re all meaningful. All 52 steps take readers in the right direction, towards a healthier relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and a time when we are past trauma. By following these steps, we can live in stronger and healthier communities equally, and respectfully, together.