Empire of Wild

Empire of Wild is a novel by the Métis novelist Cherie Dimaline, and it was published in 2019. The novel follows a Métis woman as she embarks on a quest to find her missing husband and incorporates elements of horror and magical realism. The novel draws on Indigenous mythology—particularly the legend of the rogarou—and explores the impact of Christianity, government exploitation, and colonialism on Indigenous people in Canada.

This guide uses the 2019 Random House edition.

Content Warning: The novel contains references to sexual assault, violence against women, and the abuse of children and animals.

Plot Summary

Joan Beausoleil is a woman in her late thirties who lives in the small community of Arcand, Ontario. Joan is a Métis woman, an Indigenous group who traces their ancestry back to relationships between early European settlers and First Nations individuals. She is part of a close-knit extended family, including her mother, two brothers, her grandmother, and her young cousin, Zeus. At the start of the plot, Joan’s husband, Victor, has been missing for nearly a year, and she is desperately trying to understand where he could have gone.

By chance, Joan happens upon a traveling Christian ministry and is shocked to see Victor there.