Three Day Road

Three Day Road is a harrowing war narrative that details the interconnected lives of several Cree Indians during World War One. Xavier Bird and Elijah Whiskeyjack are best friends who have lived as bush Indians for most of their lives. They live with Xavier’s aunt, Niska, who has taught Xavier how to live in the old ways. Xavier, in turn, has shown Elijah. One day, the boys hear about a great war taking place in Europe and decide to join the fighting. This seemingly harmless decision (like many at the time, Elijah and Xavier think the fighting will be over soon) transforms the lives of Niska, Elijah and Xavier, as well as the people they meet.

Niska is informed that Elijah has been injured and she must pick him up from the station. However, when she arrives she finds that her nephew, Xavier, waiting for her. She thought he was dead, having received a letter to that effect. Similarly, Xavier had received a letter informing him that Niska had died. Though in shock, the two begin the three-day journey home. Elijah’s whereabouts are unknown, and Xavier, having lost his left leg, is in pain and addicted to morphine. Amid all this, one thing becomes certain to Niska: her nephew has only returned home to die.

Niska wants to heal Xavier, but does not know how to deal with his morphine addiction, a “disease” she has no experience with. She thinks back to when she was a child and her tribe had faced starvation. During the tough times, her father would tell them all stories, stories that were meant to feed them, protect them and help them to overcome adversity. In similar fashion, Niska begins to tell Xavier stories about her past, as well as his, in the hopes that her stories will heal him. While Niska relates stories to Xavier, Xavier himself flashes back to the war and to the events that shaped both his and Elijah’s fate. Xavier’s recollections are often prompted by the morphine he takes. During these times, he can think back to the war and not be affected by guilt.

In the trenches, Xavier and Elijah become snipers, and in a short amount of time, earn a reputation for being good at what they do. Elijah, however, is the favorite among their peers. Elijah adds to his popularity by boasting about his kills and, as even Xavier admits, being an excellent solider. What this means, however, is that Elijah embraces killing, which is highlighted at one point by his comment to a commanding officer that killing is in his blood. As the war takes its toll on their friends, Elijah descends further and further into his role as a killer. Through the interwoven narratives, the reader comes to understand that Niska is a windigo killer, as her father was before her. Windigos are people who consume the flesh of other humans and, in doing so, become stronger, but savage, and who crave violence. Niska reveals that there is one other windigo killer. As this is a trait passed down through families, and as Xavier is her only living relative, it is suggested that Xavier is a windigo killer, thus adding tension and plot to the vagaries of war and Elijah’s descent into madness.

In the present, Xavier eventually runs out of morphine and he and Niska fight to save him from both the morphine and his demons. At the same time, Elijah’s fate and the fate of Xavier are also revealed in startling detail. Themes of love, sacrifice, friendship, survival, and morality permeate the end of the novel as they do the entire narrative. The effects of war are felt and challenged, and by the light of the novel’s last day, the reader can glimpse what has become of all the main characters. It is also important to note that the concept of the “three-day road” symbolizes the journey to death. By the end of the novel, the characters are revealed in their relation to the three-day road of the novel’s title, providing a remarkable conclusion to the journey.