Behind the Book: Christine Day, author of I CAN MAKE THIS PROMISE
Dear Reader,
Before we begin Edie’s story, I’d like to tell you about the day I realized who she was. And where she was from. And why I needed her.
It was January 21, 2017. I remember this, because it was the same day as the Women’s March. While thousands of people converged in Seattle, armed with smart signs and knitted pink hats, I boarded the Edmonds-Kingston ferry. I was a graduate student at the University of Washington, on a field trip with the Department of American Indian Studies. We were going to visit a Suquamish Elder, the Suquamish Museum, and the historic site of Old Man House.
As Instagram flooded with pictures from the protests, I ate blueberry oatmeal and listened to the professors. Our group was small, intimate—maybe ten students. We sat in a makeshift circle in the ferry’s bolted-down seats. We were asked to introduce ourselves by name, by tribal nation. And we were given this question: “Who do you carry with you?”
Who do I carry with me? I shared an abbreviated version of my family’s history, and it felt like only a sliver of the truth. The longer I spoke, the more I felt was missing. The ferry drove smooth and solid through the choppy, dark blue waters. We disembarked in Kingston, and I couldn’t shake the sensation of wanting another turn.
This book is that turn. After the field trip, I went home and opened my laptop. I reviewed the folder that held all the different versions of Edie’s story, and I made a promise: I wouldn’t give up on her.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. I hope we will carry Edie in our hearts together.
Sincerely,
Christine
Praise for I Can Make This Promise
★ “The novel is enlightening and a must-read for anyone interested in issues surrounding identity and adoption. Debut author Day (Upper Skagit) handles family separation in Native America with insight and grace.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “Beyond the mystery, important themes resonate throughout, including cultural identity and what makes a friendship worth keeping. Day’s affecting novel also considers historical truths about how Native Americans have been treated throughout U.S. history, particularly underlining family separations.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An incomparably vital story rendered with the tenderness of soft brushstrokes, Christine Day’s debut is a powerful portrait of a twelve-year-old girl trying to unravel the mystery of her family’s past. I Can Make This Promise manages to be both deeply sad and brightly hopeful, and Edie Green will steal readers’ hearts with her empathy and curious spirit—she certainly stole mine.”
— Hayley Chewins, author of The Turnaway Girls
“Day’s novel brings an accessible, much-needed perspective about the very real consequences of Indigenous children being taken from their families and Native Nations. The absence of one’s tribal community, loss of culture and lack of connection to relatives have ripple effects for generations.”
— Traci Sorell (Cherokee Nation), award-winning author of We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga
“A truly enticing, beautifully written story that delivers a historical reveal at just the right time.”
— Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production (SLJ blog)
About the Author
Christine Day (Upper Skagit) grew up in Seattle, nestled between the sea, the mountains, and the pages of her favorite books. She holds a Master's degree from the University of Washington, where she created a thesis on Coast Salish weaving traditions. I Can Make This Promise is her first novel. Christine lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. You can visit her online at https://www.bychristineday.com/
