The Fragments that Remain
Lac Seul First Nation Member Celebrates Her First Published Book
By Sara Kae
Mackenzie Angeconeb of Lac Seul First Nation has fulfilled her childhood dream of being a published author. The Fragments that Remain is Angeconeb’s first book, a young adult novel following the story of brother and sister Ally and Andy, with one sibling’s death leaving a life-altering impact on the other. The coming-of-age story is told through letters and poems in an epistolary style.
Angeconeb, who is mainly self-taught, was inspired by this narrative structure after reading Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky back in 2021. Over three years, she had been writing Andy and Ally’s story off and on, with seven drafts never making it to the finish line. After finishing Chbosky’s book in one sitting, she knew she had found her answer. She completed writing the novel and sent the manuscript to 18 different literary agents, with only a few rejection letters making their way back to her. Angeconeb, refusing to take no for an answer, sent her unsolicited manuscript to independent literary publishers and eventually signed with Cormorant Books. As of last March, The Fragments that Remain has been seen on bookshelves across Canada and even internationally.
Writing became an outlet for Angeconeb’s grief after losing her own sibling, inspiring the relationship in her recent novel. She wanted those emotions to come through in her work, and hopes it will help readers feel a little less alone. “A big message in the book towards the end is that you don’t have to suffer alone,” she says. The story also tackles complex topics surrounding loss of identity, which Angeconeb feels will resonate with many other Indigenous readers.
Writing always came naturally to Angeconeb, with teachers and peers encouraging her on her journey. From writing Twilight fan fiction to already working on her next projects that will follow her recent release, she looks forward to continuing to connect with readers. She is using her time on maternity leave writing and preparing for her next two planned works: a poetry book later this year and a novel in 2026. She has learned just how much writing is therapy for her and shares more personal parts of her life story in her newer creations. Angeconeb is unsure how people have been perceiving her novel but has received word of its sellout on Amazon, making her hopeful for what the future holds as an author.
For more information, visit mackenzieangeconeb.ca.