Reviews for Dangerous Spirits

"Dangerous Spirits is a fascinating book. I believe it would be equally fascinating to those interested in Windigos or in the intercultural history of Canada. Furthermore, ethnohistorians of this region, or medical anthropologists interested in culture-bound syndromes, may find this books very useful."

— Brian Gleeson, Great Plains Quarterly, Fall 2016

"Shawn Smallman's study surveys over three centuries of documentary and literary records . . . This book is an impressive and valuable contribution to the literature on windigo."

— Jennifer S. Brown, American Indian Culture and Research Journal

"Shawn Smallman's skills as a historian allow him to present his argument in a compelling and effective manner. The quantity of sources cited by Smallman relays the importance of the Windigo across generations and speaks to the strength of oral narrative as a historical record. This book would be a suitable addition to a Canadian Studies or Indigenous Studies course that wishes to discuss issues of power, authority and social change"

— Gerald P. McKinley, The Canadian Journal of Native Studies

"The author covers a vast range of topics about wetigos, including historical references and their presence in popular literature. This is a well-written book, and the only way one can properly describe it is 'fascinating.'"

—Alberta History

"Dangerous Spirits is a fascinating look at the stories of the Windigo heard by early missionaries, fur traders, colonial officials, and legal authorities, and those told by Native elders. Smallman has written a book that is highly readable and well researched."

—Nelle Oosterom, Canada's History