Finally, the ghost of Ma-ma-oo warns Lisa to accept her spiritual gifts but not to hurt herself and put herself in danger.Image of Winter Forest courtesy of Evgeni Dinev at Īs I discussed in an earlier post, I am currently working on a project about Algonquian peoples and religion in the Canadian north. Lisa responds to the spirits, even cutting herself as a sacrificial offering, hoping to find a clue to Jimmy’s fate. She finds no sign of Jimmy, but she’s visited by spirits and the voices of the dead. Part 4 returns to the present time as Lisa arrives at Monkey Beach. Jimmy tells Lisa he is going on a fishing expedition with Josh in Namu, but Lisa suspects that something suspicious is going on. Suddenly, the relationship between Jimmy and Karaoke cools. Jimmy becomes apathetic, but also falls in love with his girlfriend Karaoke. Back home, Lisa decides to get her life together and finish school. He encourages her to go home, and he tells her that he has quit swimming after injuring his shoulder. Lisa goes with Trudy to a party where she sees Jimmy. She returns to Kitamaat and learns from Trudy that Tab is not dead. After passing out one night, she thinks she sees the ghost of Tab. Part 3 opens after Lisa has quit school, left home, and spent months partying in Vancouver, living off of a large inheritance Ma-ma-oo left her. Throughout Part 2, in the present time, Lisa continues her journey to Namu on the motorboat. Lisa faces a series of shattering events, including Cheese raping her at a party, and the death of Ma-ma-oo. However, she becomes a social outcast, gets involved in fights, and befriends a rowdy group of boys named Frank, Cheese, and Pooch. With the help of Ma-ma-oo, she becomes more accepting of her abilities to communicate with the dead. Part 2 returns to Lisa’s past and the difficulties she faces as a teenager.

Part 1 closes as the narrative shifts back to the present and Lisa decides to voyage to Namu on the family’s motorboat. Lisa struggles to find her place among her peers, but takes comfort in the support of her family, especially Mick and Ma-ma-oo. Part 1 also discusses Lisa’s connections with her family, including her Uncle Mick, cousin Tab, and her grandmother Ma-ma-oo. Lisa’s supernatural abilities and experiences are discussed, including visitations from a red-haired little man who seems to be an omen of terrible events. She reflects on her childhood, including a family trip to Monkey Beach to look for sasquatches.

Part 1 begins in the present, shortly after Jimmy has disappeared near the village of Namu while on a fishing trip with their Aunt Trudy’s on-again, off-again boyfriend Josh. Its action primarily takes places in the past but shifts periodically to the present. Monkey Beach is written from Lisa’s first-person perspective.

Synopsis of monkey beach