Written by Elizabeth Duarte
Shepherd of Princes by Mike Bonikowsky (Solum Literary Press, 2024) is both a gripping and philosophical read.
In an isolated community sheltering people with developmental disabilities, every pair of hands is needed. Micah, born able-bodied, fell into the role of caregiver as a child. Now a young man struggling to find purpose, he is tasked with finding the origin of a mysterious light appearing on the horizon and to determine what it means for his loved ones.
The ultimate goal is to find the supplies desperately needed to save his village. However, his journey takes an abrupt personal turn as he faces both his future and a past he discovers along the way. Now knowing there are others beyond his community, Micah is faced with a choice—who he wants to be, to love, and ultimately, what he is willing to sacrifice should he choose to return to his family and friends.
It’s hard enough to care for others when stores of food, time, physical, and emotional strength are abundant. It’s quite another when these coffers run dry in a world shaped with scarcity and the universal desire to survive at all costs.
The story begins as a dystopian world marked by isolation, social collapse, and anarchy. But it also reflects familiar grim realities—the angst and challenges faced by disabled individuals in their day-to-day lives and the gravity of their situation when the world around them values physical strength and utility alone.
In this book we find humanity painted in all its colours and see ourselves and many people we know scattered throughout its pages. Bonikowsky invites us to see echoes of our own world within the narrative. This is summarized beautifully in a letter written to Micah from his estranged father. “Don’t be fooled by the old lie that things were better back then, before the lights went out.… I have lived in both worlds, and I will tell you they are one and the same.”
Bonikowsky draws on his real-life experience working as a caregiver for men and women with developmental disabilities to explore deeply what life might look like in an unforgiving, desolate landscape for those who are disabled, as well as the impact their needs may have on the lives and well-being of their caregivers. Equal in the lens of observation is the squalor and stench the human heart is capable of, all while holding out hope for our redemption. This book challenges readers to confront the many perspectives and conflicts that arise in such scenarios—reflections worthy to be wrestled with.
While the language is neither gentle nor flowery, it is both poetic and masterfully crafted. (Bonikowsky has previously published a book of poetry, Red Stuff.) The portrayal of human suffering both physical and spiritual in this novel is realistic, and I recommend Shepherd of Princes as a stimulating and challenging read for those willing to engage with deep and revealing topics. (Fair warning, it’s not a light read.)
We may think ourselves above sacrificing others for the sake of our own survival or convenience. However, the relevance of the story and the truths it portrays become evident when considering contemporary issues such as abortion or euthanasia. It also forces us to grapple with the disquieting reality that through illness or age we will all find ourselves in positions of frailty. Is there a place in this world, or even in our own hearts, for this inevitability we try so hard to mask?
Hidden within a tapestry of characters, Mike Bonikowsky creates a meaningful journey, woven and waiting for each of us.
Elizabeth Duarte lives in southern Alberta with her husband Lazaro. While fighting to regain health, she designs and sells natural cosmetics and loves creating anything that is beautiful.