The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne by Sonya Ballantyne
Illustrated by Rhael McGregor, Azby Whitecalf, and Kielamel Sibal
“I wanna tear down the walls
That hold me inside”
—Bono, U2, Where The Streets Have No Name
When three-year-old Sonya Ballantyne, a Swampy Cree, teaches herself to read, her dad and the local librarian are delighted. Not so a racist man who happens to overhear their praise. The fiery red of his bushy hair and moustache matching his anger, the man leans down to sneer at Sonya: “Enjoy it while it lasts. You’re never going to amount to anything because you’re an Indian and a girl.”
Okay, read this word with us, mister: w-r-o-n-g. In her illustrated memoir, The Unbeatable Sonya Ballantyne, the eponymous author recounts the journey of her youth to the brink of the career she enjoys now as a writer, filmmaker, and speaker. It’s a journey at once funny, disturbing, endearing, and inspiring. Small wonder that adolescent Sonya identifies with Bono’s compelling social/political/spiritual hit Where the Streets Have No Name. “How could this white Christian man, 26 years older than me, write this song that summed up everything that was in my heart—all my anger, all my sadness, and all my yearning?” she marvels.
Yet this is exactly what Sonya achieves with her memoir. Most readers, like myself, didn’t have the experiences she did. Yet, as we relive with Sonya the bullying and putdowns she endured in Grand Rapids, Manitoba we, too, feel and experience them. We, too, become Sonya.
“Sonya is unbeatable because, no matter what, she stays irrepressible.”
Such is the power of a well-told story. Sonya’s writing and the illustrators’ images are blunt and affecting. There’s the infuriating man with the violent red hair, who makes not one but two appearances. And the non-Indigenous boys Sonya plays floor hockey with, who can’t resist shooting a puck slam! into her face.
But, as with all our lives, episodes of emotional and physical pain combine with those of humour. By regularly attending services at a local church, Sonya can go without paying to the church’s summer camp. The illustration of the kids sitting through a minister’s sermon for just that reason is irresistible. Bored Sonya scrunches up her face. Another kid takes the opportunity for a nap. Another rolls his eyes.
Sonya is unbeatable because, no matter what, she stays irrepressible. A candy store donates coupons to the camp. Sonya lays a bet for the other kids: if she can shoot arrows through four balloons, they’ll have to give her their coupons. She succeeds, but the camp staff scolds her for gambling, for lying, “like all Indians.”
On the book’s cover, Sonya stands beaming, fists raised in triumph, atop a mountain of books. She’s wearing headphones, no doubt with Bono pulsing into her head and heart. Thanks to U2, Sonya learns about oppressed people elsewhere in the world. “I realized how these struggles mirrored my own people’s.”
With her mom, Sonya enjoys watching romantic movies. Unlike mom, she understands that escapism isn’t reality. Thanks to books, to her love of reading and writing, Sonya overcomes the real-life obstacles of poverty and racism. The first in her family to graduate high school, she then applies to the University of Manitoba—and gets accepted. An even bigger first for, how did the man with the violently red hair and beard put it? Oh, right. “…an Indian and a girl.”
Well, watch out, racist man. Watch out, world. Sonya has made the scene.
About the Author
Sonya Ballantyne (she, they) is a Swampy Cree writer, filmmaker, and speaker based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Her work explores contemporary and futuristic portrayals of Indigenous women and girls. Her award-winning projects include the documentary Nosisim (2024 Barry Lank Award) and the graphic novel Little by Little (In The Margins, 2025 Top Ten Title).
About the Illustrators
Rhael McGregor (they/them/theirs) is a Winnipeg-based, Métis & Queer comic artist. They’ve been in the indie comics scene since 2018 with their debut comic Tinder and have recently stepped into the publishing world with their work on the books Mortified from Harper Collins and Little by Little from HighWater Press.
Azby Whitecalf (they/them/theirs) is a Plains Cree character designer and illustrator based out of North Battleford, Saskatchewan in Treaty 6 Territory. A graduate of the Alberta University of the Arts, they hold a Bachelor Degree in Visual Communication (Character Design). Their artistic practice focuses on fun and exciting stories with memorable and unique characters.
Kielamel Sibal (she, her) is a Filipino Canadian letterer, graphic designer, cartoonist, writer, and illustrator. She is passionately curious about the craft of different storytelling methods, from comics and video games to film and illustration. Born in Pampanga, Philippines, Kiela currently conducts her sparkling antics of wizardry in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
About the Reviewer
Melanie Jackson is a Vancouver writer/editor. She’s also the award-winning author of middle-grade/YA suspensers, including Orca Books’ Dinah Galloway Mystery Series, and several chillers set in amusement parks. Visit Melanie at The Writers’ Union of Canada.
Book Details
Publisher: Highwater Press, March 2026
Language: English
Paperback: 64 pages
ISBN: 9781774921371