beautiful monsters eric puchner Indigenous and Montana Lead Books – The Farmer's Daughter Fibers

beautiful monsters eric puchner Indigenous and Montana Lead Books – The Farmer's Daughter FibersWe love a good read here at FDF! Here are the books we are currently showcasing! A Snake Falls To Earth Darcie Little Badger In A Snake Falls to Earth, Nina, a Lipan girl from our world, and Oli, a cottonmouth spirit from the land of monsters, have never metuntil fate brings them together. A looming catastrophe and a mysterious illness force their worlds to collide for the first time in centuries, but powerful forces will do anything to keep them

We love a good read here at FDF! Here are the books we are currently showcasing!

A Snake Falls To Earth - Darcie Little Badger In A Snake Falls to Earth, Nina, a Lipan girl from our world, and Oli, a cottonmouth spirit from the land of monsters, have never met—until fate brings them together. A looming catastrophe and a mysterious illness force their worlds to collide for the first time in centuries, but powerful forces will do anything to keep them apart. Blending Indigenous futurism with Lipan Apache storytelling, Darcie Little Badger crafts a mesmerizing tale of magic, monsters, and the deep bonds of family. Breathtaking and unforgettable, this novel is a must-read.

Another Attempt at Rescue is the first collection by M.L. Smoker whose work has garnered praise from Sherman Alexie and Jim Harrison. M.L. "M.L. Smoker's poems are tough, funny, magical, but not in a goofy way. This is blue-collar magic. Unemployed magic. Living on government cheese magic. I highly recommend this collection" - Sheman Alexie

Bad Indians Book Club by Patty Krawec - When a friend asked what books could help them understand Indigenous lives, Patty Krawec, author of Becoming Kin, gave them a list. This list became a book club and then a podcast about a year of Indigenous reading, and then this book. The writers in Bad Indians Book Club refuse to let dominant stories displace their own and resist the way wemitigoozhiwag--European settlers--craft the prevailing narrative and decide who they are. In Bad Indians Book Club, we examine works about history, science, and gender as well as fiction, all written from the perspective of "Bad Indians"--marginalized writers whose refusal to comply with dominant narratives opens up new worlds. Interlacing chapters with short stories about Deer Woman, who is on her own journey to decide who she is, Krawec leads us into a place of wisdom and medicine where the stories of marginalized writers help us imagine other ways of seeing the world. As Krawec did for her friend, she recommends a list of books to fill in the gaps on our own bookshelves and in our understanding.

Becoming Kin, which novelist Omar El Akkad called a "searing spear of light," led readers to talk back to the histories they had received. Now, in Bad Indians Book Club comes a potent challenge to all the stories settler colonialism tells--stories that erase and appropriate, deny and deflect. Following Deer Woman, who is shaped by the profuse artistry of Krawec, we enter the multiple worlds Indigenous and other subaltern stories create. Together we venture to the edges of worlds waiting to be born.

Becoming Little Shell by Chris La Tray - A poignant memoir that explores the author’s quest to reconnect with his Indigenous heritage. Raised in Montana, La Tray always felt a deep connection to his Native roots despite his father’s denial and a lack of direct ties to his Chippewa ancestry. Following his grandfather’s funeral, he embarks on a journey to uncover his family’s history and the broader narrative of Indigenous experiences. Through interviews with activists, elders, and historians, La Tray reveals the enduring impact of colonialism and the struggles faced by Indigenous communities. His personal journey of self-discovery leads him to seek recognition for the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians, highlighting themes of identity, legacy, and the transformative power of storytelling.

Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - When a four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl disappears from the blueberry fields of Maine in 1962, the mystery shatters her family and echoes across generations. Decades later, a young woman named Norma begins to suspect her own life is built on secrets buried long ago. Haunting and lyrical, this powerful debut explores grief, love, and the unbreakable bonds that endure even after unimaginable loss.

Beyond The Glittering World: An Anthology of Indigenous Feminism and Futurisms A vibrant collection of stories and poems celebrating a new generation of Native American storytellers. Featuring twenty emerging and established writers, it spans genres from Indigenous futurism to tender explorations of love and identity. Bold, imaginative, and deeply moving, this anthology showcases powerful voices redefining contemporary storytelling.

Big Chief by Jon Hickey - Big Chief is a gripping literary debut about power, corruption, and the price of belonging. When young political fixer Mitch Caddo and Tribal President Mack Beck fight to maintain control of their Anishinaabe Nation amid a heated election, old loyalties and buried secrets erupt. As love, ambition, and identity collide, Mitch must confront the ghosts of his past before his homeland descends into chaos. Thrilling, darkly funny, and deeply human, this novel explores what we owe to our people—and to ourselves.

Big Sky - Originally published more than fifty years ago, The Big Sky is the first of A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s epic adventure novels set in the American West. Here he introduces Boone Caudill, Jim Deakins, and Dick Summers: traveling the Missouri River from St. Louis to the Rockies, these frontiersmen live as trappers, traders, guides, and explorers. The story centers on Caudill, a young Kentuckian driven by a raging hunger for life and a longing for the blue sky and brown earth of big, wild places. Caught up in the freedom and savagery of the wilderness, Caudill becomes an untamed mountain man, whom only the beautiful daughter of a Blackfoot chief dares to love.

Born to Be - In the 1920s, singer Taylor Gordon, born into the only black family in White Sulphur Springs, Montana, shares his vibrant upbringing in Born to Be. With humor and flair, he recounts his adventures in the Old West. From delivering messages for civic leaders to navigating bigotry in the East, Gordon's journey includes working for circus impresario John Ringling and carving out a place in the Harlem Renaissance. After a remarkable but challenging career, he returns to his roots in Montana, thriving at thirty-six where his autobiography concludes.

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer - As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these lenses of knowledge together to show that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgment and celebration of our reciprocal relationship with the rest of the living world.

Campfire Stories Deck: Prompts for Igniting Stories - Campfire Stories Deck Prompts for Igniting Stories by the Fire. Campfire Stories Deck is a collection of 50 cards with storytelling prompts to help people of all ages find engaging and meaningful ways to connect with family and friends. While the glow of a campfire is the iconic setting for intimate stories, these cards can be used anywhere--on a camping trip, in the backyard, around the dining room table, or even an online hangout--to spark a story. The cadence and authenticity of personal stories can help us reveal ourselves, allay fears, bring comfort, and pass the time.

Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko - Tayo, a young Native American, has been a prisoner of the Japanese during World War II, and the horrors of captivity have almost eroded his will to survive. His return to the Laguna Pueblo reservation only increases his feeling of estrangement and alienation. While other returning soldiers find easy refuge in alcohol and senseless violence, Tayo searches for another kind of comfort and resolution. Tayo's quest leads him back to the Indian past and its traditions, to beliefs about witchcraft and evil, and to the ancient stories of his people. The search itself becomes a ritual, a curative ceremony that defeats the most virulent of afflictions—despair.

Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac - Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years. Now Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eye opening and inspiring. This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians.

Code Talker by Chester Nez- The first and only memoir by one of the original Navajo code talkers of WWII. His name wasn’t Chester Nez. That was the English name he was assigned in kindergarten. And in boarding school at Fort Defiance, he was punished for speaking his native language, as the teachers sought to rid him of his culture and traditions. But discrimination didn’t stop Chester from answering the call to defend his country after Pearl Harbor, for the Navajo have always been warriors, and his upbringing on a New Mexico reservation gave him the strength - both physical and mental - to excel as a marine. During World War II, the Japanese had managed to crack every code the United States used. But when the Marines turned to its Navajo recruits to develop and implement a secret military language, they created the only unbroken code in modern warfare - and helped assure victory for the United States over Japan in the South Pacific.

Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power - A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. With stunning prose, Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page.

Counting Coup - In this extraordinary work of journalism, bestselling and award-winning author Larry Colton journeys into the world of Montana's Crow Indians and follows the struggles of a talented, moody, charismatic young woman named Sharon LaForge, a gifted basketball player and a descendant of one of George Armstrong Custer's Indian scouts.

Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo - In this transcendent memoir, grounded in tribal myth and ancestry, music and poetry, Joy Harjo details her journey to becoming a poet. Born in Oklahoma, the end place of the Trail of Tears, Harjo grew up learning to dodge an abusive stepfather by finding shelter in her imagination, a deep spiritual life, and connection with the natural world. Narrating the complexities of betrayal and love, Crazy Brave is a haunting, visionary memoir about family and the breaking apart necessary in finding a voice.

Crooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo Ford - In lush and empathic prose, Kelli Jo Ford depicts what this family of proud, stubborn, Cherokee women sacrifice for those they love, amid larger forces of history, religion, class, and culture. This is a big-hearted and ambitious novel of the powerful bonds between mothers and daughters by an exquisite and rare new talent.

Don't Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones - A gripping science fiction novel set in a near-future dystopia. The story revolves around the aftermath of a catastrophic solar flare that has devastated Earth, leaving humanity struggling to survive in a world where technological infrastructure has collapsed. As society teeters on the brink of chaos, a group of survivors must navigate the dangers of a lawless environment, confront internal and external threats, and search for hope amidst the ruins. The novel blends elements of suspense, survival, and the resilience of the human spirit, making it a compelling read for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction.

Dream State by Eric Puchner - Dream State is a thoughtful, layered novel about love, friendship, and the weight of past choices. When Cece arrives in Montana to prepare for her wedding, an unexpected connection with her fiancé’s best friend begins to shift her view of the life she thought she wanted. Set over five decades and touching multiple generations, the story explores how relationships evolve, how mistakes echo through time, and what it means to move forward, even when the past lingers. Dream State invites discussion about how love, friendship, and family history shape the choices we make, and whether we can truly break free from the past. It also raises questions about identity, belonging, and the quiet ways people change over time.

Fire Exit by Morgan Talty - by the award-winning author of Night of the Living Rez is a poignant exploration of family, legacy, and identity. Charles Lamosway has long observed from afar the life of Elizabeth, his daughter, growing up on Maine's Penobscot Reservation. The river that separates them symbolizes more than physical distance—it represents a hidden truth that Charles can no longer keep. As he grapples with personal responsibilities and the disintegration of his own life, Charles must confront his past, including a troubled childhood, a lost love, and the recent death of his stepfather. Torn between revealing Elizabeth’s true parentage and protecting her from a truth that could unravel her world, Charles faces a profound dilemma about what he owes to those he loves.

Firekeeper's Daughter - As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team. After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?

Fools Crow by James Welch -This 1986 novel written by Native American author James Welch. Set in Montana shortly after the Civil War, this novel tells of White Man's Dog (later known as Fools Crow), a young Blackfeet Indian on the verge of manhood, and his band, known as the Lone Eaters. The invasion of white society threatens to change their traditional way of life, and they must choose to fight or assimilate. The story is a portrait of a culture under pressure from colonization. The story culminates with the historic Marias Massacre of 1870, in which the U.S. Cavalry killed a friendly band of Blackfeet, consisting mostly of non-combatants.

Girlhood by Melissa Febos - When her body began to change at eleven years old, Febos understood immediately that her meaning to other people had changed with it. By her teens, she defined herself based on these perceptions and by the romantic relationships she threw herself into headlong. Over time, Febos increasingly questioned the stories she’d been told about herself and the habits and defenses she’d developed over years of trying to meet others’ expectations. The values she and so many other women had learned in girlhood did not prioritize their personal safety, happiness, or freedom, and she set out to reframe those values and beliefs.

Great American Cowboy Stories-  Experience the grit and adventure of the American cowboy through timeless tales of daring feats—roping buffalo, chasing rustlers, and braving winter storms. This collection spans the vast Western frontier, from Montana to Mexico, capturing the diverse voices that shaped the West, including Black, Mexican, and female trailblazers. Featuring works by legends like Owen Wister, Theodore Roosevelt, Mark Twain, Zane Grey, and O. Henry, alongside hidden gems from lesser-known authors, these stories remain as bold, humorous, and insightful today as they were a century ago.

Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot - Having survived a profoundly dysfunctional upbringing only to find herself hospitalized and facing a dual diagnosis of post traumatic stress disorder and bipolar II disorder, Terese Marie Mailhot is given a notebook and begins to write her way out of trauma. The triumphant result is Heart Berries, a memorial for Mailhot’s mother, a social worker and activist who had a thing for prisoners; a story of reconciliation with her father―an abusive drunk and a brilliant artist―who was murdered under mysterious circumstances; and an elegy on how difficult it is to love someone while dragging the long shadows of shame.

House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday- He was a young American Indian named Abel, and he lived in two worlds. One was that of his father, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, the ecstasy of the drug called peyote. The other was the world of the twentieth century, goading him into a compulsive cycle of sexual exploits, dissipation, and disgust. Home from a foreign war, he was a man being torn apart, a man descending into hell.

Indian Burial Ground - Nick Medina In Indian Burial Ground, Nick Medina weaves a chilling tale of mythological horror set on a reservation where the dead don’t always stay buried. After Noemi Broussard’s boyfriend dies under suspicious circumstances, she teams up with her long-absent Uncle Louie, whose past may hold the key to the truth. As they dig deeper, eerie and unexplainable events unfold, revealing dark forces at work—and secrets that may be too dangerous to uncover. Gripping and unsettling, this haunting novel explores the thin line between the living and the dead.

Indian Lawyer by James Welch - Sylvester Yellow Calf is a former reservation basketball star, a promising young lawyer, and a possible congressional candidate. But when a parolee ensnares him in a blackmail scheme, he'll have to decide just who he is, and what he wants.  "At once a romance, a gripping suspense thriller, and a psychological portrait. . . .The Indian Lawyer is a triumph" - San Francisco Chronicle

Killer on the Road/The Babysitter Lives by Stephen Graham Jones - The Babysitter Lives: When high school senior Charlotte agrees to babysit the Wilbanks twins, she plans to put the six-year-olds to bed early and spend a quiet night studying: the SATs are tomorrow, and checking the Native American/Alaskan Native box on all the forms won’t help if she chokes on test day. But tomorrow is also Halloween, and the twins are eager to show off their costumes. Charlotte’s last babysitting gig almost ended in tragedy when her young charge sleepwalked unnoticed into the middle of the street, only to be found unharmed by Charlotte’s mother. Charlotte vows to be extra careful this time. But the house is filled with mysterious noises and secrets that only the twins understand, echoes of horrors that Charlotte gradually realizes took place in the house eleven years ago. Soon Charlotte has to admit that every babysitter’s worse nightmare has come true: they’re not alone in the house. ---Killer on the Road Sixteen-year-old Harper has decided to run away from home after she has another blow-out argument with her mother. However, her two best friends, little sister, and ex-boyfriend all stop her from hitchhiking her way up Route 80 in Wyoming by joining her on an intervention disguised as a road trip. What they don’t realize is that Harper has been marked by a very unique serial killer who’s been trolling the highway for the past three years, and now the killer is after all of them in this fast-paced and deadly chase novel that will have your heart racing well above the speed limit as the interstate becomes a graveyard.

Legendary Frybread Drive-in - Intertribal Stories - Featuring the voices of both new and acclaimed Indigenous writers and edited by bestselling Muscogee author Cynthia Leitich Smith, this collection of interconnected stories serves up laughter, love, Native pride, and the world’s best frybread. The road to Sandy June's Legendary Frybread Drive-In slips through every rez and alongside every urban Native hangout. The menu offers a rotating feast, including traditional eats and tasty snacks. But Sandy June's serves up more than food: it hosts live music, movie nights, unexpected family reunions, love long lost, and love found again. That big green-and-gold neon sign beckons to teens of every tribal Nation, often when they need it most. Featuring stories and poems by: Kaua Mahoe Adams, Marcella Bell, Angeline Boulley, K. A. Cobell, A. J. Eversole, Jen Ferguson, Eric Gansworth, Byron Graves, Kate Hart, Christine Hartman Derr, Karina Iceberg, Cheryl Isaacs, Darcie Little Badger, David A. Robertson, Andrea L. Rogers, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Brian Young. In partnership with We Need Diverse Books.

Little Big Bully by Heid E. Erdrich - Little Big Bully begins with a question asked of a collective and troubled we - how did we come to this? In answer, this book offers personal myth, American and Native American contexts, and allegories driven by women's resistance to narcissists, stalkers, and harassers. These poems are immediate, personal, political, cultural, even futuristic object lessons. What is truth now? Who are we now? How do we find answers through the smoke of human destructiveness? The past for Indigenous people, ecosystem collapse from near-extinction of bison, and the present epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women underlie these poems. Here, survivors shout back at useless cautionary tales with their own courage and visions of future worlds made well.

Man Made Monsters - Making her YA debut, Cherokee writer Andrea L. Rogers takes her place as one of the most striking voices of the horror renaissance that has swept the last decade. Horror fans will get their thrills in this collection – from werewolves to vampires to zombies – all the time-worn horror baddies are there. But so are predators of a distinctly American variety – the horrors of empire, of intimate partner violence, of dispossession. And so too the monsters of Rogers’ imagination, that draw upon long-told Cherokee stories – of Deer Woman, fantastical sea creatures, and more. 

Mountains To Oceans: Kids' Recipes From Native Land - 40+ kid-friendly recipes for cooking with Indigenous foods.

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones -  On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart: a biting critique of American colonialism, Indigenous displacement, and gentrification, and a heartbreaking portrait of a broken young girl who uses horror movies to cope with the horror of her own life.

Never Name the Dead - Old grudges, tribal traditions, and outside influences collide for a Kiowa woman as forces threaten her family, her tribe, and the land of her ancestors, in this own-voices debut perfect for fans of Winter Counts.

Never Whistle at Night - A bold, clever, and sublimely sinister collection that dares to ask the question: “Are you ready to be un-settled?” Many Indigenous people believe that one should never whistle at night. This belief takes many forms: for instance, Native Hawaiians believe it summons the Hukai’po, the spirits of ancient warriors, and Native Mexicans say it calls Lechuza, a witch that can transform into an owl. But what all these legends hold in common is the certainty that whistling at night can cause evil spirits to appear—and even follow you home. 

Night of the Living Rez - Set in a Native community in Maine, Night of the Living Rez is a riveting debut collection about what it means to be Penobscot in the twenty-first century and what it means to live, to survive, and to persevere after tragedy. In twelve striking, luminescent stories, author Morgan Talty―with searing humor, abiding compassion, and deep insight―breathes life into tales of family and a community as they struggle with a painful past and an uncertain future.

Old School Indian by Aaron John Curtis - This novel follows Abe Jacobs, a Kanien’kehá\:ka man who returns to his reservation after decades away to confront a terminal diagnosis and a crumbling marriage. Guided by his eccentric Great Uncle Budge, Abe embarks on a profound journey of healing and self-discovery. Blending sharp humor with deep emotional insight, the novel explores family, cultural identity, and the enduring power of hope.

Path Lit by Lightning - Jim Thorpe rose to world fame as a mythic talent who excelled at every sport ... His gold medals were unfairly rescinded because he had played minor league baseball. His later life was troubled by alcohol, broken marriages, and financial distress. He roamed from state to state and took bit parts in Hollywood, but even the film of his own life failed to improve his fortunes. But for all his travails, Thorpe did not succumb. The man survived, complications and all, and so did the myth.

Perma Red by Debra Magpie Earling - On the reservation, danger looms everywhere, rising out of fear and anger, deprivation and poverty. Fiery-haired Louise White Elk dreams of both belonging and escape, and of discovering love and freedom on her own terms. But she is a beautiful temptation for three men-each more dangerous than the next-who will do anything to possess her...

Poukahangatus Poems- Tayi Tibble Poūkahangatus (pronounced “Pocahontas”) is a bold and electrifying debut poetry collection by Tayi Tibble, exploring modern Indigenous identity, pop culture, and mythology with sharp wit and lyrical mastery. Weaving together references to the Kardashians, sugar daddies, and Twilight alongside reflections on colonization, land, and womanhood, Tibble reimagines history through a fresh and fearless lens. Her poems balance humor, beauty, and raw emotion, offering a powerful and provocative take on what it means to be a Māori woman today. Passionate, playful, and deeply original, this collection cements Tibble as one of poetry’s most exciting new voices.

Pretty-shield, Medicine Woman of the Crows - Originally published in 1932 as Red Mother, this book was perhaps the first record of the women’s side of Indian life, and it has become a classic work in its field. Pretty-shield told her story to Frank Linderman through an interpreter and using the sign language. A medicine woman of the Crows, she was one of the few who remembered what it was like before the white man came and the buffalo went away. 

Python's Kiss by Louise Erdrich This captivating short story collection by Louise Erdrich spans two decades of work, bringing together a rich cast of characters and unforgettable, imaginative tales. Blending the ordinary with the surreal, these stories explore love, loss, identity, and the unexpected turns of human experience. Enhanced by artwork from Aza Erdrich Abe, this collection showcases Erdrich’s remarkable range and storytelling brilliance.

Real Phonies and Genuine Fakes by Nicky Beer - Real Phonies and Genuine Fakes asks us to look through the stereoscope: which image is the real one? This one―or this one, just here? With wisdom, humility, and a forthright tenderness, Nicky Beer suggests that we consider both―together, they might contribute to something like truth.

Return of the Bison - Return of the Bison is the story of how this symbol of the American West was once almost lost to history and of the continuing journey to bring bison back from the brink. Author and naturalist Roger Di Silvestro explores the complex history of the bison’s decimation and how a rising awareness of their possible extinction formed the roots of many modern wildlife conservation approaches. Weaving in natural history and fascinating historical context featuring personalities such as Teddy Roosevelt, George Bird Grinnell, and William T. Hornaday, Di Silvestro traces the decades it took to begin to save the bison, often with little hope and plagued by discouraging setbacks. Di Silvestro explores the key role in the story of America’s Indigenous people, whose fate was intertwined with the bison’s and whose conservation work is important not only for the animal’s recovery but also for their own cultural renewal.

Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn tells the captivating story of Nainoa Flores, a boy saved by sharks after falling overboard a cruise ship off Hawaii in 1995. His miraculous rescue is seen as a blessing from ancient gods, but as Nainoa grows, his newfound abilities strain his relationships with his family. As his brother Dean chases fame in sports and his sister Kaui struggles with her own ambitions, the Flores family is torn apart by the supernatural events that continue to haunt them. This evocative novel explores family bonds, heritage, and the price of survival amidst shifting cultural and personal identities.

Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley A new release from the bestselling author of The Firekeepers Daughter and Warrior Girl Unearthed, comes a gripping new YA story of identity, belonging, and survival. On the run and out of options, Lucy Smith has learned the hard way: trust is dangerous. Five years in the foster system taught her to stay hidden. But when Mr. Jameson—a kind stranger with sharp eyes—and his fierce companion track her down, Lucy discovers a truth her father never told her: she’s Ojibwe, has a family she never knew about, and a home waiting for her. As secrets unravel and danger closes in, Lucy must decide—keep running from her past or face it head-on.

Soft as Bones - Chyana Marie Sage In this lyrical and unflinching memoir, Chyana Marie Sage confronts the pain of generational trauma and the lasting scars of colonialism. Tracing her family’s history from residential schools to her own childhood, she transforms inherited grief into healing through the traditions of her people. "A poetic testament to survival and reclamation", this book celebrates the power of story, culture, and spirit to mend what was broken.

There There by Tommy Orange - Tommy Orange's wondrous and shattering novel follows twelve characters from Native communities: all traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, all connected to one another in ways they may not yet realize. Among them is Jacquie Red Feather, newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind. Dene Oxendene, pulling his life together after his uncle's death and working at the powwow to honor his memory. Fourteen-year-old Orvil, coming to perform traditional dance for the very first time. Together, this chorus of voices tells of the plight of the urban Native American--grappling with a complex and painful history, with an inheritance of beauty and spirituality, with communion and sacrifice and heroism. Hailed as an instant classic, There There is at once poignant and unflinching, utterly contemporary and truly unforgettable.

The Beadworkers: Stories by Beth Piatote - Beth Piatote's luminous debut collection opens with a feast, grounding its stories in the landscapes and lifeworlds of the Native Northwest, exploring the inventive and unforgettable pattern of Native American life in the contemporary world. Told with humor, subtlety, and beautiful spareness, the mixed-genre works of Beth Piatote's first collection find unifying themes in the strength of kinship, the pulse of longing, and the language of return.

The Boxcar Librarian - Set in 1920s-30s Montana and inspired by true events, The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes imagines the story behind a rolling library that once served remote lumber and mining camps. The novel follows three women, Colette, a miner’s daughter turned union activist; Alice, a sheltered heiress who launches the library; and Millie, a 1930s Federal Writers’ Project editor uncovering their legacy. As their lives intertwine across decades, they navigate class divides, labor tensions, and love, bound by a shared passion for books. Rich in historical detail and driven by strong, book-loving women, this is a tale of courage, connection, and the transformative power of stories.

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter- This chilling historical novel is set in the nascent days of the state of Montana, following a Blackfeet Indian named Good Stab as he haunts the fields of the Blackfeet Nation looking for justice. It begins when a diary written in 1912by a Lutheran Pastor in 2012.  What is unveiled is a slow massacre, a nearly forgotten chain of events that goes back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow, told in the transcribed interviews with Good Stab, who shared the narrative of his peculiar and unnaturally long life over a series of confessional visits.

The Death of Sitting Bear by N. Scott Momaday- This luminous collection demonstrates Momaday’s mastery and love of language and the matters closest to his heart. To Momaday, words are sacred; language is power. Spanning nearly fifty years, the poems gathered here illuminate the human condition, Momaday’s connection to his Kiowa roots, and his spiritual relationship to the American landscape.

This House of Sky Landscapes of a Western Mind by Ivan Doig- Ivan Doig grew up in the rugged wilderness of western Montana among the sheepherders and denizens of small-town saloons and valley ranches. What he deciphers from his past with piercing clarity is not only a raw sense of land and how it shapes us but also of the ties to our mothers and fathers, to those who love us, and our inextricable connection to those who shaped our values in our search for intimacy, independence, love, and family. A powerfully told story, This House of Sky is at once especially American and universal in its ability to awaken a longing for an explicable past.

The Lost Journals of Sacajewea by Debra Magpie Earling - Among the most memorialized women in American history, Sacajewea served as interpreter and guide for Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery. In this visionary novel, acclaimed Indigenous author Debra Magpie Earling brings this mythologized figure vividly to life, casting unsparing light on the men who brutalized her and recentering Sacajewea as the arbiter of her own history. Written in lyrical, dreamlike prose, The Lost Journals of Sacajewea is an astonishing work of art and a powerful tale of perseverance—the Indigenous woman’s story that hasn’t been told.

The Many Daughters of Afong Moy by Jamie Ford - As painful recollections affect her present life, Dorothy discovers that trauma isn’t the only thing she’s inherited. A stranger is searching for her in each time period. A stranger who’s loved her through all of her genetic memories. Dorothy endeavors to break the cycle of pain and abandonment, to finally find peace for her daughter, and gain the love that has long been waiting, knowing she may pay the ultimate price.

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich - In the Night Watchman, Louise Erdrich creates a fictional world populated with memorable characters who are forced to grapple with the worst and best impulses of human nature. Illuminating the loves and lives, the desires and ambitions of these characters with compassion, wit, and intelligence, The Night Watchman is a majestic work of fiction from this revered cultural treasure.

The Only Good Indians - Seamlessly blending classic horror and a dramatic narrative with sharp social commentary, The Only Good Indians follows four American Indian men after a disturbing event from their youth puts them in a desperate struggle for their lives. Tracked by an entity bent on revenge, these childhood friends are helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

The Round House by Louise Erdrich-  Riveting and suspenseful, arguably the most accessible novel to date from the creator of Love Medicine, The Beet Queen, and The Bingo Palace, Erdrich’s The Round House is a page-turning masterpiece of literary fiction - at once a powerful coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a tender, moving novel of family, history, and culture. 

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson - Weaving together the voices of four indelible women, The Seed Keeper is a beautifully told story of reawakening, of remembering our original relationship to the seeds and, through them, to our ancestors.

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich- The Sentence begins on All Souls' Day 2019 and ends on All Souls' Day 2020. Its mystery and proliferating ghost stories during this one year propel a narrative as rich, emotional, and profound as anything Louise Erdrich has written.

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer - In this book author of the Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Kimmerer, considers the ethics of reciprocity in an economy that is rooted in scarcity and competition. She looks at the Serviceberry's relationship with the natural world as an embodiment of reciprocity and asks what wisdom we can learn from it to improve our own lives. 

The Quickening: A Voyage to Antarctica and a Vision for the Future by Elizabeth Rush - In 2019, author Elizabeth Rush joins a groundbreaking expedition to the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica, a place previously untouched by human presence. Alongside fifty-seven scientists and crew aboard the Nathaniel B. Palmer, Rush explores the ice’s elusive voice and the profound impacts of climate change. Through a blend of awe-inspiring observations and intimate reflections, Rush captures the essence of life and work in this harsh, frozen frontier. The Quickening delves into the challenges and hopes of navigating a rapidly changing planet, highlighting the collective efforts to understand and protect our world. This compelling narrative redefines the Antarctic journey by focusing on community, environmental urgency, and the often-overlooked contributions of women and people of color in scientific exploration.

The Truth According to Ember - Danica Nava Ember Lee Cardinal is desperate for a job, so she tweaks her resumé—and her ethnicity—landing her dream accounting position under a "half-lie." Thriving in corporate life and secretly dating charming IT guy Danuwoa Colson, she thinks she has it all—until a scheming coworker blackmails her. As her web of lies grows, Ember must decide whether to keep up the facade or risk everything by telling the truth. Danica Nava’s witty and heartfelt debut explores identity, ambition, and the cost of deception in this irresistible rom-com.

To the Moon and Back by Steph Harper  A sweeping coming-of-age novel about Steph Harper, a young woman determined to become the first Cherokee astronaut—even if it means leaving behind everyone she loves. Spanning three decades and continents, the story follows Steph, her sister, her girlfriend, and her mother as their intertwined lives reveal the sacrifices and secrets that shape them. Moving, ambitious, and deeply human, this debut explores family, identity, and the yearning to find your place in the universe.

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange -Colorado, 1864. Star, a young survivor of the Sand Creek Massacre, is brought to the Fort Marion Prison Castle, where he is forced to learn English and practice Christianity by Richard Henry Pratt, an evangelical prison guard who will go on to found the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, an institution dedicated to the eradication of Native history, culture, and identity. A generation later, Star’s son, Charles, is sent to the school, where he is brutalized by the man who was once his father’s jailer. Under Pratt’s harsh treatment, Charles clings to moments he shares with a young fellow student, Opal Viola, as the two envision a future away from the institutional violence that follows their bloodlines.

Oakland, 2018. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield is barely holding her family together after the shooting that nearly took the life of her nephew Orvil. From the moment he awakens in his hospital bed, Orvil begins compulsively googling school shootings on YouTube. He also becomes emotionally reliant on the prescription medications meant to ease his physical trauma. His younger brother, Lony, suffering from PTSD, is struggling to make sense of the carnage he witnessed at the shooting by secretly cutting himself and enacting blood rituals that he hopes will connect him to his Cheyenne heritage. Opal is equally adrift, experimenting with Ceremony and peyote, searching for a way to heal her wounded family.

We Begin at the End - Duchess Day Radley is a thirteen-year-old self-proclaimed outlaw. Rules are for other people. She is the fierce protector of her five-year-old brother, Robin, and the parent to her mother, Star, a single mom incapable of taking care of herself, let alone her two kids. Walk has never left the coastal California town where he and Star grew up. He may have become the chief of police, but he’s still trying to heal the old wound of having given the testimony that sent his best friend, Vincent King, to prison decades before. And he's in overdrive protecting Duchess and her brother. Now, thirty years later, Vincent is being released. And Duchess and Walk must face the trouble that comes with his return. Chris Whitaker's We Begin at the End is an extraordinary novel about two kinds of families―the ones we are born into and the ones we create.

We Can Never Leave by H.E. Edgmon-  Sweet Tooth meets The Raven Boys in this queer young adult contemporary fantasy about what it means to belong from H.E. Edgmon. You can never go home…Every day, all across the world, inhuman creatures are waking up with no memory of who they are or where they came from–and the Caravan exists to help them. The traveling community is made up of these very creatures and their families who’ve acclimated to this new existence by finding refuge in each other. That is, until the morning five teenage travelers wake to find their community has disappearedovernight.Those left: a half-human who only just ran back to the Caravan with their tail between their legs, two brothers–one who can’t seem to stay out of trouble and the other who’s never been brave enough to get in it, a venomous girl with blood on her hands and a heart of gold, and the Caravan’s newest addition, a disquieting shadow in the shape of a boy. They’ll have to work together to figure out what happened the night of the disappearance, but each one of the forsaken five is white-knuckling their own secrets.

White Magic by Elissa Washuta - Throughout her life, Elissa Washuta has been surrounded by cheap facsimiles of Native spiritual tools and occult trends, “starter witch kits” of sage, rose quartz, and tarot cards packaged together in paper and plastic. Following a decade of abuse, addiction, PTSD, and heavy-duty drug treatment for a misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder, she felt drawn to the real spirits and powers her dispossessed and discarded ancestors knew, while she undertook necessary work to find love and meaning.

In this collection of intertwined essays, she writes about land, heartbreak, and colonization, about life without the escape hatch of intoxication, and about how she became a powerful witch. She interlaces stories from her forebears with cultural artifacts from her own life—Twin Peaks, the Oregon Trail II video game, a Claymation Satan, a YouTube video of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham—to explore questions of cultural inheritance and the particular danger, as a Native woman, of relaxing into romantic love under colonial rule.

Winter in the Blood by James Welch - The debut novel of James Welch. It was published by Harper and Row's Native American Publishing Program in 1974. Set on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in north-central Montana during the late 1960s, Winter in the Blood follows a nameless Blackfeet and Gros Ventre (A'aninin) man's episodic journey to piece together his fragmented identity. 

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden- A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx. 

Wicked Woman-  Notorious, Mischievous, and Wayward Ladies From the Old West. 

This riveting collection of action-packed short stories by award-winning Western history author Chris Enss delves into the lives of the Old West’s most notorious female outlaws and gamblers. Forget the sunbonnets—these women wielded six-shooters and lived by their own rules. In the late 19th century, as men chased fortune and land across the frontier, women of easy virtue carved out their own wicked destinies west of the Mississippi. Prostitutes and female gamblers sought to profit from the vices of bold pioneers, while outlaws left their mark through acts of mayhem, murder, and highway robbery. Featuring infamous names like Belle Starr and Big Nose Kate, along with lesser-known but equally daring figures, this collection shines a light on the untamed women who helped shape the Wild West.

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine- Luz "Little Light" Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930's Denver on her own, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors' origins, how her family flourished and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.

You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limón - In You Are Here, the twenty-fourth Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limón, presents a groundbreaking collection of fifty previously unpublished poems that explore our evolving relationship with the natural world. Featuring contributions from celebrated poets such as Joy Harjo, Diane Seuss, Rigoberto González, and Jericho Brown, this anthology challenges traditional notions of "nature poetry" by showcasing a rich diversity of voices and landscapes. From national parks to urban green spaces, these poems offer fresh, intimate perspectives on how we connect with our surroundings. Wondrous, joyful, and thought-provoking, You Are Here invites readers to reimagine nature and poetry in today's world.