Literary theme analysis, by a book like {foo}
Books about Native American Culture
Reservation Blues
by Sherman Alexie
A Native American rock band embarks on a journey to reclaim their cultural identity.
The novel follows the story of the rise and fall of Coyote Springs, a rock and blues band of Spokane Indians from the Spokane Reservation . In 1995, Thomas Builds-The-Fire, Junior Polatkin, and ... (Wikipedia)
The Round House
by Louise Erdrich
A teenage boy seeks justice for a crime committed against his mother in a Native American community.
The novel opens with Joe Coutts and his father, Judge Bazil Coutts, pulling out saplings from their house's garden and foundation. They realize Joe's mother and Bazil's wife, Geraldine Coutts, has ... (Wikipedia)
Ten Little Indians
by Sherman Alexie
A collection of short stories exploring the lives of Native Americans in contemporary America, with themes of identity, culture, and loss.
Sherman Alexie offers nine poignant and emotionally resonant stories about Native Americans who find themselves at personal and cultural crossroads. In 'The Life and Times of Estelle Walks Above', an ... (Goodreads)
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI
by David Grann
Exposé of a series of murders of the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma and the FBI's investigation.
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, ... (Goodreads)
Island of the Blue Dolphins
by Scott O'Dell
A young girl is stranded on an island and must find a way to survive on her own.
The main character is a Nicoleño girl named Won-a-pa-lei, whose secret name is Karana. She has a brother named Ramo, whose curiosity usually leads to trouble, and a sister named Ulape. Her people ... (Wikipedia)
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
by Sherman Alexie
A young Native American boy's struggles to survive in a difficult world.
The book follows a fourteen-year-old boy living with his family on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Wellpinit, Washington for a school year. It is told in episodic diary style, moving from the ... (Wikipedia)
Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis
by Timothy Egan
The biography of Edward Curtis, a photographer who captured the vanishing world of Native Americans in the early 20th century.
“A vivid exploration of one man's lifelong obsession with an idea . . . Egan’s spirited biography might just bring [Curtis] the recognition that eluded him in life.” — Washington Post Edward Curtis ... (Barnes & Noble)
Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival
by Velma Wallis
Tale of two elderly women struggling to survive in the harsh Alaskan wilderness.
Long before the Europeans came, nomads roamed the polar region of Alaska in constant search for game. The people of the Gwich'in , who belong to the Athabaska tribes, wander the areas around the ... (Wikipedia)
The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses
by Paul Goble
A young Oglala Sioux girl and her connection to the wild horses of the plains.
The story focuses on a young Native American girl who has a deep affinity for wild horses . She cares for the horses that her tribe relies on for the nomadic hunting of buffalo . One day, the herd ... (Wikipedia)
Green Grass, Running Water
by Thomas King
A humorous and satirical novel that explores the complexities of Native American identity and history through interconnected narratives.
Green Grass, Running Water opens with an unknown narrator explaining "the beginning", in which the trickster -god Coyote is present as well as the unknown narrator. Coyote has a dream which takes ... (Wikipedia)
Pigs in Heaven
by Barbara Kingsolver
A young girl and her adoptive mother fight for their family's rights and the power of love.
Mother and adopted daughter, Taylor and Turtle Greer, are back in this spellbinding sequel about family, heartbreak and love. Six-year-old Turtle Greer witnesses a freak accident at the Hoover Dam ... (Goodreads)
Last of the Breed
by Louis L'Amour
A journey of survival and self-discovery in the wilds of Alaska and Siberia.
The start of the book chronicles Joe "Mack" Makatozi's daring escape from captivity and introduces another captive, an English chemist whom the Soviets believe is working on chemical warfare agents. ... (Wikipedia)
Iron Lake
by William Kent Krueger
A small town detective investigates a mysterious murder, uncovering hidden secrets.
Part Irish, part Anishinaabe Indian, Corcoran "Cork" O'Connor is the former sheriff of Aurora, Minnesota. Embittered by his "former" status, and the marital meltdown that has separated him from his ... (Goodreads)
Flight of the Sparrow
by Amy Belding Brown
Mary Rowlandson, a Puritan woman, is captured by Native Americans and must navigate a new way of life.
She suspects that she has changed too much to ever fit easily into English society again. The wilderness has now become her home. She can interpret the cries of birds. She has seen vistas that have ... (Goodreads)
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd
by Jim Fergus
In 1875, May Dodd and a group of women are sent to marry Cheyenne warriors. May's journal tells of her journey and the relationships she forms.
Based on an actual historical event but told through fictional diaries, this,, is the story of May Dodd—a remarkable woman who, in 1875, travels through the American West to marry the chief of the ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Last Stand: Custer, Sitting Bull, and the Battle of the Little Bighorn
by Nathaniel Philbrick
A gripping account of the legendary battle between General Custer and the Lakota Sioux.
"An engrossing and tautly written account of a critical chapter in American history." —,Los Angeles Times, Nathaniel Philbrick, author of In the Hurricane's Eye , Pulitzer Prize finalist Mayflower , ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Blessing Way
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Policeman investigates a murder and discovers a web of secrets.
Anthropologist Bergen McKee comes to the Navajo Reservation to research tales of witches , visiting his college friend, Joe Leaphorn. Leaphorn is a Navajo Tribal Police lieutenant. A young man, Luis ... (Wikipedia)
Dance Hall of the Dead
by Tony Hillerman
A Navajo tribal policeman investigates a murder on an Indian reservation.
Ernesto Cata is in training to play his role as Shulawitsi the Fire God in an upcoming Zuni religious ceremony. He sees a kachina that can be seen by the initiated, which he is not, or by those about ... (Wikipedia)
The Ghostway
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police Officer Jim Chee investigates a murder and a missing person case, while also dealing with his personal life.
Hosteen Joseph Joe, finishing his laundry in Shiprock, New Mexico , answers questions put by a man in a new car, about Leroy Gorman. Joe does not know that man, but studies the Polaroid photo of him ... (Wikipedia)
A Thief of Time
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate the disappearance of an archaeologist and the theft of ancient artifacts.
Emma had the brain surgery, but she did not survive it. Joe Leaphorn is grief-stricken; he is on his final leave before quitting the Navajo Tribal Police. BLM agent Thatcher takes him along on a call ... (Wikipedia)
A Serpent's Tooth
by Craig Johnson
A small-town sheriff investigates a mysterious murder in the Wyoming foothills.
The inspiration for A&E's, Longmire, finds himself in the crosshairs in the ninth book of the, New York Times, bestselling series The success of Craig Johnson’s Walt Longmire series that began with ... (Goodreads)
Coyote Waits
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate a murder with ties to ancient Navajo witchcraft.
Officers Chee and Nez agree to meet at Red Rock trading post for a break from patrol. Chee hears Nez laughing on the radio about seeing the person who has been defacing local rock formations with ... (Wikipedia)
The Toughest Indian in the World
by Sherman Alexie
A collection of short stories exploring the complexities of modern Native American life with humor and heart-wrenching honesty.
A beloved American writer whose books are championed by critics and readers alike, Sherman Alexie has been hailed by Time as "one of the better new novelists, Indian or otherwise." In these stories, ... (Goodreads)
An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States
by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
A comprehensive look into the forgotten histories of the Indigenous peoples of the United States.
The first history of the United States told from the perspective of indigenous peoples. Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising ... (Goodreads)
Medicine Walk
by Richard Wagamese
A father and son journey through the wilderness to confront their past and reconcile their relationship.
Franklin Starlight is called to visit his father, Eldon. He's sixteen years old and has had the most fleeting of relationships with the man. The rare moments they've shared haunt and trouble Frank, ... (Goodreads)
The Dark Horse
by Craig Johnson
A sheriff investigates a mysterious murder in the small town of Wyoming.
Read Craig Johnson's posts on the Penguin Blog.,, Walt Longmire goes undercover to save a woman in an unfriendly place, Interweaving classic noir sensibilities and humor with contemporary themes of ... (Goodreads)
The Legend of the Bluebonnet
by Tomie dePaola
A Native American girl sacrifices her most prized possession to end a drought. Her selflessness is rewarded with a beautiful gift from the Great Spirit.
When a killing drought threatens the existence of the tribe, a courageous little Comanche girl sacrifices her most beloved possession–and the Great Spirit's answer results not only in much needed ... (Goodreads)
People of Darkness
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate a murder on the Hopi reservation, uncovering a web of secrets and lies.
A bacteriologist in the cancer research hospital, waiting for lab results, sees a blond haired man move something from his car to a pick-up truck parked in an illegal space. She sees a tow truck pull ... (Wikipedia)
The Last of the Mohicans
by James Fenimore Cooper
Historical fiction set during the French and Indian War, featuring a native American family and their allies.
Cora and Alice Munro, daughters of Lieutenant Colonel Munro, are traveling with Major Duncan Heyward from Fort Edward to Fort William Henry, where Munro is in command, and acquire another companion ... (Wikipedia)
Dances with Wolves
by Michael Blake
A Civil War soldier discovers a newfound respect and understanding for Native American culture.
Ordered to hold an abandoned army post, John Dunbar found himself alone, beyond the edge of civilization. Thievery and survival soon forced him into the Indian camp, where he began a dangerous ... (Goodreads)
Comanche Moon
by Larry McMurtry
A story of the waning days of the Comanche warriors, set in 19th century Texas.
THE NATIONAL BESTSELLER The second book of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove tetralogy, Comanche Moon takes us once again into the world of the American West. Texas Rangers August McCrae and Woodrow ... (Goodreads)
Talking God
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate a murder linked to a stolen artifact and a controversial museum exhibit.
An unidentified man is found dead along the railroad tracks near Gallup, New Mexico. There is a note in one pocket of his suit referring to Agnes Tsotsie and a Yeibichai or Night Chant ceremony. FBI ... (Wikipedia)
The Dark Wind
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police Officer Jim Chee investigates a murder and a missing shipment of drugs in the Southwest desert.
Jim Chee is assigned four cases to solve by Captain Largo, his new boss at the Tuba City, Arizona office of the Navajo Tribal Police. One is to ascertain who stole jewelry from the Burnt Water ... (Wikipedia)
Skeleton Man
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate a missing person case that leads to a dangerous and mysterious criminal known as the Skeleton Man.
When two passenger airplanes collide over the Grand Canyon in the 1950s killing all aboard, John Clarke's body is lost, as is the briefcase of diamonds he had locked to his wrist. Scorning Mr. ... (Wikipedia)
Hawkeye, Volume 3: L.A. Woman
by Matt Fraction
The adventures of a super-powered, Native American hero on a mission to save Los Angeles.
Collects Hawkeye Annual #1, Hawkeye #14, #16, #18, #20. ... (Barnes & Noble)
Crazy Brave
by Joy Harjo
A memoir of Joy Harjo's journey to becoming a poet, exploring her Native American heritage and the challenges she faced along the way.
A “raw and honest” (Los Angeles Review of Books) memoir from the first Native American Poet Laureate of the United States. In this transcendent memoir, grounded in tribal myth and ancestry, music and ... (Barnes & Noble)
Sing Down the Moon
by Scott O'Dell
A young Navajo girl is captured by Spanish slave traders and must find a way to escape and return to her people.
The Spanish Slavers were an ever-present threat to the Navaho way of life. One lovely spring day, fourteen-year-old Bright Morning and her friend Running Bird took their sheep to pasture. The sky was ... (Goodreads)
Spider Woman's Daughter
by Anne Hillerman
Navajo Nation Police Officer investigates a mysterious death in the high desert of Arizona.
Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn is retired from the Navajo Tribal Police , and living with anthropologist Louisa Bourebonette. Now a freelance investigator, he retains use of the department's computer ... (Wikipedia)
The Painted Drum
by Louise Erdrich
A mystical drum holds the secrets of generations of Native Americans, connecting the lives of those who possess it.
“Haunted and haunting. . . . With fearlessness and humility, in a narrative that flows more artfully than ever between destruction and rebirth, Erdrich has opened herself to possibilities beyond what ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Fallen Man
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate the death of a man found on a cliff in the Grand Canyon.
In late fall, three climbers who scaled Shiprock find a corpse, a skeleton in climber's gear, on a nearly inaccessible shelf just below the peak. Acting Lieutenant Jim Chee is trying his hand at ... (Wikipedia)
Touching Spirit Bear
by Ben Mikaelsen
A young boy's journey of redemption, healing and understanding through his experience with a Spirit Bear.
Within Cole Matthews lies anger, rage and hate. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years. This time he caught Peter Driscal in the parking lot and smashed his head against the sidewalk. Now, ... (Goodreads)
Sacred Clowns
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo tribal police officers investigate a murder at a tribal ceremony while navigating cultural traditions and modern law enforcement.
Shop teacher Eric Dorsey is murdered at the mission school in Thoreau, for no obvious reason. Delmar Kanitewa slips out of his boarding school in Crownpoint, and his grandmother pushes the Navajo ... (Wikipedia)
Shadow Tag
by Louise Erdrich
A family's secrets and lies are exposed through the art of painting, leading to a destructive cycle of love and betrayal.
“Erdrich is a true original… [and] one of our major writers.” — Washington Post Book World Shadow Tag , the brilliant new novel by Louise Erdrich, is a stunning tour-de-force from the National Book ... (Goodreads)
Blood and Thunder: An Epic of the American West
by Hampton Sides
An exploration of the westward expansion of the United States, recounting the lives of those who lived it.
A Magnificent History of How the West Was Really Won - a Sweeping Tale of Shame and Glory, In the fall of 1846 the venerable Navajo warrior Narbona, greatest of his people’s chieftains, looked down ... (Goodreads)
The First Eagle
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate the murder of a wealthy art collector, uncovering a web of greed and deception.
Anderson Nez dies in the hospital of bubonic plague in a virulent new form. Dr Woody brought him in, and is now demanding details on everything that happened as Nez died in Northern Arizona Medical ... (Wikipedia)
Sacajawea
by Anna Lee Waldo
Epic historical novel of the life of Sacajawea, a Shoshone woman who helped guide Lewis and Clark on their expedition.
Clad ln a doeskin, alone and unafraid, she stood straight and proud before the onrushlng Forces of America’s destiny: Sacajawea. child of a Shoshoni chief, lone woman on Lewis and Clark‘s historic ... (Goodreads)
To The Bright Edge of the World
by Eowyn Ivey
Adventurers explore the uncharted reaches of 19th century Alaska, uncovering secrets of the land.
An atmospheric, transporting tale of adventure, love, and survival from the bestselling author of, The Snow Child, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize . In the winter of 1885, decorated war hero Colonel ... (Barnes & Noble)
The Plague of Doves
by Louise Erdrich
A coming-of-age story set in a small Minnesota town, examining the legacy of violence and vengeance.
The unsolved murder of a farm family still haunts the white small town of Pluto, North Dakota, generations after the vengeance exacted and the distortions of fact transformed the lives of Ojibwe ... (Goodreads)
The Wailing Wind
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police Officer Jim Chee investigates a murder and a missing person case, uncovering secrets and betrayals in the process.
Navajo Tribal Police Officer Bernadette Manuelito investigates an abandoned vehicle in Apache County, Arizona. She finds the body of Thomas Doherty in the truck. She identifies seeds on his clothing ... (Wikipedia)
Rock with Wings
by Anne Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate a plane crash and a missing woman, while balancing personal struggles and cultural traditions.
Amazon Best Mystery of 2015, Navajo Tribal cops Jim Chee and Bernadette Manuelito, and their mentor, the legendary Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn, investigate two perplexing cases in this exciting ... (Barnes & Noble)
Hunting Badger
by Tony Hillerman
Navajo Tribal Police investigate a casino robbery and kidnapping, uncovering a web of deceit and corruption.
Sophisticated robbers shoot the security guards at the Ute Casino, turn off the electricity and then steal the cash bagged and ready to be picked up for deposit to the bank. Cap Stoner is killed ... (Wikipedia)
The Haunted Mesa
by Louis L'Amour
A man searches for a lost civilization in the American Southwest, encountering supernatural forces and danger.
Mike Raglan, a middle-aged man who specializes in paranormal investigations (and normally debunking the phenomena) has received urgent phone calls and mail from an old friend of his, Erik Hokart. ... (Wikipedia)
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