BEST OF THE YEAR
Kirkus - Boston Globe
A literary tour-de-force sure to turn the coming-of-age genre on its
head from Printz honoree Eric Gansworth
Brian, a 20-something reporter on the Niagara Cascade's City Desk, is
navigating life as the only Indigenous writer in the newsroom, being
lumped into reporting on stereotypical stories that homogenize his
community, the nearby Tuscarora reservation. But when a mysterious
roadside assault lands Tim, the brother of Brian's mother's late
boyfriend in the hospital, Brian must pick up the threads of a life that
he's abandoned.
The narrative takes us through Brian's childhood and slice of life
stories on the reservation, in Gansworth's signature blend of crystal
sharp, heartfelt literary realist prose. But perhaps more importantly,
it takes us through Brian's attempt to balance himself between
Haudenosaunee and American life, between the version of his story that
would prize the individual over all else and the version of himself that
depends on the entire community's survival.
P R A I S E
★""Heartfelt. Lush. Perceptive. Gansworth candidly offers a complex look
at Brian's efforts to cultivate his own sense of self while navigating
two seemingly separate identities: his life growing up in Tuscarora and
his life after leaving the reservation."
--Publishers Weekly (starred)
★ "A masterwork of historical fiction. Rich, luxuriant, densely layered
prose immerses readers in heartbreaking scenes and poignant dialogue as
complex characters explore the confines and joys of male friendship.
Riveting, timeless, and indispensable."
--Kirkus (starred)
★ "A novel about strong medicines and powerful treaties."
--BCCB (starred)
"A sprawling work, part commentary and chorus, part excavation of
generational trauma, circling back and starting over as his protagonist
stumbles toward adulthood. Gansworth drops gems of sharp dialogue as his
story lurches toward big truths."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune
"A triumph of storytelling."
--Buffalo News
