Native Writers: Voices of Power

Gr 7 Up—With a goal of providing inspirational role models for its readers, this collection of short, accessible biographies focuses on 10 Native writers: Sherman Alexie, Louise Erdrich, Joseph Boyden, N. Scott Momaday, Marilyn Dumont, Tomson Highway, Joseph Bruchac, Maria Campbell, Nicola Campbell, and Tim Tingle. The authors give brief overviews of the subjects' lives before describing a few of their best-known works, often showing how actual experiences inspired events and characters in their fiction. The biographies take an informal tone, referring to the writers by their first names and describing their non-writing-related interests. Sigafus and Ernst note in their introduction that not all of the subjects were interviewed; while they do not mention which authors they spoke with, there is a noticeable difference in the depth of coverage from one writer to another. The biographies of interviewees include many direct quotes, which do not appear in the chapters about authors who did not participate in the process. Each biography includes two black-and-white photos and sidebars that provide more information about events or people mentioned in the main text. The topics covered in sidebars vary widely, and some seem odd choices in the context of a book about the Native experience; while text boxes on residential schools, the Trail of Tears, and significant Native historical figures such as Gabriel Dumont and Francis Pegahmagabow are welcome, those on William Faulkner, James Reaney, and coeducation are nonessential. This book fills a gap in many collections, and will be especially useful when studying Native literature.Kate Hewitt, Far Brook School, Short Hills, NJ