It’s November already, folks! For THP’s book team, that means it’s time to highlight some diverse books. More specifically, we’re discussing books celebrating Native American Heritage Month!
We try not to pass up an opportunity to amplify underrepresented voices in literature, and we aren’t going to start this month! Here are five books and audiobooks by and about indigenous people to add to your TBR. Celebrate Native American Heritage Month (NAHM) with these must-reads!
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Hearts Unbroken By Cynthia Leitich Smith
Kicking off our NAHM book roundup, we’re highlighting a book we had the privilege of reading for a college class. Cynthia Leitich Smith’s Hearts Unbroken was one of the first books that sparked our love for diverse books. It tells the story of Louise Wolfe, a Muscogee (Creek) Nation teenager trying to navigate her senior year of high school and her first love. Louise covers a story about the backlash against the school’s inclusive musical casting for The Wizard of Oz. She finds herself at the center of a schoolwide controversy, along with her little brother, Hughie, who’s playing the Tinman.
Order Hearts Unbroken here!
Harvest House By Cynthia Leitich Smith
This next book is a follow-up novel to Hearts Unbroken and takes place in the same world as the first but with a thrilling twist. Harvest House by Cynthia Leitich Smith tells the story of Hughie Wolfe, a Native teenager volunteering at a rural Halloween attraction. He’s excited to participate in the show until he learns the leading role is an “Indian maiden” inspired by local legend. While Hughie grapples with the decision to speak up against the show, there’s also the issue of a man stalking young Indigenous girls and women at night near Harvest House.
Order Harvest House here!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CYNTHIA LEITICH SMITH:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
The Luminous Life Of Lucy Landry By Anna Rose Johnson
Our following NAHM book recommendation is The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry. Written by Ojibwe author Anna Rose Johnson, this novel follows Lucy Landry, a spirited French-Ojibwe orphan. She’s sent to Lake Superior to live with the Martins, an Anishinaabe family of lighthouse keepers. Lucy sets out to find a priceless ruby necklace her father searched for his whole life. She and the other Martin children hope to find the treasure before anyone else, or they risk losing their home.
Order The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry here!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ANNA ROSE JOHNSON:
INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | WEBSITE
Buffalo Dreamer By Violet Duncan
Next, we have Violet Duncan’s Buffalo Dreamer. Based on the Plains Cree and Taino author’s family history, this middle-grade novel follows a Native girl named Summer who’s spending the summer on a reservation with her mom’s family. She learns that unmarked children’s graves have been found near the school her grandpa attended. More people speak up about the horrifying experiences at residential schools. Summer takes part in the community’s efforts to reclaim the painful past and hope for a better future.
Order Buffalo Dreamer here!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT VIOLET DUNCAN:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
Find Her By Ginger Reno
Finally, we want to highlight Find Her by Ginger Reno for NAHM, a new YA mystery. This novel centers around the crisis of missing Indigenous women from the perspective of a young Cherokee girl named Wren. Wren’s mother has been missing for more than five years, and it seems like only Wren and her grandmother are still looking. She not only tries to find her mother but also unexpectedly discovers a town mystery, a friendship, and a family in need of healing.
Order Find Her here!
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT GINGER RENO:
WEBSITE
What do you think of our picks for Native American Heritage Month? How are you celebrating this month? Let us know on Twitter! You can also find us on Facebook and Instagram!
Want to hear some of our audiobook recommendations? Here’s the latest!
Need some more book recs? We got them!
