Talty’s debut short story collection is a beautifully written glimpse into the lives and deaths of several families on the Penobscot Indian Nation reservation.
I always like reading books that take place in an unfamiliar setting, even better if it’s one that does not often appear in the media. The glimpse I got into this world, where Talty himself grew up, was truly fascinating, with hints of both the familiar and strange. These stories are linked by place or character, but time is not always linear, contributing to a fluid and sometimes dreamlike feeling that everything is connected, if we could only figure out how.
At times funny, mystical, thought-provoking, and almost always heart-wrenching, it is easy to see why this book is getting so much attention. Each story packs a punch and will linger in the reader’s mind long after the final page is turned. While not always easy to read, one is left with the sense that they have just experienced something important, original, and brave.
