Sisters of the Lost Nation

After reading about 1/4 of this I seriously considered putting it down. I understood the gist of what was being set up but I wasn't feeling connected to any of the characters - I didn't feel invested in their stories. I had a quick scan through Amazon reviews, which were all Glowing, and decided to continue.

I am SO pleased I did!

This story follows Anna, a Native American Indian, living on the reservation, and is so raw and painful on so many different levels: within her family, as they slowly disintegrate; Anna's school life, where she is cruelly and brutally teased, and worse, has zero support from the principal; her brother and sister, who not only see that she is something very different, but taints them by her presence; the desperation and despair surrounding missing women and the search for truth; as well as Anna's underlying search to understand the truth within herself.

There are so many things to love about this story. The author's willingness to tackle so many individual yet interconnected themes. The honesty of the pain and trauma mentioned above. The way the characters are purposefully not given in depth descriptions so that they can all be ‘anyone' - that person we've all seen or met before. The blending of traditional belief with modern life. The slow unfolding of the horror of what's been going on under everyone's noses.

I was in tears by the time I finished reading this, and was totally unprepared for the sucker punch included right at the end.

I am so very pleased I persevered with this as it is not only a raw and honest story, but also a deeply necessary one.

I cannot recommend this enough.