Before I start my review, I would like to preface that it was a First Reads book.

This novel is a fictional account of a true story and is spell-binding. Native Americans are known for their oral traditions and stories and this book follows in those footsteps. The main characters, Hollow-Woman and Governor are on a road trip to Washington DC and Boston in order to obtain the skeletons of their ancestors which were taken by an archeologist in early quarter of the 1900s. The last of the Peco Indians, the bones can only be returned to them for reburial back at their pueblo in New Mexico. While on the road trip, Hollow-Woman learns of her peoples' history, the importance of family, faith, and tradition.

Garcia has taken the oral tradition of natives and successfully turned it into a spellbinding and captivating story. A mix of history and the Peco tribes' tradition make this novel fascinating and sheds light on a part of American history that is often ignored due to its harshness. Garcia does not avoid the horrors of people against other people, she embraces it as part of the human story and isn't afraid to tell the true story and all its details. She is also tender and the importance of knowing who you are and where you came from seeps from each page. ( )