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A Council of Dolls: A Novel Audiobook
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LONGLISTED FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD
The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award–winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day.
From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried….
Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.
Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.
Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost…
A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. With stunning prose, Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page.
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“[A] thought-provoking, quietly devastating, reader engaging, and ultimately hopeful novel of healing and love…A Council of Dolls is unreservedly recommended for personal, community, and academic library contemporary American literature collections.”
— Midwest Book Review
Quotes
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“This story of survival shines brightly.”
— Publishers Weekly (starred review) -
“Perfectly captures the internal roots of the Native experience…I cannot more highly recommend Power’s newest masterpiece.”
— Oscar Hokeah, author of Calling for a Blanket Dance -
“[A] heartstopper of a book that shines a light into the dark corners of America’s history…Read it—and be healed.”
— Marie Myung-Ok Lee, author of The Evening Hero
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About Mona Susan Power
Mona Susan Power is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe in North Dakota. She is the author of four published works of fiction, The Grass Dancer, Sacred Wilderness, Roofwalker, and A Council of Dolls. Her short stories have been published by the Atlantic Monthly and the Paris Review, and have included in The Best American Short Stories and more. She is a graduate of Harvard and the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop.
About Isabella Star LaBlanc
Timothy Andrés Pabon is an English- and Spanish-speaking voice-over artist who has worked extensively in advertising and audiobook narration. He has had acting roles on House of Cards and has also been a costar on HBO’s acclaimed series The Wire opposite country music legend Steve Earl. As a stage actor, he has worked off-Broadway at the June Havoc Theatre, and his regional credits include Center Stage, the Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage, the Hippodrome, Olney Theatre, Rep Stage, and GALA Hispanic Theatre.