With the way this one started out, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. It jumps back and forth between dates, but I think it could have been a linear story and flowed much better. The story was a bit confusing at first though it came together as I got deeper into it. It’s all told from the perspective of Anna, a tomboy on a Native American reservation. The story echoes a real life problem, that I was ignorant of, where young girls were kidnapped from reservations and sold into slavery. Because of how laws surrounding reservations work, the justice system does not afford them much assistance. This means they have to take matters into their own hands most of the time. It makes the community more tight knit than others, but they’re not without some division.

Anna and her sister work at a luxury hotel near a casino on the reservation. The people of the reservation see the casino as a boon, allowing them to make money without having to fully assimilate into the white man’s culture. Anna doesn’t see it that way; she sees that her people are losing who they are and wants to be the keeper of stories, like her mentor Miss Shelby. Shelby was one of the first girls to go missing, but was later found dead in the woods. Others have gone missing since and Anna is reminded of a story her uncle told her about a rolling head that ate people. Her brother and sister brush off the story as a folktale, though Anna truly believes it.

Anna’s family is the focal point of the story and has a traditional dynamic. Anna proves to be the most dependable person in the family. She is their center and they all rely on her way too much. As the eldest, she helps take care of her siblings and after her parents’ arguments, cleans up the mess. Her grandmother also lives with them, which her mother resents, though Anna is the one who takes care of her most of the time. Anna loves her family, flaws and all, but wishes for more. It’s hard to see her be used so much by those that are supposed to love her. Not to mention how she’s bullied at school. She wears her father’s hand-me-down overalls and doesn’t dress like a girl “should,” so she’s bullied in the worst ways. I felt for Anna and her attempts at being the bigger person deserve some respect. For a young kid that’s unsure of who they are, Anna is a better human than many people I’ve met.

The story balances the spiritual with more grounded human experience in an interesting way. The problems facing the reservation are unique and some are so blinded by profits that they don’t realize their culture is being erased. Anna does and she wants to do something about it, but with the disappearances, family problems and bullying, she doesn’t have much time to help. The struggle of native people and the preservation of their culture in the face of conquerors is a perspective that gave me a new perspective. It highlights difficulties I would never be able to experience as a white man. I think this story is a must read for anyone that’s in need of a fresh perspective. This story taught me a lot and I think understanding another point of view is essential to a life well lived.