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“When Indigenous women disappeared, they disappeared twice. Once in life and once in the news.�� Laurie Dove offers this haunting line, which encompasses this important, emotionally charged story about MMIWG—Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls—and how disproportionately their deaths are represented in the U.S.

The writing is often lyrical, and at times, downright gorgeous. I’m all for so-called "unlikable" women, and Marshal Carrie Starr—grieving mother, struggling protector—is as complex as they come. Her daughter’s tragic death has unmoored her, and she spirals. She messes up constantly, which made her feel painfully, viscerally human. I related to her estrangement from her culture, especially having spent my life in the borderlands.

I appreciated Starr’s raw honesty, but I struggled to understand the purpose of making her so condescending. I loved Odeina and would’ve followed a whole novel with her, so I just didn’t understand why Starr disliked her. While Starr eventually comes around—acknowledging what a badass Chenoa was, among other things—it felt late.

The book’s shifting perspectives, often from outsiders, didn’t resonate with me either. I found them less compelling than the core Indigenous characters. I longed for more of Chenoa, Odeina, Junior, and even Winnie.

That said, Laurie Dove has the chops. She’s a lyrical, gutsy writer tackling urgent, complex themes. The procedural aspects all felt real and important, and I was engrossed by Dove’s ecological wisdom and descriptions of the land. This novel was so close for me—almost there. I’ll definitely be watching for her next one. Major props for writing a flawed mother wobbling between worlds and weaving powerful mythos into this story.