“Where the Dead Sit Talking” is a novel that intertwines the Native American traditional aspects with a story about a young boy, coming from a troubled family, struggling to grow up and find his identity and place in the world. The young boy, Sequoyah, is at the center of the novel. After mentally and emotionally suffering from his mother’s substance abuse, which left him at the mercy of foster care, he is left displaced with deep psychological scars.
After being given to a family called the Troutts, he discovers that he is not alone in his suffering. There he meets Rosemary, a seventeen-year-old girl who is also a Native American, and the two bond over their sense of loss and mutual tradition. Unfortunately, suffering doesn't end for Seq, as this little light in his life ends up with a devastating outcome.
The novel explores themes of emotional and psychological growth, displacement and family, as well as tradition. It was published in 2018 and was well-critically acclaimed, including many book award nominations, and being a finalist of the National Book Award.
