Sun Dancer

by David London

“[An] unflinching look at the conflicts among the Sioux and . . . the pervasive cynicism and slow-burn despair that accompany a history of frustrated attempts to set right several generations of wrongs.”—New York Times Book Review. “[An] impressive novel.

His prose is clean, his narrative swift. . . . [London] describes Native American spirituality in ways that will move even readers familiar with Black Elk Speaks and the novels of N. Scott Momaday and James Welch. The characters are both strongly and subtly drawn.”—Los Angeles Times. “An intelligent, sure-handed debut, told with passion and skill.”—Publishers Weekly. “[A] complex, well-crafted plot opening up profound historical and spiritual issues.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “A gripping story. . . . As readable a novel as it is a significant statement. . . . David London is a shrewd and able young novelist.”—Buffalo News. “A frightening tale of cultural conflict.”—Booklist.

Clem Blue Chest, broken by the loss of his daughter, is uplifted by a vision he receives on a highway one summer night in 1990. Further guided by what is revealed to him in an unusual sun dance, Clem leads his reservation neighbors to regain their most sacred ground, the Black Hills of South Dakota. Confronting missionaries, ranchers, and federal agents, he pushes on into the sacred territory once guaranteed in perpetuity to his people. His quest culminates in a dramatic standoff on Mount Rushmore.

Sun Dancer is David London’s first novel. He is a James A. Michener Fellow and a graduate of the Iowa Writers Workshop.

320 pp — ©1998