AUDIO

Sisters of the Lost Nation

Books on Tape. Apr. 2023. 9:34 hrs. ISBN 9780593675540. $76. THRILLER
COPY ISBN
Medina’s debut uses monsters found in the dark to bring real-world issues to light. Anna Horn, a senior in high school and a member of Louisiana’s Takoda Nation, is misunderstood by her family and bullied at school. As a Two Spirit person with both a masculine and a feminine spirit, she wonders about her place in life and among her people. Anna is drawn into a mystery when local girls, including her sister Grace, start disappearing from the reservation. She desperately tries to find her sister but is horrified when a disembodied carnivorous head—a monster straight out of her people’s folklore—begins to chase her down. Two Spirit Indigenous narrator Elva Guerra gives voice to Anna, providing her with a youthful tone while also communicating the exhaustion she feels from shouldering her family’s and her nation’s troubles. Medina, a member of the Tunica-Biloxi Nation, offers an emotional glimpse into Anna’s disintegrating family while illustrating larger issues affecting Indigenous communities, including problems introduced by casinos and widespread disappearances of Indigenous women.
VERDICT Straight-up supernatural horror fans may be disappointed that mystical elements take a backseat, but Medina’s real-world horrors are more frightening than anything from beyond the grave.
Comment Policy:
  • Be respectful, and do not attack the author, people mentioned in the article, or other commenters. Take on the idea, not the messenger.
  • Don't use obscene, profane, or vulgar language.
  • Stay on point. Comments that stray from the topic at hand may be deleted.
  • Comments may be republished in print, online, or other forms of media.
  • If you see something objectionable, please let us know. Once a comment has been flagged, a staff member will investigate.


RELATED 

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?

We are currently offering this content for free. Sign up now to activate your personal profile, where you can save articles for future viewing

ALREADY A SUBSCRIBER?