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A review by thatsoneforthebooks
The Beadworkers: Stories by Beth Piatote
5.0
This was an absolutely brilliant set of short stories about Indigineity in a variety of modern settings. Most of the book centers on locations in the PNW, and felt almost as a replacement in my heart for the short stories of Sherman Alexie. Mixing themes of language, family, culture, along with a persistent reference to beadwork, this book has a lot of beauty in it. It doesn't shy away from struggles faced by Native people though and discusses the perpetration of violence and systemic racism within Indigenous communities.
I loved the blend of formats within, and especially enjoyed the final piece which is written like a play. This play detailed the struggle over human remains and cultural artifacts in museums and would be a perfect piece to teach with in US History or Public History classrooms.
Kudos to Piatote for this amazing book with such gorgeous writing and thoughtful engagement with so many important themes.
I loved the blend of formats within, and especially enjoyed the final piece which is written like a play. This play detailed the struggle over human remains and cultural artifacts in museums and would be a perfect piece to teach with in US History or Public History classrooms.
Kudos to Piatote for this amazing book with such gorgeous writing and thoughtful engagement with so many important themes.