Synopsis
Summary
When the federal government enacts a law that declares that the Umpqua tribe no longer exists, Regina Petit becomes “Indian no more”—even though she lives with her tribe and practices tribal customs, and even though her ancestors were Indian for countless generations—and her family is forced to leave their homeland on the Grand Ronde Tribe’s reservation. In their new home in Los Angeles, Regina finds solace in the stories of her grandmother and the continued togetherness of her family, even as she comes face-to-face with the viciousness of racism and endures the pain of separation from her tribal land and community. In this story inspired by Umpqua author Charlene Willing McManis’s own history, Regina must ask herself: is she Indian, American, or both? And will she and her family ever be okay?
Notable Achievements
Winner of the 2020 American Indian Youth Literature Award for Best Middle Grade Book; Chosen as a 2020 Global Read Aloud; Notable Children's Book American Library Association (ALA); Editor's Choice Booklist; Notable Books for a Global Society International Reading Association (IRA); Amelia Bloomer Project: Feminist Task Force American Library Association (ALA)
Reviews
Publishers Weekly: “A personalized look at a significant moment in U.S. history.”
Kirkus Reviews: “McManis and Sorell produce a poignant family story of the impact termination had on the thousands of Native Americans who left reservations in order to survive.”
School Library Journal: “Readers will be moved as they become invested in Regina’s predicament.”
Booklist: “While Regina struggles to make sense of her Indianness in L.A. throughout the book, her grandmother, Chich, grounds her in Umpqua folklore and history, helping her to understand the strength and resilience of her people.”
Link to Review
Educator Guide
This guide, created by Lee & Low Books, includes historical background information, key vocabulary, pre-reading questions, discussion questions, and interdisciplinary activities designed to integrate the book into other curriculum areas.
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