Synopsis
Summary
A horror collection following one extended Cherokee family through the centuries. Readers are taken from the tribe’s homelands in Georgia in the 1830s to World War I, the Vietnam War, our own present, and well into the future, each story delivering a slice of its particular time period. We meet monsters of all sorts, from the time-worn classics of werewolves, vampires, and zombies, to predators of a distinctly American variety, such as the horrors of empire, intimate partner violence, and dispossession. Still other monsters are drawn from the traditions of long-told Cherokee stories—tales of Deer Woman, fantastical sea creatures, and more.
Notable Achievements
Winner of the 2023 Walter Dean Myers Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature, Teen Category
Reviews
School Library Journal: "Full of familiar tropes and new ideas, these stories are the right balance of suspense without too much horror. A strong first purchase."
Publishers Weekly: "Fresh, crisply written text... artfully tackles themes of colonialism and its effects on entire generations, for a simultaneously frightening and enthralling read."
Kirkus Reviews: "A creepy and artful exploration of a haunting heritage."
Booklist: "Will leave readers—adults as well as teens—unsettled, feeling like they have caught a glimpse into a larger world, and like there is a wider one still, just out of sight."
The Horn Book: "Many of these stories sound as if they were passed down as family histories. It may read like speculative fiction, but it feels like truth."
Educator Guide
Link to Guide
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