Published June 2026 via University of Nebraska Press
★★★
Casias grew up in a context of poverty and neglect—not without love, but with dangerous amounts of instability and alcohol. It is perhaps fair to say that she wasn't expected to go far in life, and perhaps also fair to say that she didn't expect much other than the limited options she was presented with either. Luckily for herself and her community, she ended up defying pretty much all expectations.
I wish I could impress upon my grandchildren and great-grandchildren how quickly the world can change. They were brought up in a time of plenty, and my stories of growing up Indian without cell phones and dividend checks (and occasionally without food) sound like a movie script to them. They sound like quaint old tales of times long ago, so long ago they no longer matter. Except they do. (loc. 940*)
I dithered over whether or not to read this book, because I'm very interested in Indigenous stories and voices but not even a tiny bit interested in Wall Street. Happily, very little of this story is about Wall Street or about legal battles (important legal battles, to be clear, and ones worth knowing about; these are just not things that align with my personal reading interests). Most of it is instead about Casias, her upbringing, and the context of her relatives and ancestors. She tells a clear and compelling story that manages to cover a tremendous amount of ground over a very short book.
Some of the numbers in here are staggering—that there are only about 1,500 Southern Ute tribal members, for example (though that is not the smallest that the tribe has ever been), or that Casias estimates that only about 95 people speak Ute fluently. Many of those who speak Ute are elders, she writes, who, like me, will take our language with us when we pass on (loc. 926). It's a stark reminder of how quickly things can change, some for the better (e.g., deals that brought financial wealth to the tribe) and others for the worse.
The writing is clear and without frills. At times I would have liked more detail—more description, more to evoke time and place and a feeling of being there. But even without that it's a thoughtful book that tells an important story. 3.5 stars; would recommend, and I hope this makes it into a lot of libraries.
As a final aside: Casias quotes Tanaya Winder more than once, and now I desperately want to read her poetry in full.
Thanks to the author and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.
*Quotes are from an ARC and may not be final.
