Yellow Raft in Blue Water

Yellow Raft in Blue Water
by Michael Dorris

This entrancing novel follows the lives of three generations of Native American women. It starts from the point of view of Rayona, a 15 year old half Native American, half African American girl who's mother escapes a hospital, packs their belongings, and abandons Rayona at her Grandmother Ida's house on the reservation. Rayona's reaction to this change of events unfolds from there. Next we learn the life story of Christine, the free spirited, energetic, and somewhat selfish mother of Rayona. Her story unfolds, explaining some of her eccentricities and the reason behind her abandonment of the daughter she truly loves. The final story covers Ida's life and how she came to be Christine's mother. Each story adds a new layer of depth to the story, twining the lives of these three women to tell a story of love, loss, suffering, and endurance.

I recommended this book for my book club. The book starts a little slow, but picks up speed by the time you are a third of the way through Christine's story. By the end, I was so amazed at how their stories tied together that I kept flipping back and forth between the three women's story to compare their different viewpoints. I wish that Ida's story was a little longer, but I am satisfied with the ending otherwise. There are so many nuances to this book to enjoy that our book club ended up getting kicked out of our meeting room before we could finish discussing it. If you are looking for a well crafted novel told from a Native American perspective, I recommend that you try Yellow Raft in Blue Water.