When choosing a book, you might consider the cover, storyline, or online buzz. But this can be a problem, as it leads to some voices not being heard over others. There are hundreds of different genres, writers, and stories that are overlooked because of this, including Indigenous books.
Expanding the stories you read can open your eyes to new experiences. It’s interesting to step into another person’s shoes by reading their writing. You might find the next book to obsess over in stories you have yet to look into.
Black, LGBTQIA+, and Indigenous communities are often part of the left-behind group. Many stories center around a white cis person as the default character. However, there are wonderful tales that stem from more diversity. I have compiled a list of books written by or about Indigenous communities that you should add to your TBR to diversify your list.
1. Never Whistle At Night by various authors
Never Whistle At Night | Credit: Amazon
You might need to keep a light on for this one. They say different superstitions can bring an evil spirit to you. In some Indigenous cultures, whistling is a common one. Never Whistle At Night features over 25 stories, and each delves into spooky content, from curses to monstrous creatures.
As an avid fantasy reader looking to expand the types of stories I am reading, Never Whistle at Night was a good start. The dark fiction anthology covers different Indigenous cultures, including Native Hawaiians, Native Mexicans, and countless others.
Never Whistle at Night has a Goodreads review of 3.91 stars with a total of 3,333 written reviews and over 20k additional ratings.
2. Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
In the book Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley, Daunis Fontaine falls deeper and deeper into trouble. Set in a Native American community, Daunis’s life is surrounded by tragedies and scandals, preventing her from fitting in. After tragedy strikes her family again, Daunis has to care for her mother. However, her entire life flips upside down after witnessing a gruesome murder. Soon enough, she becomes the center of a criminal investigation. There’s romance, murder, and mystery. What more could you ask for?
In 2022, Firekeeper’s Daughter won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Novel. These awards recognize the best of the mystery genre. The book infuses Indigenous elements into the genre, creating a chilling and deep storyline.
The Firekeeper’s Daughter has 4.32 stars, 24k reviews, and 181k ratings.
3. Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove
In Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove, ex-Chicago detective Carrie Starr needs a new start to her life. Returning to her roots, she applies to be the new tribal marshal at the reservation her father grew up in. Carrie searches for girls who went missing on the reservation and starts catching glimpses of a woman from her father’s stories. A woman with deer antlers. You will have to read for yourself to find out whether the Deer Woman will help Carrie or lead to her demise…
A deeply folkloric story, Mask of the Deer Woman is a true thriller. The book significantly touches on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) movement, which addresses a serious problem in our communities and happens to be a major story plot point of the book.
The book has 3.70 stars with 251 reviews and almost 1k ratings on Goodreads.
4. There There by Tommy Orange
In a world of inequality, the more voices, the better, and this novel includes twelve different voices in one book. There There by Tommy Orange is a collection of indigenous stories from people who are traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow in California. All the characters are Native American; however, not all of them embrace their heritage. Consequently, there is a plethora of lifestyles within this one novel. Every few pages, you step into the shoes of someone different. One section involves a robber; another, a filmmaker; still others feature kids, moms, and countless other people.
The book shares twelve different perspectives of a Native American person’s life experiences. You get a peek into other lives and how they’re all interconnected. Each story couldn’t be more different. Despite this, you see people come to love, hate, and even learn more about themselves and their culture.
There There has 3.98 stars, 24k reviews, and 207k ratings on Goodreads.
5. Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future by Patty Krawec
Becoming Kin by Patty Krawec reimagines settler colonialism from the perspective of an Indigenous writer, our past to further expand on our futures. Krawec illustrates how paying attention to our past and our history will prevent us from repeating the same mistakes. No matter how you look at it, we as humans are always connected, whether it is through blood, culture, time, or history. Therefore, connecting with our history will make us stronger.
The book teaches readers about another community by invoking someone’s personal experiences and interweaving historical, scientific, and cultural ideologies.
On Goodreads, Becoming Kin has 4.56 stars, 286 reviews, and 2k ratings.
6. Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse
The first book in a trilogy, Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse is a science fiction story revolving around a prophecy. The book has a heavy focus on Indigenous characters, settings, and mythologies. Readers will encounter a bisexual pirate captain, an eclipse, and plenty of drama. All of these elements coalesce into a gripping read.
The dishonored magical captain Xiala is transporting a passenger who has been described as harmless but could be anything but. At the same time that Xiala is setting sail, the winter solstice is approaching. The solstice coincides with the solar eclipse, which the Sun Priest foretells to be the unbalancing of the world.
Black Sun has 4.18 stars, 49k ratings, and 9.1k reviews on Goodreads.
7. Buffalo Dreamer by Violet Duncan
Based on the author’s family history, Buffalo Dreamer follows Summer and her family. One day, Summer starts to have vivid dreams that feel more like a memory. The dreams take place in the time of her grandfather, where she learns more about her family’s past while looking for answers.
The novel meant to teach younger audiences the importance of the past.
Buffalo Dreamer has 4.18 stars, 176 reviews, and over 700 ratings.
8. This Land by Ashley Fairbanks
A children’s picture book about the history of the land, This Land by Ashley Fairbanks is a part of the Race To The Truth series. The story delineate how history can be traced from family to family with a child-friendly tone and style. It’s an excellent educational resource packaged in a digestible medium.
The book encourages Indigenous storytelling, which involves passing down stories from generation to generation.
On Goodreads, This Land has 4.31 stars and 36 reviews, with 167 ratings.
9. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
In a futuristic setting, global warming has led to the downfall of humanity. The only people still able to dream are North America’s Indigenous people, and their marrow is the cure.
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline foregrounds a fifteen-year-old and his companion as they navigate the marrow-stealing “factories.” It sheds a unique light on the reality of Native oppression.
The Marrow Thieves has 3.96 stars, 40.6k ratings, and 5.2k written reviews on Goodreads.
10. Making Love with the Land by Joshua Whitehead
Joshua Whitehead’s book Making Love With The Land is a collection of creative essays, memoirs, and confessions. Written both before and during the pandemic, the book is meant to represent current times. Times in which we are rediscovering old ways and cultivating new ones to connect with each other and with the land. You will quite literally feel every emotion that Whitehead feels as he’s writing.
There are different writing styles within the collection, some of which match the themes of heartache, yearning, confessions, and love.
On Goodreads, you’ll see that Making Love With the Land has 4.08 stars with over 200 reviews, and 1.3k ratings.
11. Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance by Leonard Peltier
After Leonard Peltier received a life sentence for the murder of two FBI agents, it took twenty-five years for the DNC to urge President Biden to release him. Since his sentencing in 1977, Peltier has affirmed his innocence. He is an icon of his people and a hero in a real tragedy. His unsettling book Prison Writings: My Life is My Sun Dance stands for the resilience of his community while mourning the life he could’ve had.
As of February 2025, Leonard Peltier has been freed from prison.
Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance has 4.24 stars, over 150 reviews, and 2.2k ratings
12. Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson
It feels like the weight of the world is on Jared’s shoulders. He’s the kid at your school who sells weed and has a bad home life. He feels the need to care for everyone in his life, even though they are more than twice his age. In Son of a Trickster by Eden Robinson, Jared searches for identity after his grandmother tells him he’s not even human. However, alcohol, drugs, dreams, and spirits soon shake up Jared’s world.
Saturated in magical realism, Son of a Trickster encapsulates just how hard life can be. Sometimes, you don’t even realize that others have it worse.
Son of a Trickster has 3.81 stars, 1.7k reviews, and 13k ratings.
13. The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present by David Treuer
Native American history did not end after the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre. In The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present, David Treuer showcases how the Native American people did not just die off. In fact, they continually navigated new eras and adjusted to modern times despite the incursions of white settlers.
This book is a good recommendation for history lovers. By documenting the survival of Indigenous peoples, The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee serves as a testament to Native spirit.
The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee has 4.24 stars, over 900 reviews, and 6.3k ratings.
14. The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava
A little white lie can snowball into the fabrication of a whole new life. In The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava, Ember finds herself in hot water as she lies on her resume to get a new job and falls into a steamy new relationship that’s strictly against company policy. Even more trouble ensues when the illicit relationship is uncovered by another colleague, who ends up blackmailing Ember. Is it time for the truth to come out, or will Ember stay silent forever?
Being Native is not Ember’s entire identity, but she does have a hard time landing a job as a Native woman, amongst other notable experiences.
The Truth According To Ember has 3.69 stars, 5.4k ratings, and 1.5k reviews.
15. Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine
Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s novel Sabrina and Corina is a collection of different short stories that examines the universal themes of abandonment, heritage, and belonging.
Focusing more on Latina characters of Indigenous ancestry, Sabrina & Corina unpacks how the girls must endure violations of their culture, homeland, and bodies. They also face gentrification and discrimination as they struggle to maintain their cultural heritage.
Sabrina & Corina has 4.18 stars, a 14k rating, and 1.9k reviews.
16. Mankiller: A Chief and Her People by Wilma Mankiller and Michael Wallis
Former Chief of the Cherokee Nation Wilma Mankiller’s autobiography Mankiller: A Chief and Her People tells her personal story while honoring the history of the Cherokees. Mankiller exposes the egregious treatment of Native Americans by the US government in the past, present, and future. Her story is truly one of a kind and will forever hold a part of history.
A Native American activist, social worker, community developer, and the first woman to be principal chief of the Cherokee Nation, Wilma Mankiller was an unforgettable matriarch for the Indigenous community.
Mankiller: A Chief and Her People has 4.09 stars with 89 reviews and almost 800 ratings.
In the end
The Indigenous community is rife with compelling stories and storytellers that deserve time in the limelight. My list of suggestions could go on forever! You just have to find the stories that speak to you.
Consuming books that are written by and about different communities can expand your knowledge of and empathy toward the people around you.
