DOG FLOWERS A Memoir

At a slow pace that reflects the author's introspective tone, Charley Flyte narrates this melancholy memoir. The author is a Navajo woman who had few connections to her Native family until the death of her alcoholic mother took her on a journey--both literal and metaphoric--to her roots. In a languid voice, Flyte recounts Geller's rejection of her abusive parents and her struggles with her drug-addicted sister. In time, Geller seems to find beauty in her troubled past in the same way that her mother once described the dog's muddy footprints as "dog flowers." While the rich narrative is enhanced by Flyte's melodic pronunciation of Native words, this listener was disappointed with the absence of the print edition's photos, which are central to the story. N.M.C. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]