WINTER IN THE BLOOD

Darrell Dennis captures the angst of the unnamed narrator in this classic novel of modern Native Americans on the Great Plains. He adroitly shifts between the flat dialogue of ranch life and the lyricism of the Western setting. Likewise, he captures the cadences of a trio of secondary characters--aspiring Lame Bull, wise Yellow Calf, strong Teresa. Most of all, Dennis's empathetic delivery subtly reveals the main character and his solitary situation. Disconnected from both Native and white culture, the antihero protagonist is defined by self-awareness and woe. He has a bad leg, a dead father, a dead brother, and a dying grandmother. In sum, Dennis expresses the audiobook's humor and pathos, as well as the tension of Native American life on and off the reservation. A.D.M. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2021]