THE SEED KEEPER

Memoirist Diane Wilson's first novel celebrates the role of Dakota women who kept their seeds and culture alive across generations. Narrator Kyla Garcia portrays four generations of women who preserve seeds and stories. She brings Rosalie Iron Wing to life as she struggles to overcome her past as a foster child, live as the wife of a white farmer, and search for her family and her history. Rosalie speaks deliberately, remembering her father's life lessons. Her friend, Gaby Makespeace, has a strong voice and is confident in her mission to save the rivers. Great-Aunt Darlene Kills Deer has the husky voice of an elderly woman and is determined to pass on the seeds and the history, ensuring that both will continue to live for the next generation. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine [Published: SEPTEMBER 2021]