National Network for Equitable Library Service

Winner of the National Book Award • Washington Post Best Book of the Year • A New York Times Notable Book. From one of the most revered novelists of our time comes an exquisitely told story of a boy on the cusp of manhood, seeking justice and understanding after a harrowing crime shatters his family. In the spring of 1988, on a North Dakota reservation, Geraldine Coutts is attacked—an act so traumatic she withdraws from the world, leaving her husband Bazil and thirteen-year-old son Joe in emotional upheaval. As Geraldine isolates herself in silence and grief, Joe is forced into adulthood too soon, searching for ways to heal his mother and make sense of what has happened. With justice elusive, Joe and his loyal friends—Cappy, Zack, and Angus—begin an investigation of their own, one that leads them to the sacred Round House and into the heart of their tribal culture. Part gripping mystery, part heartrending family saga, The Round House is a lyrical and powerful coming-of-age novel steeped in history, love, and the resilience of community.