Father John O'Malley, assigned to the mission at Wind River
Reservation, is called to bless the body of an American
Indian woman, discovered decades after her murder. The
skeleton doesn't leave many clues other than the fact the
woman was brutally beaten and then shot in the head decades
ago. Forensic evidence narrows the date of the murder to
1973, a volatile period for American Indians. The American
Indian Movement, AIM, had drawn FBI attention and the
leaders were scattered and in hiding on various
reservations, including Wind River.
Lawyer Vicky Holden feels drawn to this nameless Indian
woman. A former battered wife, Vicky knows that this victim
could have been her or any one of other American Indian
women in troubled relationships. Although it's too late to
save this woman, it's not too late for justice.
Father John and Vicky both work to assist the sheriff's
office to solve this cold case. American Indians aren't
likely to share information with outsiders, but they may
talk with Father John, the mission priest, or Vicky, one of
their own turned lawyer. People are reluctant to talk as it
becomes apparent that the killer is still among them. Can
Father John or Vicky glean enough tidbits to piece together
the solution to this long-held mystery? And with the killer
on the hunt again, will they survive to tell what they've
learned?
Interspersed with Vicky's and Father John's POVs are
vignettes from the victim. Readers will relive her final
desperate days as she tries to stop the tide turning against
her. One can't help but hope that she will be successful,
even as we know she won't be.
Ms. Coel brings to life both modern-day and the turbulent
'70s reservation life. Readers will be drawn to the plight
of the Native Americans both then and now. Reservation life
isn't easy and the grim realities are clearly shown. But
despite these hardships, hope still shines. THE GIRL WITH
BRAIDED HAIR will stay with you long after reading the final
line.
In 1973, Liz Plenty Horses was accused of betraying the
militant American Indian Movement, known as AIM, to the FBI
after the death of one of their members. She went into
hiding with her baby daughter, never to be seen again.
Now, a skeleton with a bullet hole in the back of
the skull has been discovered at the bottom of a ravine on
the Wind River Reservation. The body was that of a woman who
was murdered sometime in 1973. With the police reluctant to
investigate, Arapaho attorney Vicky Holden and Father John
O'Malley must unravel the truth-even if it incites the
malice of a long-dormant killer.
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