This novel by David Romtvedt follows a young Basque immigrant, Zelestina Urza, who arrives in northern Wyoming in 1902. She befriends Yellow Bird Daughter, a young Cheyenne Arapaho woman dispossessed after the trauma of Wounded Knee. Their store is recounted by an opinionated and argumentative narrator who often forays into various asides.
“Like his music, Romtvedt’s novel is full of magical invention, driving emotion and sustained notes of grace–an intimate and adventurous journey defined by dislocation, violence, and redemption.” Kim Barnes
About the Author
David Romtvedt is professor of creative writing at the University of Wyoming. The author of more than a dozen books, he has also served as the Poet Laureate of Wyoming and, with the bands Ospa and The Fireants, plays the button accordion.
