Mona Susan Power is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. She is the author of three previously published works of fiction, The Grass Dancer, Sacred Wilderness, and Roofwalker. Her short stories have been published by The Atlantic Monthly, The Paris Review, The Best American Short Stories, and more. Mona is a graduate of Harvard and the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop. She lives and teaches in Saint Paul, Minnesota.
“Power’s deep knowledge of Indigenous history comes through in keen
depictions of the Indian schools, and she illuminates the
characters’ struggles with generation trauma, which arise as they
try to sustain their connections to the past. This story of
survival shines brightly.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“A Council of Dolls reached out, grabbed me and did not let go.
Power’s ability to make language sing, cry, scream, and laugh
illuminates this heartstopper of a book that shines a light into
the dark corners of America’s history. I wanted the generational
journey I was taking with these unforgettable characters—and their
dolls—to never end. Read it—and be healed.” — Marie Myung-Ok Lee,
author of The Evening Hero
“A Council of Dolls absorbs through the skin, enters the bone, and
disperses through the psyche—it perfectly captures the internal
roots of the Native experience. Through the lives of three Dakota
women, we grapple with the emotional, psychological, and spiritual
toll on Indigenous peoples enduring an often brutal system and,
moreover, how strength, healing, and love reverberate down each
passing generation to dispense hope and resiliency. I cannot
more highly recommend Power’s newest masterpiece.” — Oscar Hokeah,
PEN/Hemingway award-winning author of Calling for a Blanket
Dance
"Moving...hypnotic." — Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Mona Susan Power’s new novel is an honor song to the love and
strength of Native families and our stories, to our brilliant
selves. I couldn’t have known how much I needed the wisdom and
offerings of these pages." — Kelli Jo Ford, author of Crooked
Hallelujah
“This tender and magical novel will stay with me for a long time.
Mona Susan Power writes with dazzling empathy. The result is a
heart-rending and many-layered narrative, a captivating story which
is also a thrilling testimonial to the power of stories.” — Margot
Livesey, author of The Boy in the Field
A resplendent novel about the spirited lives of three inspiring
women who endure significant change and hardship. Each story so
deeply compelling I wanted to read quickly but was magnetized by
the transformative power of each voice. A mighty, dazzling
whirlwind of storytelling. These stories lift from the
page. Prepare to stay up all night. A Council of
Dolls is mesmerizing. Take a deep breath! Mona Susan Power can
peer into darkness and transform it." — Debra Magpie Earling —
Debra Magpie Earling
“A work of exquisite beauty and courageous truth-telling, and an
unforgettable homage to ancestral suffering and strength.”
— Sheila O’Connor, author of Evidence of V
“A talent like Susan Power comes along once in a lifetime, and
lucky for us she's arrived. Here is a debut so stunning, so
extraordinary in its depth and passion, you will swear there's a
miracle on every page.” — Alice Hoffman, on The Grass Dancer
“The Grass Dancer is astonishing, and not simply because it's Susan
Power's first book. It is pure and potent magic, with storytelling
that encircles you like wisps of tribal ghosts." — Amy Tan
“This is a wild river of a book. Susan Power writes with a headlong
energy and a force that are nothing less than thrilling. The Grass
Dancer is painfully authentic, and Anna Thunder one of the most
compelling female characters in contemporary fiction.” — Louise
Erdrich
“Captivating…a healing vision that goes to the core of our
humanity.” — New York Times Book Review on The Grass Dancer
“Stunning…Power steeps us in the traditions and culture of
contemporary Indian life.” — San Francisco Chronicle on The Grass
Dancer
“Every new book by Susan Power is cause for celebration. This
vibrant work is no exception. Her vision is intact: vivid, telling,
honest, and transcendent. Power is a treasure and a true artist.” —
Luis Alberto Urrea, on Sacred Wilderness
“Beautifully healing and hopeful. This heart-wrenching account of
inherited trauma and resilience is perceptively told.” —
Booklist
“Power… writes with deep compassion for her complicated characters,
especially the strong daughters of flawed mothers.” — People
Magazine, Book of the Week
“Told through alternating perspectives and by turns touching,
heartbreaking and even a little scary, this book reminds us of the
importance of family and history and will resonate with readers of
all backgrounds.” — Good Housekeeping
“Beautifully weaves together past and present to tell a complex
story about Indigeneity, including the atrocities of boarding
schools and forced assimilation that continue to haunt Native
communities to this day.” — The Cut
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