A Council of Dolls

The long-awaited, profoundly moving, and unforgettable new novel from PEN Award–winning Native American author Mona Susan Power, spanning three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women from the 19th century to the present day.

From the mid-century metropolis of Chicago to the windswept ancestral lands of the Dakota people, to the bleak and brutal Indian boarding schools, A Council of Dolls is the story of three women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried....

Sissy, born 1961: Sissy’s relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult, even dangerous, but her life is also filled with beautiful things, including a new Christmas present, a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy’s ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy’s life.

Lillian, born 1925: Born in her ancestral lands in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister, Blanche, and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an “Indian school” far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school’s abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, the doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls.  

Cora, born 1888: Though she was born into the brutal legacy of the “Indian Wars,” Cora isn’t afraid of the white men who remove her to a school across the country to be “civilized.” When teachers burn her beloved buckskin and beaded doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost...

A modern masterpiece, A Council of Dolls is gorgeous, quietly devastating, and ultimately hopeful, shining a light on the echoing damage wrought by Indian boarding schools, and the historical massacres of Indigenous people. With stunning prose, Mona Susan Power weaves a spell of love and healing that comes alive on the page.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publication Date: 08/2023

Pages: 304

My Thoughts

The first thing I noticed about this book is the beautiful prose. The writing is powerful and artistic while remaining readable. The last three pages of the book were so incredibly gorgeous that I had to read them outloud to my friend. Read it, and I am sure you will agree.

The author did not shy away from the terrible and heartbreaking truths of Native Americans and the Indian Boarding Schools in America, but it maintained a focus on cultural and family connections that provided hope. This is a multiple perspective novel, but Sissy's first section resonated with me most. There was something about a child's explanation of difficult topics like land theft, and residential schools and forced assimilation that was esecially touching and heartbreaking. I was especially drawn to the weaving together of the touching stories of love with the trauma throughout the novel.

The doll theme was challenging at times for me. This was a parallel through the generations and I viewed them as a literary vehicle for the things each character knew but maybe wasn't ready for yet, maybe even symbolic of an experience or the fate of their owner.

I struggled most with the final section of the book. I originally thought this is because I was trying to put together all the names of the characters and all of the dolls, but I don't think that was it. The other sections were the stories of the trauma and this section rests on the work that the older Sissy has done and continues to do towards healing. Present is a deep, life-saving, cultural connection, family love, clear effort towards doing one’s best as a parent, and a thread of belonging and yearning and hope that brings a sort of contentment and peace that isn’t perfect, but is uplifting/fulfilling all the same.   

I want to share a couple passages that I found especially powerful:

“My father says that we should welcome all stories to see if they are worth remembering.  You can put ideas on and off just like moccasins. You can wear them and set them aside, hold onto those you find meaningful. Don’t be afraid of learning something beyond what we’re able to teach you. Even the wisest person doesn’t know everything. But it’s also important to preserve the ideas that make sense to you, even in the face of resistance–someone telling you that you’re wrong and only they know the truth. Such boasting is evidence of a fool, perhaps a dangerous one.”

“I just want you to know that what strangers make of you means nothing. Your heart knows the truth.”

“Creativity that comes from our most courageous, authentic heart opens us to the Flow, an unseen river of images, insights, and visions where we connect across time with all that has ever lived.”

“You’re the writer, so you’ll understand this better than me, but I learned that we can’t heal the story by changing the plot, pretending the awful stuff didn’t happen. Tragedy just breaks out somewhere else along the line. The story won’t heal until the players do.”

“Survival is never a waste… Remember what you told me one time, how you felt your main job some years was to stay alive? Well, you did your job, you made it through. Not everyone does. It takes fortitude.” 

And here is my favorite:

“Wrecked children inherit the power of the destroyed – a formidable energy. They create the ferocious allies they need either to survive or let go and embrace destruction. Mended children carry stronger medicine. Their magic unites the flow of Time with Love, our oldest waters. And so they bring us Home.”

I give this book 4 stars.