A review by mariab27
Gardens in the Dunes by Leslie Marmon Silko

5.0

Through its detailed and meandering prose, this novel felt hypnotic. The natural world is its own character, so it's fitting that this hypnotic feeling is one I only experience outdoors. As she does with the natural world, Leslie Marmon Silko writes all her characters with compassion and empathy while centering the Indigenous characters throughout. I was relieved to find few, if any, narratives around white saviorism, and one could argue that it is actually Indigo who saves Hattie in the end. I would love to read this novel again, unearthing more of the themes around capitalism, feminism, colonialism, and tribal sovereignty.