Indian Burial Ground

Medina’s second novel returns readers to the fictional Takoda tribe that was first introduced in his debut, Sisters of the Lost Nation. It delivers another haunting, page-turner of a tale that is as gripping as it is devastating. Louie has returned to the reservation after a decade-long absence and reconnects with his 40-year-old niece, Noemi, who has just been given the tragic news of her boyfriend’s mysterious death. Noemi doggedly investigates the circumstances of the death, while Louie, concerned it may be connected to his past, recalls details of a long-ago summer in which an increasingly disturbing series of events with chilling, supernatural undertones rocked the reservation. Medina skillfully brings to life a rich and complex cast of characters that are grappling not only with real-life horrors such as alcoholism, poverty, and suicide but also an unnatural horror inextricably linked to the Takoda people’s history, culture, and identity—and threatens to devour their community. Medina shines a compassionate yet unflinching light on these heartrending themes and consistently manages to humanize his characters even as readers witness their most monstrous moments.