Calling for a Blanket Dance

By: Oscar Hokeah

Narrated by: Oscar Hokeah, Rainy Fields

A moving and deeply engaging novel about a young Native American man as he learns to find strength in his familial identity.

Told in a series of voices, Calling for a Blanket Dance takes us into the life of Ever Geimausaddle through the multigenerational perspectives of his family as they face myriad obstacles. His father’s injury at the hands of corrupt police, his mother's struggle to hold on to her job and care for her husband, the constant resettlement of the family, and the legacy of centuries of injustice all intensify Ever’s bottled-up rage. Meanwhile, all of Ever’s relatives have ideas about who he is and who he should be. His Cherokee grandmother urges the family to move across Oklahoma to find security; his grandfather hopes to reunite him with his heritage through traditional gourd dances; his Kiowa cousin reminds him that he’s connected to an ancestral past. And once an adult, Ever must take the strength given to him by his relatives to save not only himself but also the next generation of family.

How will this young man visualize a place for himself when the world hasn’t given him a place to start with? Honest, heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting, Calling for a Blanket Dance is the story of how Ever Geimausaddle found his way to home.

©2022 Oscar Hokeah (P)2022 Algonquin Books

Critic reviews

“With intricate prose and unflinching vernacular, Oscar Hokeah chronicles a family and a community. We learn trials and aspirations for each generation, and witness what is woven into complicated arrival. We need these characters and their testimonies. But more than that, we crave–I crave—this kind of honest storytelling. These rhythms. These dances. This beauty. This welcoming to a place where the people speak and are unafraid.”—Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, author of The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

“Calling for a Blanket Dance is a stunning novel. Oscar Hokeah writes from deep inside the heart of his communities, bringing life to generations of voices who became so real to me they felt like relatives. The reader can't help but invest in each character as they navigate bitter challenges, sometimes surprising themselves with their strength, their ability to survive and love. Hokeah's prose gorgeously weaves authentic local vernacular with the lyrical notes of hard-won insight. This novel belongs on every recommended booklist for fans of literary fiction.”—Susan Power, author of The Grass Dancer

​“With solid Tommy Orange vibes, the first novel from Oscar Hokeah is a coming-of-age tale told from a chorus of multigenerational voices . . . One to watch, for sure.”—BookPage, 2022 Preview: Most Anticipated Fiction

Wow

The story telling of this book is so unique. I loved hearing the story from the perspective of different family members.

Calling for a Blanket Dance has inspired me !

I absolutely loved the story and how it evolved from beginning to end. I makes me want to start making baby quilts like I use to do. I love the family stories and especially how a blanket dance was used to raise funds for those in need. Thanks for this memorable novel, Oscar.

Hau dae ohn dae!

A'ho day baht haw from one Kiowa to another. Appreciate and love the language usage and have recommended to other family members! beautiful book

We are All Related

I loved this book, it is a very true account of many. It is told in a manner using generational perspectives- very well done. I would highly recommend this book and will share it’s power.

One of my top 5 favorite books

I’m enrolled in the EBCI and it was so nice to hear my language in a book. My favorite part was about the booger mask. I also grew up rugged and in foster homes, this book was so beautiful and I resonated with this in so many ways. This book wasn’t corny or trying too hard like some indigenous writings come off, I really I appreciate that. I loved the narrators way of reading too. This book was beautiful.

More than five stars

“Our forever home keeps us on tack. “
I’m so thankful for this book. It is a story of family, and survival woven together with the traditions of First Nations people. I love that this writer has included the intertribal marriages of our people that are true of all people. We are one Nation of many people.

Great Story

A captivating story about a Native family's journey to piece together their fragmented past and facing the inter generational challenges and trauma set in Oklahoma's

Loved this!

Story is told through different voices over generations. I don’t usually listen to fiction but the narration enhanced this rich story.

Loved This Novel

This was a book that kept my attention from start to finish. It not only has a good storyline but is educational in many ways. Highly recommend this novel.

College One Night Cram Reading

OMG!!! I had to read this book in one night. I was able to put the narrative on super speed and read the book w/in 4 hours. Just in time for a review in class tomorrow. Thank you this was a great book.