Against the Wind

A touching story about the importance of one’s roots

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. JJ, eleven years old, lives alone with his brother Wendell in a shack. Grandfather Elmer, one of the last keepers of ancient traditions, tells him that in the prairie wind, you can hear the voices of ancestors. And JJ tries to listen, because he would like to hear his mother’s voice once again. But all he finds is silence. Meanwhile, around him, violence erupts. His friend Rafael is beaten by school bullies. Professor Doll wants to organize a protest against the installation of a nuclear waste depot in the reservation, and Wendell is about to get into serious trouble.

• A powerful, emotionally rich story blending ancestral memory with social justice, set within a rarely represented but deeply resonant Native American community.
• Written by an award-winning Italian author (Andersen Prize, Strega Prize for Young Readers), this novel gives voice to those history has tried to silence—and invites young readers to listen.