Winter Counts audiobook

"Winter counts were the calendar system used by the Lakota, but they weren't like modern ones. I'd loved the little pictures in the calendars, each image showing the most significant event from the past year.If you are a lover of slow burning, character driven crime fiction, please halt your scroll and immediately add Winter Counts to your 2020 TBR. I know that time and money are limited resources for many readers these days, but I highly recommend planning ahead and making this book a priority if it is within your realm of reading preferences. As a privileged white woman, I'm always actively seeking out books beyond my personal scope of experience, and it's surprisingly hard to find Indigenous crime fiction written by Indigenous authors! This debut blew my expectations out of the water, and managed to provide an educational experience to readers unfamiliar with Indigenous, and more specifically Lakota, ways, while also throwing out a gripping, heart-pounding plot."Back in the time before Columbus, there were only Indians here, no skyscrapers, no automobiles, no streets. Of course, we didn't use the words Indian or Native American then; we were just people. We didn't know we were supposedly drunks or lazy or savages. I wondered what it was like to live without that weight on your shoulders, the weight of the murdered ancestors, the stolen land, the abused children, the burden every Native person carried."Winter Counts introduces us to Virgil Wounded Horse, a bit of a pariah within the perimeters of his reservation, but also a man with skills that the other residents find necessary. Virgil is the person you call when the American government has failed you; when the FBI chooses not to prosecute those committing rape, abuse, theft, and murder on Indigenous land, you hire Virgil as muscle to deliver the justice you are owed. When word spreads that someone has been selling heroin on the reservation and local teenagers are overdosing, one of the council members hires Virgil to take care of the problem. Teaming up with his ex-girlfriend, Virgil decides to take on the case when the epidemic hits too close to home. While the mystery behind the drug problem is certainly engaging and entertaining, I found the real beauty of this story is the deep look we get into Virgil and his demons. As a biracial man, he isn't fully accepted into his community, but also isn't awarded the privilege associated with the half of him that is white either. This struggle of finding belonging in a world that had been stacked against him is peppered throughout the criminal investigation, but these personal touches are clearly what makes the story shine bright amongst a sea of mundane mysteries. There are even prejudices within the reservation, classism and elitism and privilege based on your family, and Virgil also deals with past loss, a faith that has failed him, and religion tied into cultural practice and beliefs. I don't want to give anything away, but the way that this story wrapped up was beautiful and tinged with just the right amount of bittersweet sadness. As I am unsure if this is truly a standalone, or the beginning of a new series, I will say that I would follow Virgil on future adventures if the author so chose to create them. Highly, highly recommended! *Many thanks to the publisher for providing my review copy.

3.5 starsI enjoyed this one! Here are some notes I jotted down while reading: -There is some great social commentary in this book about what it’s like to live on an Indian reservation, and I feel like I learned so much, especially with the authors note at the end. It’s tragic that most times federal authorities refuse to prosecute murders, assaults, and sex crimes: over 35% of crimes are declined and over a quarter of those cases are sexual assaults against women and children -Very eye opening, reminded me of the movie Wind River in that way-I don’t typically read stories that revolve heavily around drugs, so this was a bit out of my comfort zone because of that -This is categorized as a mystery/thriller, but I wouldn’t really consider this a mystery at all because I feel like it’s pretty predictable, but it definitely is a thriller because it’s action packed from beginning to end -Interesting characters who I really cared for and the pacing of this book was great, there was never a dull moment

Lakota winter counts are documents of recorded history. "Usually drawn on buffalo skins or deer hide, Lakota winter counts are comprised of pictographs organized in spiral or horizontal rows...Waniyeti is the Lakota word for year, which is measured from first snow to first snow". -Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center"By federal law, tribal police couldn't prosecute any federal crimes that happened on the rez. A murder on the rez in 1880's...the killer was banished, but not jailed...upset by the Native way of justice...a law [was passed] taking away our right to punish our own people". On Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, Virgil Wounded Horse is a vigilante for hire, an enforcer. In Virgil's words, "I'd been hired to beat the hell out of Guv Yellowback [gym teacher] by the father of the little girl at the school. He had raped her. The school had refused to take any action. Tribal police couldn't do anything."Virgil Wounded Horse, half-Lakota, was adrift, caught between two cultures. "I didn't feel any mystical bond with the rez...unpaved roads and our falling-down houses...good kids, decent kids-got involved with drugs and crime...there was nothing for them to do here...why not leave...get a job and make a clean break...putting aside Native ways and assimilating...the sound of the drummers at a powwow, the smell of wild sage...could I ever really leave the reservation?...".Virgil was a reformed alcoholic. He lived with his fourteen year old nephew, Nathan. Nathan's mother had died in a car accident. "I'd quit drinking for good. The money I saved would pay for Nathan's college". Like most teenagers, Nathan had become secretive, more distant...tragedy strikes...Nathan overdoses on heroin, a free "hit" made available to him.Virgil's ex-girlfriend, Marie, was the daughter of Ben Short Bear, a candidate for Tribal President. Marie's parents were upwardly mobile, sought prestige. Marie was expected to reach for the stars, become a doctor...her parent's dream. She'd attended tribal college studying Lakota language and culture. She currently worked for the commodity food program. Marie was learning how to prepare indigenous, healthy cuisine.A sweep of Nathan's school locker...an arrest...possible long term jail sentence. Ben Short Bear wanted Virgil to "take out" those instrumental in bringing heroin to the reservation. He offers Virgil a substantial payday for "setting Rick Crow straight". Removing drugs has now become personal for Virgil, with Nathan's life in the balance. Marie insists on working with him and has ideas of her own where to find and how to handle Rick and other suppliers."Winter Counts" by David Heska Wanbli Weiden is a character driven crime thriller, a debut by Weiden, an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota nation. This fast-paced, gritty tome involves the collaboration of the FBI, the Tribal police and Virgil, who is determined to clear Nathan of wrongdoing. Support from Marie Short Bear and many secondary players was invaluable. These players were well characterized.Virgil felt that Native traditions-the ceremonies, prayers, teaching- were empty rituals... but"...one day, the words my mother used to say finally came to me...Wakan Tanka nici un. May the Creator guide you".This reader anxiously awaits the next offering in the series with Virgil Wounded Horse. Highly recommended!Thank you HarperCollins Publishers and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fast-paced crime thriller that has just as much grit as it does heart, Winter Counts had me flying through the pages up to the end. I’m very impressed by this debut by David Heska Wanbli Weiden.Left with little recourse against injustice on their reservation, Virgil Wounded Horse is the man you call when seeking retribution. Wounded Horse is a Lakota man living on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota along with his teenaged nephew, Nathan. Virgil is a hired enforcer, a vigilante judge and jury that hands down sentences with his fists as opposed to throwing offenders behind bars. It’s a difficult way to make a living, so when the leader of his local tribal council makes him an offer to track down the lowlifes smuggling drugs onto their reservation, he’s not in much of a position to turn him down.I’m not usually one for a tough-guy main character that plays by his own rules, but for the most part I really liked Virgil. He reminded me of Bug Montage of Blacktop Wasteland in that way. He equally loves and is wary of his community, understanding what they’re up against but also knowing what they’re capable of. The members of his tribe view him in much the same way, with barely veiled contempt until they are in need of his services. Winter Counts cracks a window for non-Indigenous readers to see into a small sliver of what life on a reservation is like. You witness both things specific to this reservation and the Lakota people, as well as in a general sense for most ‘Native Americans’. The legal limbo was one aspect that is crucial to the story but probably will surprise most readers. Crimes committed on reservations are typically not prosecuted, by tribal police or federal agents. Reservations are also often the last to get resources, if they make it there at all, and then the residents are criticized for not ‘bootstrapping’ their way out of poverty. It’s a cycle the U.S. government seems unwilling and uninterested in addressing meaningfully.“Sadness is like an abandoned car left out in a field for good—it changes a little over the years, but doesn’t ever disappear. You may forget about it for a while, but it’s still there, rusting away, until you notice it again.”I won’t say too much more about the plot, but I really loved this book. I guessed a few of the big twists, but still had a good time as I sped towards the conclusion. I imagine this author is going to have a long and successful writing career in the future. Thanks to @thor.wants.another.letter & @erins_library for selecting this book as the September MBC pick and to @jordys.book.club & @bostonbookfanatic for hosting!*Also thank you to Ecco Books for an advance copy!

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden is a 2020 Ecco publication. Criminal cases on the Lakota Rosebud reservation in South Dakota are usually handled by the Tribal Council, but more serious ones are handed over to the American feds. The feds, in turn, rarely opt to pursue the cases presented them, unless they think it might be high profile. This opens the door to vigilantism and that’s the job Virgil Wounded Knee performs- as an 'enforcer', doling out his own brand of justice. When approached to investigate the flow of heroin onto the reservation, Virgil is not inclined to pursue it, but when his own nephew, Nathan, OD’s, he starts paying attention. Heading to Denver with his former girlfriend, Marie, the pair search for Rick Crow, the man they believe has connections to a drug cartel and is behind the infiltration of drugs onto the Rosebud reservation. Their investigation leads them into unexpected places as Virgil, who is of mixed heritage, must learn to rely on the native beliefs he has long ago dismissed… Meanwhile, Nathan’s problems multiply when a stash of drugs is found in his school locker. This places more pressure on Virgil to get to the bottom of things before Nathan winds up behind bars…This is another book that has been on my list for a while. I knew it would be a good book, and sure enough, this novel turned out to be a multi-layered crime story that tackles a multitude of cultural issues, while drawing the reader into Virgil’s internal struggle, as he wrestles with his own demons. Although there are a few issues with the writing, for a debut novel, and an award winning one, at that, the story has a great deal of depth, and is one I’d recommend, and not just to those who enjoy crime fiction. It’s an eye-opening inside look at life on a Lakota reservation and the challenges of indigenous people, as well as an absorbing character study, which will appeal to a broader audience as well. 4 stars

Wow, wow, wow. This was an excellent debut! From reading the summary of this book and previously reading There There, I thought I had an idea of what would be in these pages. I was wrong. No matter who the writer or population discussed is, the very bleak, but important issues in these pages of drug abuse and economic poverty was something that I previously would have moved away from reading about. As I grow and mature as a reader, I am trying really hard to diversify what I read and and also support #ownvoices authors. So, it was with a little trepidation that I started this on Saturday morning. Thankfully, the little voice that told me to read this was rewarded. The pages went by so fast that I finished it by Sunday night. This is crime fiction at its best and it should appeal to all different types of mystery/crime/thriller fans. There were no superfluous story lines mixed in, there was no agenda - this was just a great piece of writing. The author masterfully crafted this story and gave the characters life. You knew the what and why behind everything that made each person apart of this story. You rooted for all of them. The author accomplished everything he set out to do in his author's note. He educated on Indigenous Peoples (particularly the Lakota tribe), he told a heartbreaking story, but he also told a story of resilience and strength through the odds. I can't quite articulate how much I urge you to read this. Besides it being a really great book, it is a breakout in crime fiction, which desperately needs more diversity in its ranks. My hope is that this will become a series. Thanks so much to Ecco Books and David Heska Wanbli Weiden for the print copy to read and provide an honest review.Review Date: 08/24/2020Publication Date: 08/25/2020

I thoroughly enjoyed this new crime novel set on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Lakota nation. (Weiden is a citizen of the Sicangu Lakota Nation and received his MFA from the Institute of American Indian Arts.) Virgil Wounded Horse is a Native American vigilante for hire: when people can't get justice through the reservation's official channels they turn to him to enact their own. This happens with depressing regularity because of the 1885 Major Crimes Act: certain felonies can only be prosecuted by the federal government, but at their discretion—and they typically decline to prosecute any case that doesn't include murder. Weiden says in his Author's Note—which you absolutely must read—that this circumstance is factual and all-too-real. When Virgil's nephew gets entrapped in a fake drug bust, authorities more or less force the young teen to take a dangerous undercover assignment so they can nail the men who are trafficking heroin on the reservation. While the story is solid, this book shines for its setting, and its powerful exploration of identity. Though this reads as a standalone, Weiden left the door wide open for a sequel; I'm certainly interested in reading more. Though the story is rarely graphic in portraying violence, the novel does begin with Virgil knocking out a child molester's teeth in a parking lot, please be mindful of the associated content.

I don’t read much crime fiction (hint: it’s closer to none.) There’s no particular reason other than it just has never been a drama I turn to and I think I know why: there is not a lot of Indigenous authored crime fiction. I’ve discovered I will read ANY genre as long as it’s written by a Native author.The Goodreads Top 50 Native American mystery novels list only contains one Indigenous author. Tony Hillerman is a popular crime fiction novelist whose novels often pop up on such lists, he has been quoted as saying. “ “I know a hell of a lot more about the Navajo culture than most Navajos do. They’re like the average Kiwanian, the average guy you’d run into on the street. Ask him about his religion and he’ll refer you to a preacher. Most Navajos are the same way.”Sigh. Then in walks Winter Counts by Sicangu Lakota author David Heska Wanbli Weiden and saves my day. I loved everything about this novel. The setting, the characters, the Lakota culture, the storyline, all of it worked for me and I could absolutely not stop reaching for this book. Not only did I find it entertaining, humorous, endearing and well written- I found it touched on many important issues that affect Indigenous people trying to decolonize while living in a colonized society that was built upon systemic racism on stolen Native land.Novels like this are important to me. Not only are they entertaining readers while providing invaluable insights into the issues Indigenous people face, they are also establishing space for Indigenous authors in a genre where there are far too many white voices where they do not belong. Winter Counts is available for purchase on August 25, 2020. I strongly recommend you set a reminder for this one. Read it. Support Native authors. Miigwech

“Winter Counts” by author David Heska Wanbli Weiden is a special thriller suspense novel because it takes place on South Dakota’s Rosebud Indian Reservation and it involves the Lakota Sioux Indian culture. The mystery/thriller is almost secondary; the beauty and novelty of the story is the cultural information gained.David Heska Wanbili Weiden is a registered member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation. In addition, has a JD degree including a legal career. His background provides authenticity to his thriller. He includes legal information the law enforcement on the reservation, along with different Native spiritual ceremonies and attitudes. I found reading about the culture to be superior to the thriller piece.Saying that, it’s a decent thriller. Heroin makes its way onto the reservation, and a “hired thug” becomes involved. (The criminal justice system on the reservation leaves holes in prosecutions. As a result, it is accepted that vigilante methods can be employed for justice.). I guessed who the main double-crosser was, but that didn’t ruin my joy. I enjoyed how the complexities of the reservation laws and customs complicated police procedure. It picks up into a compulsive page-turner in the end.

TW: rape, violence, child abuse, pedophilia, drug use, addiction, overdose, racism, racial slurs

Trigger Warnings: Assault, rape, drug use, drug overdose, death of a child, alcoholism, violenceWhewww listen! This book was absolutely crazy in the last 10-15%. I actually didn't realize it was a thriller until I read a few reviews. Winter Counts is a fast-paced thriller that centers around the main character Virgil Wounded Horse. In the beginning of the novel (maybe the first 2 to 3 pages) readers learn that he serves as a vigilante on the reservation. What was so interesting about even the introduction of this novel, is that it is so woven in Native history and how colonization forever changed Native communities. These changes are still apparent today. I had no idea that the ability for Native communities to prosecute their own community members only extended to certain crimes before the federal government stepped in and of course the overt racism perpetuated by them is clearly evident in how cases are handled (or shall we say not handled). The story doesn't necessarily focus in on that, but it plays an important part in the framework of the novel. When heroine makes an appearance on the reservation and directly impacts Virgil's family he is willing to partner with another community member to figure out where it's coming from. Weiden's greatest gift in constructing this novel definitely lies within his ability to make you feel a part of the story. This book went by quickly because I felt like I was a part of the story. I'm not exactly sure how to explain that feeling, but the balance between giving readers social commentary while also providing an engaging, fast-paced story was present for every page. I personally haven't read a lot of novels that revolve around the drug trade, but I found the usage in this novel to be intriguing. I don't have many criticisms of this book. It was well done; however, I did see the ending coming, but not necessarily exactly who was going to be involved. It didn't necessarily detract from the overall story because it was so immersive and fast paced. Overall, I really did enjoy this book and I'm happy that I read it. There was a lot that I learned and took away from the book and I'm looking forward to seeing where David goes in the future.

On aboriginal reserve lands, justice often needs to be bought and paid for … and dispensed by enforcers!US law on reserves denies aboriginal police forces the power to prosecute felonies. And federal law mostly ignores felonies on reserve land, with the possible exception of murders and aggravated assault.“Because of the Major Crimes Act passed by the US Congress in 1885, federal investigators generally have exclusive jurisdiction over felony crimes on reservations, yet they often decline prosecutions in these cases, even when the perpetrator has been apprehended. Although the percentages vary from year to year, federal authorities frequently refuse to prosecute murders, assaults, and sex crimes referred from tribal police departments.”As a result, Virgil Wounded Horse has found a niche occupation as an enforcer paid to deliver punishment that the law refuses to dispense – in short, a paid thug who gets a free pass from the local aboriginal cops. His involvement with vigilante law becomes more urgent, more personal, and more meaningful when he discovers that his young nephew is facing a long prison term in adult prison for heroin trafficking. He needs to find where the drugs are coming from and he needs to shut them down ... hard, fast, once and for all!WINTER COUNTS is an exciting, pulse-pounding crime fiction. But it’s also an honest, hard-nosed look at social difficulties facing modern aboriginal communities not to mention a pretty warm-hearted story of a romance that must might be re-ignited after a long spell on a turned off back burner. Like any good modern thriller, WINTER COUNTS also provides plenty of bite-sized informative tidbits and sidebars on topics necessary to inform the story. With the help of Weiden’s careful research, any reader can look to come away from WINTER COUNTS with at least passing knowledge of a number of Lakota spiritual ceremonies and the disturbing lack of health care options and facilities on native land. You’ll almost certainly also experience a stomach rumbling, mouth watering hankering to seek out a taste of aboriginal cuisinePaul Weiss