First published 2001
For over fifty years, Father Damien has dedicated his life to serving the Ojibwe people on a remote reservation. But as he nears the end, Damien dreads a revelation that could undo his life's work - he is a woman living as a man. When a troubled colleague arrives to investigate the mysterious Sister Leopolda, Damien must choose: expose the truth and risk everything, or protect his secret at all costs. Through it all, he recounts his passions, the sorrows of his people, and the fantastical origins that led him to this crossroads of faith and identity.
Genres: literary-fiction, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, 21st-century, native-american
Vibes: emotional, intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Ojibwe Reservation
Period: 20th Century
361 pages · Hardcover · HarperCollins