This is a wonderful book and it is NOT children's book (unlike the rest of her writing). Unless you think children need to read about real world poverty, prejudice, and hopelessness and despair which lead to alcoholism. Despite the subject matter, and despite Byrd's anglo heritage, this book sensitively portrays the connection of a Papago woman to the natural world, and the cultural outlook of the Papago which sees social relationships in such a different way from the anglo social workers.
We are introduced to many people who live in a slum in a large unnamed city near the Papago reservation. The time frame appears to be the late 1960s-early 1970s.Maria Vasquez's rented house has just been condemned and she and her children have no option but to sleep in it's backyard. Welfare won't give her any money because now she doesn't have an address, but her neighbor, Elma Dominguez, lets her use her address. Mrs Dominguez makes money from selling her handcrafted baskets, but she is also short of funds, has been unable to roof her adobe house, and needs to improve her 'temporary' shack to welfare standards so her grandchildren won't be put in foster homes while their mother is under psych care. Quite an interesting story as the Papagos attempt to live their lives under anglo strictures. Baylor's biography indicates she worked for a short time as a social worker, and it is easy to imagine her poking fun at herself in her portrayal of the new social worker, Sue Mills.
The delicate stippled artwork by Leonard Chana is beautiful. ( )