BEING HOME

A contemporary Cherokee family finds their way home.

Life in the city is chaotic, a young child tells us. Etsi (Cherokee for mother) decides it’s time for them to leave. They pack up their belongings in boxes, wave goodbye to their house, and drive off, “on a new path. / One that leads us to / our ancestors’ land / and to our people.” When they arrive, they’re greeted by a loving community. Everyone helps unload the car and gathers for a feast. Then the narrator races off with other children through the woods to play and explore. Sorell’s (Cherokee Nation) lyrical, alliterative verse positively sings. Instead of “busy streets” and “crowded spaces,” there is “room to run.” Here, children can “hear the creek, cool and constant.” Goade’s (Tlingit Nation) breathtaking mixed-media artwork layers in emotion, transitioning from urban scenes dominated by dark, looming structures and impersonal silhouettes to vibrantly illustrated spreads teeming with the smiling faces of friends and family. Shimmering colors and geometric shapes bring to life the protagonist’s world. Doodlelike pages from the child’s journal reveal the narrator’s anticipation. The color pink is a motif throughout—it appears sporadically early on, then slowly infuses the pages; the final spreads are suffused with hues of rose as the sun sets and the children play by the light of the moon.

An evocative, heartwarming testament to the power of home and community.