Letters to the Chief

In this enchanting and unforgettable memoir, Judi Lifton captures her luminous years growing up in a small Minnesota town where childhood was a time to read a book, ride your bike, explore the neighborhood and let your mind sift through unexpected discoveries. Lifton's memories are creatively presented as letters written by her fourteen-year-old self to a beloved and terminally ill friend who frequently travelled to her hometown, Chief White Feather, an American Indian storyteller/singer and advocate for Indian rights. In reality, the letters were "letters of the heart," thus never written down until rendered now in sepia-tone prose that glistens with fondness for family and friends, nostalgia for the simple pleasures of childhood in the 50s, and the heartache of loneliness and loss. This is a story that will stay with you for a long time.