Bullet Heart

Bitter legacies of Amerindian history erupt in tragic bloodshed at the center of this ambitious, transgenerational tale of adversity and renewal set in the reservation town of Choteau, S.D., from the early 1970s to the present. When golf course developers unearth a Lakota burial ground at the site of their 14th tee, they arouse anger on the adjacent reservation by relocating the graves of white settlers while shipping the bones of an Indian girl to the state capitol as relics--and by completing the course despite the probable presence of additional remains below. The powerlessness of Indian leaders to undo this injustice is the final insult to a community already shamefully exploited by its neighbors and living under humiliating conditions of poverty and debasement. After they steal back the bones, the men of Choteau begin arming themselves as they face increased harassment from authorities, hostile neighbors and other Indian factions. Doane ( City of Light ) chronicles the enusing conflict and its far-reaching consequences from the disparate perspectives of some dozen characters, captured in small, dramatic increments of first- and third-person narration. He writes incisively, subtly dramatizing cultural elements that shape Choteau's predicament. Jumping back and forth in time and juxtaposing varying attitudes and recollections, Doane creates a batch of vivid, painstakingly crafted puzzle pieces that on assembly yield a persuasive impression of the truth--both of history and of the lives of his memorable characters. BOMC alternate selection. (June)