The Round House (and Book Tour)

Dear Book People,

The last post on this blog was misleading, I realize that.

In the publishing world my next book is The Round House, which will be published October 2.

In world of my head the next book is Python's Kiss, which won't be published any time soon and isn't even written.

The Round House is a book that answers one complex question -- must a boy kill to save his mother? I suppose that is one way of looking at the story. Here is another way: I had to write this book when I began to learn how difficult it is to prosecute rape cases on reservations, and how often the only way to obtain justice is to turn to "wild justice" or revenge. I had to write this book when I learned that 1 of 3 Native women will experience rape. Most men who rape Native women are non-Indian. Almost every one of them will go free. I had to write this book because these things are true. But I didn't know how I would write this book until I began thinking the way a 13 year old boy would think, until I began hearing his voice and seeing the world the way he did.

Then for several years, secretly at times, openly with my family, everything I thought and did had to do with being Joe.

I am going on a book tour.Book tours are odd in that, as a writer, I'm grateful to be sent on one. And as an introverted human being I am always scared -- afraid to leave my family, afraid to loose my connection to the next book, afraid of flying, afraid of meeting so many strangers.

At least with this book I can talk about something meaningful, though terrible, and hope that I can make some small difference.

Yours,

Louise