Blessing's Bead

Description:

Now in paperback: the acclaimed middle-grade novel tracing four generations of an Iñupiaq family in Alaska, which the Washington Post praised as "a rare and beautiful book."

Brief description:

Debby Dahl Edwardson is the acclaimed author of three books for young readers: Blessing's Bead; My Name Is Not Easy, which was a finalist for the National Book Award; and the picture book Whale Snow. She married into and has lived for more than forty years among the Inupiat people of Alaska, of which she says, "It is not the culture I was not born into but it is the one I belong to, the one that has become home to me as a human being and as an artist." She lives in Utqiagvik, Alaska, the northernmost community on the North American continent, with her husband.

Review Quotes:

* "Concrete and symbolic references to the transforming power of language, names, and stories link the two narratives, but it's the Nutaaqs' rhythmic, indelible voices--both as steady and elemental as the beat of a drum or a heart--that will move readers most. A unique, powerful debut." -- Booklist, starred review

"A rare and beautiful book. It's a short read that nonetheless makes many far-reaching connections, like a folk tale or a legend, wrapped in a tough but straightforward narrative, leaving echoes that linger long after and in unanticipated ways.... a rich and nuanced enactment of a perspective and a mode of storytelling that surprises as much as it reveals." -- The Washington Post

"Edwardson treads an elegant line in her perspective: Blessing is both an insider--Iñupiaq--and an outsider still learning exactly what that means. It's a perspective that allows any reader in, and they'll learn much about the power of stories and names and how to use them both." -- Kirkus Reviews

"The community's sharing of a whale adds color, as do the authentic imagery, details, and language that pervade this memorable story." -- The Horn Book

"Blessing makes an emotional journey of self-discovery, as Edwardson weaves a fascinating portrait of a family's rich history." -- Publishers Weekly

"This unique and fascinating tale is told in an evocative voice that includes Village English, school English, Native language, and colloquialisms." -- School Library Journal

"Atmospheric yet restrained, this is a moving account of what's changed and what remains in Inupiaq life." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Best Fiction for Young Adults - Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
Junior Library Guild Selection - Junior Library Guild
Notable Books for a Global Society - International Literacy Association (ILA)
Virginia Readers' Choice - Virginia State Literacy Association