Celebrating Indigenous Authors: Curated Book Recs
- unabridgedpod
- Nov 7, 2025
- 3 min read
Curated by Ashley Dickson-Ellison (ashley_dicksonellison)
We celebrate Indigenous authors at Unabridged, and we wanted to share a few of the many books we've recommended over the years in this curated list. These stories span genres and nations, offering powerful perspectives and unforgettable characters. Whether you’re looking for a deep dive into history, a multi-generational family saga, or a chilling contemporary read, we hope you’ll find something new to add to your TBR.
Check out this powerful curated list from Jen with amazing recommendations and commentary about what she loved. Here is one of the 20 recs that is high on my TBR list! Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz's An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States (Libro.fm | Bookshop.org) Jen's comments: "This book does exactly what it sets out to do: it moves through the entirety of U.S. history from an indigenous perspective. That sounds like a simple endeavor, one that should be available on library shelves everywhere, but it's not—I've read so many histories whose aim is to focus on this perspective, but they've always fallen short for me.
"Dunbar-Ortiz's account is thorough but quite, quite readable. It's easy to follow and, while it stands alone, it would also be a great foundation for further study since the account of sources used by the author is outlined clearly.
"This is an incredibly powerful, important work and is part of a larger series that I hope to work my way through."
Our Book Reviews
From the review: "The novel begins with a family tree, and that was definitely a sign of things to come. The narration alternates between ten characters—mostly women—whose connections aren't immediately clear. As the book unfolds, Vermette reveals gradually the subtle threads that tie each character to the next. We see characters whose vulnerability shifts to strength when they're needed, characters who conceal important truths, and others who share their truths as a matter of course. By focusing on these individuals, Vermette also reveals systemic problems, including the community's complicated treatment of those with Métis heritage, which means they have both Indigenous and European ancestry." Click to read the full review.
From Ashley's review: "This novel, which falls in the horror genre but is a pretty light read for its category, is a fascinating and self-reflective look at the iconic aspects of slashers from the golden age of slasher films.
"The protagonist Jade is a bit of an expert when it comes to the details of slasher films, and she knows the ins and outs of the plot arcs as well as the archetypal characters in the slashers... and she realizes as she sees events unfolding around her in her small town of Proofrock that she might very well be living through a real life slasher. As bodies start showing up and as Jade identifies the 'final girl' who will surely be the center of the events, Jade tries to convince others around her that they are experiencing a slasher and that she can guide them through it to try to minimize the loss of life." Click to read the full review.
Unabridged Book Club Episodes
These are a few of the Indigenous authors we've discussed for book club episodes, including our latest episode featuring Stephen Graham Jones's most recent novel.
Please note that our book club discussions do include spoilers, so you might want to read first if you want to avoid any spoilers!
(A note to our readers: click on the hashtags above to see our other blog posts with the same hashtag.)
Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
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