Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calling for a Blanket Dance | 2022 | Oscar Hokeah | Buy |
Calling for a Blanket Dance (2022) is the only novel Oscar Hokeah has published to date. It follows Everett Many Horses, a young Kiowa and Cherokee man in Oklahoma, through different stages of his life. Rather than using a single narrator, Hokeah structures the book so that each chapter is told from the point of view of a different relative – Everett’s grandparents, parents, and extended family members – each one revealing a piece of Everett’s world from their own angle.
The novel covers themes of addiction, poverty, family loyalty, and cultural identity within a Native American community. Hokeah draws on his work as a social worker and his own heritage to give the book a documentary quality alongside its literary ambition. The title references a traditional ceremony used to raise money for a family in need.
The book was published by Algonquin Books and was a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. It is a standalone novel; as of 2026, Hokeah has not published a second book.