Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories

The magical titular drive-in and food truck of this reverent compendium provide the setting for 17 loosely linked stories about Indigenous teens navigating evergreen concerns about love, life, and identity. Featuring works by authors such as K.A. Cobell, Jen Ferguson, Cheryl Isaacs, and more, the assemblage, edited by Smith (Harvest House), centers Sandy June’s Legendary Frybread Drive-In, a food vendor outside of time and space that seemingly appears wherever and whenever a teen requires wisdom. In genre-hopping selections spanning varying narrative formats and international locales, characters meet at Sandy June’s to spend time with deceased grandparents and estranged cousins, as well as confront situations of abuse and reconciliation. Byron Graves’s amorous story “Love Buzz” follows a musician hoping to woo his crush with a special Valentine’s Day performance; Brian Young’s tale “I Love You, Grandson” sees a grieving teen finding comfort in communing with the drive-in’s staff. Smith’s uplifting poem “Open Mic at the Drive-In” closes this liminal-feeling collection, which pays tribute to the Native traditions and intergenerational relationships preserved by the “run-down, neon” drive-in, including frying bread, sipping sweetgrass tea, and “jammin’ to Redbone./ Uncles tunin’ sharp fiddles.” A glossary concludes. Ages 13–up. Agent: Ginger Knowlton, Curtis Brown. (Aug.)