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I wouldn't read this primarily for its literary merits, I would read it to learn about the Dakota way of life through an anthropological lens. That said, I did come to genuinely believe in and care about the characters, so the book is not *without* literary merit. I never got bored. Ella Deloria stops at least once a page to explain the customs of the characters, which interrupts the narrative, but because I actually wanted to learn about these customs, I didn't mind that. I loved it. And I am now totally obsessed with the very different outlook presented in this novel. I think she does a good job of showing a very different way of life without editorializing. She doesn't put Dakota values up on a pedestal, nor does she seem in any way judgmental of them. She leaves that to her readers. I came away wishing my own culture possessed the wisdom and beauty of many Dakota practices, while at the same time being able to recognize the things that would make growing up in that culture frustrating. There is no such thing as a perfect culture, but it is nice to be exposed to alternatives.