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Smith, Cynthia Leitich, Editor

Legendary Frybread Drive-In: Intertribal Stories

352 pp. | HarperCollins/Heartdrum | August, 2025 | Trade ISBN 9780063314269 $19.99
(2) YA This anthology edited by Muscogee author Smith includes eighteen stories by North American Indigenous authors including Darcie Little Badger (Lipan Apache), Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians), Byron Graves (Ojibwe and Lakota), Eric Gansworth (Onondaga, Eel Clan, Tuscarora Nation), David A. Robertson (Norway House Cree Nation), Andrea L. Rogers (Cherokee Nation), Brian Young (Navajo Nation), and many others. The literary conceit that unifies these stories is a magical "NDN Country" frybread drive-in that serves up Native comfort food and wisdom, a "collective dream" where young people in need of connection or healing find themselves among an intertribal community of all ages. Elders are featured in every story, often teaching younger people about traditional cooking, crafts, or storytelling but always in tribally specific and character-driven ways that steer clear of cliches. Some topics recur (first love; grief at the death of a grandparent; overcoming fear, jealousy, or loneliness), and grappling with the meaning of Native identity is a common theme. Although many stories mention historical events and all of them touch on family heritage, they also feel quite of-the-moment: plots incorporate smartphones, DMs, social media, and online role-playing games. The short-story format keeps character arcs brief, but some characters appear in multiple stories, linking them and making for cohesive world-building. Story glossaries, notes, and author bios are appended.
Reviewer: | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2025

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