Looking for Smoke is K.A. Cobell’s debut novel for young adults. A member of the Blackfeet nation, Cobell takes on the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) that haunt the Indigenous nations within the western USA. As Geraldine, the grandmother of one of the missing/murdered notes, “If you want to get away with murder, do it on an Indian reservation” (p, 39). Told through the perspective of four teens, the novel focuses on the teen’s reactions to one missing girl and another murdered girl who they knew intimately as either a friend or relative. In connection to the story of the missing or murdered young women, the novel includes issues of identity, drug-usage, poverty, and family dynamics that are part of these young people’s lives. It also addresses the pride of community and tradition that allow for a well-rounded sense of people and place. Continue reading →