Book Summary and Reviews of Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Book Summary

A groundbreaking thriller about a vigilante on a Native American reservation who embarks on a dangerous mission to track down the source of a heroin influx.

Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that's hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way into the reservation and finds Virgil's nephew, his vigilantism suddenly becomes personal. He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend and sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop.

They follow a lead to Denver and find that drug cartels are rapidly expanding and forming new and terrifying alliances. And back on the reservation, a new tribal council initiative raises uncomfortable questions about money and power. As Virgil starts to link the pieces together, he must face his own demons and reclaim his Native identity. He realizes that being a Native American in the twenty-first century comes at an incredible cost.

Winter Counts is a tour-de-force of crime fiction, a bracingly honest look at a long-ignored part of American life, and a twisting, turning story that's as deeply rendered as it is thrilling.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. What did you think about the setting of the book—the Rosebud Indian Reservation? If you've never visited a Native reservation, were you surprised by anything described in the book about reservation life?
2. What did you think about the main character, Virgil Wounded Horse? Did you like or dislike him? Did that change as you read further in the book?
3. Who was your favorite character in Winter Counts? Did you dislike any of the characters?
4. What are your feelings about the criminal justice system on reservations? Do you think the U.S. government should change the laws that prevent Native nations from prosecuting felony crimes that occur on their own lands?
5. At times, Virgil is troubled by his role as a hired ...