Quotes
“Full of celebration, crisis, brokenness, and healing.” New York Times Book Review
“If you read only one book of poems this summer, make it An American Sunrise." Washington Post
“Harjo confronts the ghosts of her ancestors—she explores a lingering feeling of injustice and tries to forge a new beginning, all the while weaving in themes of beauty and survival.” Vogue
“Bold and exciting.” New York Journal of Books
“Radiant…[A] profound, brilliantly conceived song cycle celebrating ancestors, present and future generations, historic endurance, and fresh beginnings.” BBC
“Joy Harjo does not just read her poems. She performs them with passion and music; some are literally songs and she sings them…The poems are beautiful, made more beautiful by the author’s vivid and emotional interpretations…The audiobook also includes transcripts of interviews with survivors of the Trail of Tears. Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award.” AudioFile
“Both history lesson and traditional collection.” AM New York
“Harjo intertwines verse with prose vignettes, oral histories, and flash memoirs in this expressive and generous book…She writes in tones that will speak to readers who are ready to remember, or to learn anew.” Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“[A] resplendent and reverberating new volume deeply rooted in tribal and family experiences, nature, land, and tradition…matched by timeless wisdom.” Booklist