Chapter 2 Summary

As Lipsha makes his way through the gym, the first person to catch his attention is his cousin Albertine, wearing what Lipsha calls her trademark satin. Lipsha's focus quickly shifts from Albertine to her dancing partner and friend, Shawnee Ray Toose, also known as Miss Little Shell. Lipsha is mesmerized by Shawnee's beauty, her clothes and her dance, and he cannot take his eyes off of her. He remains in this state until he notices Shawnee's parents, Elward Strong Ribs and big Irene Toose, who no longer lives on the reservation. When Shawnee's blood father died, her mother remarried and moved to Minot, leaving Shawnee to finish school and give birth to her son. To Lipsha, Shawnee's parents appear aloof in their daughter's presence and that of Shawnee's sisters, who are assumed to be outside getting drunk. Their interaction is minimal and only...