Traditions

The novel covers particular events from 1864 to 1982. From the beginning chapters, the idea of the connection between generations is a major theme. Red Dress and Ghost Horse are the ancestors of three of the book's major characters, Harley Wind Soldier, Charlene Thunder, and Anna Thunder. How these characters react to their perceptions of their ancestors and their culture's history drive what happens to the characters throughout the story.

The story begins with the description of a car accident that takes the lives of Harley Wind Soldier's father and brother. This accident takes place before Harley is born but he imagines the scene and it haunts him throughout his life. This is just one of many visions that Harley deals with on a day-to-day basis. Although Harley is a young man with a foot in the modern world, he is still very much affected by the traditions of his...