Darly is restless; she is twenty and still feels like she has never found a place in this world where she fits in. Her mother insists that every summer they return to an isolated cabin on the reservation. Her mother finds solace and a sense of home there but Darly just feels bored. This summer her grandfather has given her a bone whistle and tells her to use it if she wants something to do but to only use it if she means it. Darly doesn’t really know what she wants, but how could blowing a whistle change things? She’s wrong. Blowing the whistle completely changes her life and everything she has believed because it turns out her father isn’t dead, he is a wanaghi and lives beneath the hill. Is under the hill where Darly will finally find a home and a sense of purpose? Will her mother understand her need to know her father and all of her roots? And what about the strange young man she is drawn to who appears the next time she blows the whistle? Is he her destiny?

The Bone Whistle by Eva Swan is a story filled with Indian mysticism, dark secrets, and a sense of wonder and self-discovery. I have always enjoyed tales of traditional Indian beliefs and the special connection they have to nature and a more simple way of life. There always seems to be a message and an opportunity for spiritual growth for the main character in a tale of Indian beliefs that even the reader can walk away from changed. You don’t have to believe the stories are true to see the message. The Bone Whistle has a subtle message to convey that I doubt the reader will miss while still being entertained by the appealing story and journey Darly embarks on. I enjoyed this story and hope that Ms. Swan has a plan to write more along this line.

Reviewed by: Stephanie B.