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scene was important to me because I also wanted to demonstrate the danger of true customs being lost in the face of the U.S. government’s assimilation policies. Beatrice in particular fights to hold on to Blackfeet customs, despite being told not to at school. In part, this defiance stems from her strong-willed character; on a deeper level, it’s a way for her to connect with her ancestry, to something larger than herself (even if that means figuring it out on her own). But she’s also a child who lost her parents at a very young age, and so a connection to the traditions of her ancestry means a connection to her parents, to her family.

5) Why did choose the title Starfish?

Choosing a title is tough. You write a story that is more than three hundred pages long and then try to sum it all up in a word or two. For me, the starfish is an important symbol in the book for a couple of reasons. one is that it ties in to the water theme that runs throughout the story. on my first visit to the Blackfeet Reservation and to Montana, I was struck by how the rise and fall of the hills on the plains that lead to the Rocky Mountains look like rolling waves of water. water also has great spiritual meaning in Blackfeet culture. As Grandpa mentions in the novel, the Blackfeet avoid fishing because of their belief that the Suyitapis, or Underwater People, inhabit rivers and lakes. The Suyitapis are a source of power for sacred items, such as medicine bundles. Then there’s the moment when Mr. Hawkins shows Lionel a starfish. It’s a childhood memento, from a faraway place, which I hoped would demonstrate Mr. Hawkins’s own journey. It also initiates a conversation between Lionel and Mr. Hawkins that explores the larger themes in the book—ideas about assimilation, as well as about resilience and adaptability. Lionel is experiencing firsthand the U.S. government’s assimilation policies and their attempts to eradicate Native American culture. He knows that, like the starfish, people have been displaced from their environment, with devastating results. But Mr. Hawkins also discusses the idea of resilience, something he sees in Lionel and his sister. To me, Lionel and Beatrice are two incredibly resilient characters. They survive even the harshest conditions on their journey—being lost, freezing cold, and nearly starving. we see Lionel’s struggle to adapt—to reconcile the stories Grandpa tells with those he’s learned at school, especially in the face of a great loss. And hopefully we see Beatrice’s perseverance in safeguarding Blackfeet customs, traditions, stories, and spiritual beliefs in her life and that of her brother.

James Crowley is a writer and filmmaker. He lives in Austin, Texas. This is his first novel.