Winter in the Blood
| Author | James Welch |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Fiction |
| Published | 1974 |
| Publisher |
Harper & Row Penguin Books |
Winter in the Blood (1974) is the first novel by Native American author James Welch.[1]
Winter in the Blood was published by Harper & Row. It was later issued as a paperback by Penguin Paperback. It was adapted as an independent film of the same name, released in 2012 and produced by Sherman Alexie.
Synopsis
Set in contemporary times, the novel features a self-destructive narrator undergoing an identity crisis. He lives in on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation in Montana. His tribe and his culture are clashing with a nearby white settlement and the effects of poor legislation. He moves through his days in a mental haze and tries to find consolation in sexual encounters.
He suffers from family tragedies, trying to deal with memories of his father found dead in a snowdrift, and blaming himself for his elder brother's fatal accident at the age of fourteen. The distant tone is set from the beginning, as the narrator's name is never given.
Setting
The novel takes place on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and along the Hi-Line of Montana. These are areas where Welch lived in childhood.
Film adaptation
Winter in the Blood was adapted as a screenplay, and was produced as a 2012 feature film by author Sherman Alexie with brothers Alex and Andrew Smith,;[1] the screenplay was by Ken White.[2] It was the Official Selection in 2013 of the Los Angeles, Austin, and American Indian film festivals.[2]
References
- 1 2 O’Connor, William (2014-08-22). "Sherman Alexie on His New Film, the Redskins, and Why It's OK to Laugh at His Work". The Daily Beast.
- 1 2 Winter in the Blood, Official film website, accessed 14 February 2013