The Heartbeat of Wounded KneeThe Heartbeat of Wounded Knee
Score Modern
What it's about
Ojibwe writer David Treuer tells the history of Native America from the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 to the present, challenging the idea that Native people vanished. He shows how Native communities adapted, resisted and survived through war, boarding schools and political change.
Why it's worth reading
It was a National Book Award finalist. It's a powerful corrective to Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.
You'll love it if you liked
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Empire of the Summer Moon
Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBIGood to know
It mixes history with Treuer's own reporting and family stories.
By the numbers
- Readers66 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics28 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller20 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz10 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #155 of the 198 history books we rank
- #699 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1321 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
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Quick answers
Is The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee worth reading?
Yes. It was a National Book Award finalist. It ranks #1,321 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee about?
Ojibwe writer David Treuer tells the history of Native America from the massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890 to the present, challenging the idea that Native people vanished. He shows how Native communities adapted, resisted and survived through war, boarding schools and political change.
How long does it take to read The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee?
About 13 hours (530 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee?
If you liked it, try Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown, Empire of the Summer Moon by S.C. Gwynne or Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann.