A COUNCIL OF DOLLS

Isabella Star LaBlanc tells the story of three generations of Dakota women in a reverse timeline as they recount their pivotal girlhood years. Sissy, born in 1961; Lillian, born in 1925; and Cora, born in 1888, deal with hardships like generational trauma and brutal Indian boarding schools by clinging to the comfort of their dolls. LaBlanc uses bright voices for the various girls and a Native accent for their parents, a choice that helps portray how each generation loses more and more of the Dakota language and ways. She also makes the girls' dolls sound friendly, even when they take a stern caregiver role. S.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: OCTOBER 2023]