THE COST OF FREE LAND Jews, Lakota, and an American Inheritance

Rebecca Clarren steadily narrates her own work, a look at the dispossessed Jews who benefited from the dispossession of the Lakota from their own lands in South Dakota. Clarren is descended from Russian Jews who homesteaded where property was stripped away, by various violent and questionable means, from the Indigenous people who were there first. She weaves together the story of her family with that of the Lakota in a riveting account of an overlooked piece of American history. Clarren is a capable narrator, though some listeners may find she does not have the range of a professional performer. She moves the fascinating story along, and that, coupled with the strength of the narrative itself, makes this a recommended listen. G.S. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: DECEMBER 2023]