A Council of Dolls

The book is divided into four sections titled: “Naming Ceremony,” “Hole in the Heart,” “Ghost Dance,” and “A Council of Dolls.” Identify what each title explicitly references in the relevant section’s plot and then discuss the title’s symbolic or thematic significance.

How do the beliefs of the Catholic Church and the beliefs of the Dakhóta community come into conflict in the lives of the protagonists? Using specific examples from the text, describe the protagonists’ attitudes and the author’s tone toward this conflict.

During Cora’s first summer with the Greeveses, Susanna tells Cora: “This place nourishes you […] We all need love” (166). What is it about the place that nourishes Cora? What do Susanna’s words suggest about the connection between love and nourishment?

What are some of the ways the characters cope with hardship and heartache? Identify examples for at least three characters and describe how these coping mechanisms help them or harm them in the long run, using textual evidence to support your answer.

Discuss the significance of Sissy’s Dakhóta name—Wanáȟča Wašté Wiŋ, or Woman Whose Good Works Bring Flowers—to her internal conflicts and character arc.

As a work of historical fiction, A Council of Dolls alludes to many real-life historical figures and events. Choose one of these figures or events to research. After learning more about your chosen topic, discuss how historical attitudes toward it might have been influenced by indoctrination, racism, and cultural erasure.

How does the author use aspects of setting to develop and reveal character? How does setting contribute to the book’s themes or messages?

Part 1 includes many pop culture references from the 1960s. How does this aspect of the writing style draw connections or emphasize differences between Sissy’s story and the stories of the other protagonists? What do these pop culture references reveal about Sissy’s character?