Super Short Summary

Crazy Brave by Joy Harjo is an autobiographical memoir tracing her life from birth to adulthood, highlighting her struggles with spirituality, and creativity while living with alcoholic and abusive men. The memoir is divided into four parts, each representing stages in Harjo's life, from her childhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, through her painful experiences with her stepfather, to finding artistic expression and escaping a cycle of abuse, ultimately discovering liberation through poetry, art, storytelling, and music. Harjo, a member of the Mvskoke (Creek) Nation, became the first Native American poet laureate of the United States in 2019. The book addresses themes including alcoholism, abuse of women, sexism, and racism.