"In 1837 a smallpox epidemic devastated the Mandan Indians of the Great Plains. This novel shows the horrifying reality not only of the epidemic but also of Sioux slavery, cultural plundering by anthropologists, and exile. The heroine is a Mandan Indian princess, whose courage and spirit recall the heroines of M.M.B. Walsh's earlier novels.

We see Grass Heart through her devotion to her father, Good Plume, whom she rescues from misfortune more than once, her complex and interesting relationship with a young white man, Jake Moon, and her relationships with Indian men, one of whom turns out to be a berdache. The description of smallpox and its effects is stunningly powerful."--BOOK JACKET.