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Lone Dog Road: A Novel
From award-winning author Kent Nerburn, whose writing Louise Erdrich has praised as “storytelling with a greatness of heart,” a tale of compassion and redemption played out against the haunting backdrop of the Dakota High Plains during the drought-stricken summer of 1950
Two young Lakota boys, ages eleven and six, huddle in a boxcar hurtling through the prairie night as they run from a government agent sent to take them to an Indian boarding school. But what begins as a pursuit soon becomes a complex human drama of intersecting lives as the boys make their way across the vast Dakota plains to the pipestone quarries of western Minnesota to replace their great-grandfather’s channunpa, or sacred pipe, that was broken by the government agent.
Alive with a rich tapestry of characters the boys meet along their journey, Lone Dog Road is at once an exploration of the hidden corners of the human heart and a moving study of the way the land shapes the people who live, love, dream, and die upon it. Sprawling, complex, and intimate, Lone Dog Road is destined to take its place in the grand tradition of great American road novels.
Two young Lakota boys, ages eleven and six, huddle in a boxcar hurtling through the prairie night as they run from a government agent sent to take them to an Indian boarding school. But what begins as a pursuit soon becomes a complex human drama of intersecting lives as the boys make their way across the vast Dakota plains to the pipestone quarries of western Minnesota to replace their great-grandfather’s channunpa, or sacred pipe, that was broken by the government agent.
Alive with a rich tapestry of characters the boys meet along their journey, Lone Dog Road is at once an exploration of the hidden corners of the human heart and a moving study of the way the land shapes the people who live, love, dream, and die upon it. Sprawling, complex, and intimate, Lone Dog Road is destined to take its place in the grand tradition of great American road novels.
504 pages, Paperback
Published May 20, 2025
69 people are currently reading
675 people want to read
About the author
Kent Nerburn
42 books462 followersI'm a child of the 60's, a son of the north, and a lover of dogs.
Grew up in a crackerbox post-war bungalow outside of Minneapolis with my mother and father, two younger sisters, various dogs and cats, and a neighborhood full of rugrat kids playing outside until called in for the night.
Studied American Studies at the University of Minnesota, Religious Studies and Humanities at Stanford University, received a Ph.D. in Religion and Art in a joint program at Graduate Theological Union and the University of California at Berkeley. Lots of learning, lots of awards. Phi Beta Kappa. Summa cum Laude. Lots of stuff that looks good on paper.
But just as important, an antique restorer's shop in Marburg, Germany; the museums of Florence; a sculpture studio in the back alleys of Pietrasanta, Italy; an Indian reservation in the forests of northern Minnesota; and, perhaps above all, the American road.
Always a watcher, always a wanderer, perhaps too empathetic for my own good, more concerned with the "other" than the "self", always more interested in what people believed than in what they thought. A friend of the ordinary and the life of the streets.
Twenty years as a sculptor -- over-life sized images hand-chiseled from large tree trunks -- efforts to embody emotional and spiritual states in wood. Then, still searching, years helping young people collect memories of the tribal elders on the Red Lake Ojibwe reservation in the Minnesota north. Then writing,
always writing, finding a voice and even a calling, helping Native America tell its story.
A marriage, children, a home on a pine-rimmed lake near the Minnesota-Canadian border.
Book after book, seventeen in all, ever seeking the heartbeat of people's belief. Journeys, consolations, the caring observer, always the teacher, always the learner. Ever mindful of the wise counsel of an Ojibwe elder, "Always teach by stories, because stories lodge deep in the heart."
Through grace and good luck, an important trilogy (Neither Wolf nor Dog, The Wolf at Twilight, and The Girl who Sang to the Buffalo), a film, Minnesota Book Awards, South Dakota book of the year, many "community reads," book sales around the world.
In the end, a reluctant promoter, a quiet worker, a seeker of an authentic American spirituality, more concerned with excellence than quantity. Proud to be referred to as "a guerilla theologian" and honored to be called "the one writer who can respectfully bridge the gap between native and non-Native cultures". But more honored still to hear a twelve-year-old girl at one of my readings whisper to her mom, "He's a really nice man."
At heart, just an ordinary person, grateful to be a father and a husband, more impressed by kindness than by power, doing what I can with the skills that I have to pay my rent for my time on earth. And trying, always trying, to live by Sitting Bull's entreaty: "Come let us put our minds together to see what kind of lives we can create for our children."
And petting every dog that I can.
Grew up in a crackerbox post-war bungalow outside of Minneapolis with my mother and father, two younger sisters, various dogs and cats, and a neighborhood full of rugrat kids playing outside until called in for the night.
Studied American Studies at the University of Minnesota, Religious Studies and Humanities at Stanford University, received a Ph.D. in Religion and Art in a joint program at Graduate Theological Union and the University of California at Berkeley. Lots of learning, lots of awards. Phi Beta Kappa. Summa cum Laude. Lots of stuff that looks good on paper.
But just as important, an antique restorer's shop in Marburg, Germany; the museums of Florence; a sculpture studio in the back alleys of Pietrasanta, Italy; an Indian reservation in the forests of northern Minnesota; and, perhaps above all, the American road.
Always a watcher, always a wanderer, perhaps too empathetic for my own good, more concerned with the "other" than the "self", always more interested in what people believed than in what they thought. A friend of the ordinary and the life of the streets.
Twenty years as a sculptor -- over-life sized images hand-chiseled from large tree trunks -- efforts to embody emotional and spiritual states in wood. Then, still searching, years helping young people collect memories of the tribal elders on the Red Lake Ojibwe reservation in the Minnesota north. Then writing,
always writing, finding a voice and even a calling, helping Native America tell its story.
A marriage, children, a home on a pine-rimmed lake near the Minnesota-Canadian border.
Book after book, seventeen in all, ever seeking the heartbeat of people's belief. Journeys, consolations, the caring observer, always the teacher, always the learner. Ever mindful of the wise counsel of an Ojibwe elder, "Always teach by stories, because stories lodge deep in the heart."
Through grace and good luck, an important trilogy (Neither Wolf nor Dog, The Wolf at Twilight, and The Girl who Sang to the Buffalo), a film, Minnesota Book Awards, South Dakota book of the year, many "community reads," book sales around the world.
In the end, a reluctant promoter, a quiet worker, a seeker of an authentic American spirituality, more concerned with excellence than quantity. Proud to be referred to as "a guerilla theologian" and honored to be called "the one writer who can respectfully bridge the gap between native and non-Native cultures". But more honored still to hear a twelve-year-old girl at one of my readings whisper to her mom, "He's a really nice man."
At heart, just an ordinary person, grateful to be a father and a husband, more impressed by kindness than by power, doing what I can with the skills that I have to pay my rent for my time on earth. And trying, always trying, to live by Sitting Bull's entreaty: "Come let us put our minds together to see what kind of lives we can create for our children."
And petting every dog that I can.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
August 14, 2025
More Brothers and Sisters Than Blood
Agents arrive to forcibly pick up two native boys to whisk them away to an Indian boarding school. There is a confrontation with the family, an old man’s sacred pipe is broken, and the boys are sent by their mother to run away. Eleven-year-old Levi is determined to replace his grandfather’s pipe and protect his six-year-old brother, Rueben, whom he describes as “other-minded.” The grandfather explains that the Creator endowed Rueben with "a different understanding," emphasizing that while Levi can adapt to the boarding school's teachings, Rueben must remain untainted. The family believes it is crucial to "learn what the Creator wants from Rueben."
Along their journey, the boys encounter a diverse cast of characters who are more than mere supporting players. Throughout the narrative, these individuals become fully developed, each destined to play a pivotal role in shaping the boys' paths, chosen by the Creator for this purpose. We are granted insight into their lives, their aspirations, and their hardships. The narrative features both Native and White people, and we witness how their respective backgrounds influence their perspectives.
"Lone Dog Road" spans 504 pages, translating to more than fifteen hours on audio, but none of it is wasted. It was a joy to journey alongside this ensemble as they seek redemption in lives that have lacked direction.
Over the past few years, I have read many books about the Native American experience, seeking to better understand and appreciate their cultures. My journey began with Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn-Chee novels. It was only later that I ran into the question of how appropriate it was for a non-Native writer to tell the story. While some in the Navajo community praised Hillerman, others criticized him for misrepresentation. His characters have recently been adapted into the "Dark Winds" series, now produced by Native artists.
In "Lone Dog Road," Kent Nerburn, a non-Native author, demonstrates a profound understanding of Native American culture, a testament to extensive research. Nerburn faced significant challenges in getting the book published, noting that "the big publishers ran from it because it has the mark of Cain upon it: A white man writing about Indians." Despite this, the writings have garnered substantial support within the Native community, including endorsements from Leonard Peltier and Louise Erdrich.
Thank you to New World Library and Edelweiss Plus for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #LoneDogRoad
Agents arrive to forcibly pick up two native boys to whisk them away to an Indian boarding school. There is a confrontation with the family, an old man’s sacred pipe is broken, and the boys are sent by their mother to run away. Eleven-year-old Levi is determined to replace his grandfather’s pipe and protect his six-year-old brother, Rueben, whom he describes as “other-minded.” The grandfather explains that the Creator endowed Rueben with "a different understanding," emphasizing that while Levi can adapt to the boarding school's teachings, Rueben must remain untainted. The family believes it is crucial to "learn what the Creator wants from Rueben."
Along their journey, the boys encounter a diverse cast of characters who are more than mere supporting players. Throughout the narrative, these individuals become fully developed, each destined to play a pivotal role in shaping the boys' paths, chosen by the Creator for this purpose. We are granted insight into their lives, their aspirations, and their hardships. The narrative features both Native and White people, and we witness how their respective backgrounds influence their perspectives.
"Lone Dog Road" spans 504 pages, translating to more than fifteen hours on audio, but none of it is wasted. It was a joy to journey alongside this ensemble as they seek redemption in lives that have lacked direction.
Over the past few years, I have read many books about the Native American experience, seeking to better understand and appreciate their cultures. My journey began with Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn-Chee novels. It was only later that I ran into the question of how appropriate it was for a non-Native writer to tell the story. While some in the Navajo community praised Hillerman, others criticized him for misrepresentation. His characters have recently been adapted into the "Dark Winds" series, now produced by Native artists.
In "Lone Dog Road," Kent Nerburn, a non-Native author, demonstrates a profound understanding of Native American culture, a testament to extensive research. Nerburn faced significant challenges in getting the book published, noting that "the big publishers ran from it because it has the mark of Cain upon it: A white man writing about Indians." Despite this, the writings have garnered substantial support within the Native community, including endorsements from Leonard Peltier and Louise Erdrich.
Thank you to New World Library and Edelweiss Plus for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #LoneDogRoad
April 13, 2025
In 2013, I discovered a writer whose books transformed much of my thinking on many aspects of life. The writer I am referring to is Kent Nerburn. My first taste of Kent’s writing was the discovery of his award-winning “Neither Wolf nor Dog.” This book is about Kent’s incredible journey with two Native-American elders and what he learned on that journey. I have read it multiple times, wept through it, learned from it, taught from it, and given away dozens of copies. However, the book I would like to address in this review is Kent’s first novel “Lone Dog Road.”
I do not typically read fiction; I tend to be a non-fiction person. But when I was presented with a pre-publication copy of this book a few weeks ago, I was glad to read the manuscript. I was consumed with and shaped by this novel. Why? Kent writes from his heart, and the hearts of his characters will embrace your own heart in unexpected ways as you enter in.
The book begins with a train ride and focuses on two young Indian boys (Levi and Reuben). Like NWND, this story is about an astonishing journey. The boys will meet some characters who will both test them and support them. As Reuben and Levi grow and change along the way, you will grow and change along with them.
I have never read a book with such well-developed characters, whose interactions will melt your heart and expand your soul. A great joy in reading this book was meeting each character and learning from the core of who they were – their personal perspectives. If we cannot see life through multiple perspectives, we will never understand the paradoxes of life that are longing to teach us a deeper and better way. How will it end? What will happen - and will not happen - to the boys? Who will shape them along the way - their character, their growth, their worldviews, and their understanding of the mystery so embedded in Indigenous culture but often discounted by the dominant culture?
I also appreciated that this story was not predictable, which made turning the pages truly an adventure. This lone dog road is not free of struggles, difficulties, pain, fear, or disappointment. Sometimes, readers will breathe hard while climbing. Sometimes, tears will be shed and then dried while walking the road. But, above all, readers will become more open to mystery, to compassion, to friendship, and to the true nature of family in these pages.
Bill Dobrenen
April 12, 2025
I do not typically read fiction; I tend to be a non-fiction person. But when I was presented with a pre-publication copy of this book a few weeks ago, I was glad to read the manuscript. I was consumed with and shaped by this novel. Why? Kent writes from his heart, and the hearts of his characters will embrace your own heart in unexpected ways as you enter in.
The book begins with a train ride and focuses on two young Indian boys (Levi and Reuben). Like NWND, this story is about an astonishing journey. The boys will meet some characters who will both test them and support them. As Reuben and Levi grow and change along the way, you will grow and change along with them.
I have never read a book with such well-developed characters, whose interactions will melt your heart and expand your soul. A great joy in reading this book was meeting each character and learning from the core of who they were – their personal perspectives. If we cannot see life through multiple perspectives, we will never understand the paradoxes of life that are longing to teach us a deeper and better way. How will it end? What will happen - and will not happen - to the boys? Who will shape them along the way - their character, their growth, their worldviews, and their understanding of the mystery so embedded in Indigenous culture but often discounted by the dominant culture?
I also appreciated that this story was not predictable, which made turning the pages truly an adventure. This lone dog road is not free of struggles, difficulties, pain, fear, or disappointment. Sometimes, readers will breathe hard while climbing. Sometimes, tears will be shed and then dried while walking the road. But, above all, readers will become more open to mystery, to compassion, to friendship, and to the true nature of family in these pages.
Bill Dobrenen
April 12, 2025
June 14, 2025
A beautiful reflection of the Lakota culture, Lone Dog Road follows the adventure of two young boys as they take a long-distance quest to repair their honored great-grandfather's sacred pipe. Along the way, their path intersects with a collection of diverse people, each broken and flawed in their own unique way yet made whole through the healing of their collaboration. This book was very well done, and it will certainly be a book that lingers in the heart for many readers, especially those who enjoy slow-burn literary fiction.
For me, personally, I found the novel one that I had to have patience with, but even with that reservation, I still found myself easily cherising the characters. While I always enjoyed and appreciated the book, I did have to be in the right mood in order to want to pick it up again. I deeply enjoyed the lessons of the Lakota culture that were included and the way in which they were presented.
I listened to this book on audiobook, and while I found the narrator for Levi a bit of a challenge to get used to, I did appreciate the wide cast of narrators. While not all of the narrators are indigenous, they delivered their lines with genuine accents and pacing that made it easy to feel immersed in the story.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and Kent Nerburn for an advance copy for honest review. This was the first Nerburn book I have read and I am definitely inspired to read more.
For me, personally, I found the novel one that I had to have patience with, but even with that reservation, I still found myself easily cherising the characters. While I always enjoyed and appreciated the book, I did have to be in the right mood in order to want to pick it up again. I deeply enjoyed the lessons of the Lakota culture that were included and the way in which they were presented.
I listened to this book on audiobook, and while I found the narrator for Levi a bit of a challenge to get used to, I did appreciate the wide cast of narrators. While not all of the narrators are indigenous, they delivered their lines with genuine accents and pacing that made it easy to feel immersed in the story.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media, NetGalley, and Kent Nerburn for an advance copy for honest review. This was the first Nerburn book I have read and I am definitely inspired to read more.
May 28, 2025
An absolutely beautiful book. His best! 5 stars. It should be one of those books the NYT or WaPo should be trumpeting and heralding. But then Nerburn is an outlier and not a part of the publishing literati and is marginalized - finding a publisher was an ordeal for him. It had flight, a quest, danger, fate, redemption, and lots of heart.
May 10, 2025
This is a magnificent and tender hearted book. Kent Nerburn is one of my favorite authors. This book takes the reader on a journey with two little Lakota boys. What a journey! My heart was deeply moved as I journey along.
September 30, 2025
LONE DOG ROAD
By Kent Nerburn
Narrated by Tanis Parenteau, Matt Haynes, Benjamin Callins, Lynch Travis
First of all, I really enjoyed this well-crafted story by an author I wasn’t familiar with—but I certainly am now. The full-cast narration was beautifully performed, bringing to life the journey of two young Lakota boys fleeing a government agent across the 1950s Dakota plains in search of a sacred pipe.
Along the way, we meet a cast of memorable characters who help shape their journey in unexpected ways.
This story offers a different perspective on the horrifying history of Native American children being rounded up and sent away to be “Americanized” in government-run boarding schools. While that is present, the focus here is on the journey—a powerful and reflective tale that shows how the land itself shapes those who live on it.
Compassion, redemption, and strength flow through this slower paced novel. You’ll fall in love with the two boys as you travel with them and you’ll be left with much to reflect on when the story ends. I’m looking forward to exploring some of the author’s other books.
By Kent Nerburn
Narrated by Tanis Parenteau, Matt Haynes, Benjamin Callins, Lynch Travis
First of all, I really enjoyed this well-crafted story by an author I wasn’t familiar with—but I certainly am now. The full-cast narration was beautifully performed, bringing to life the journey of two young Lakota boys fleeing a government agent across the 1950s Dakota plains in search of a sacred pipe.
Along the way, we meet a cast of memorable characters who help shape their journey in unexpected ways.
This story offers a different perspective on the horrifying history of Native American children being rounded up and sent away to be “Americanized” in government-run boarding schools. While that is present, the focus here is on the journey—a powerful and reflective tale that shows how the land itself shapes those who live on it.
Compassion, redemption, and strength flow through this slower paced novel. You’ll fall in love with the two boys as you travel with them and you’ll be left with much to reflect on when the story ends. I’m looking forward to exploring some of the author’s other books.
May 19, 2025
Lone Dog Road is a novel that grabs you in and takes you on a remarkable journey. Nerburn describes each character in such a way that you can see their faces, hear their voices and feel their emotions. The land and the weather are also major characters and become an integral part of the story. Nerburn treats each character with such respect. The two boys steal your heart immediately. By the end of the novel, we see strengths in every character, even the more troubled ones, and we come to understand their stories. When I finished the novel, I felt like I had been given a glimpse into another reality and I emerged with a sense of peace and gratitude for the gift of entering their world. This story will stay with me.
September 17, 2025
Lone Dog Road is more than a novel, it is an invitation to a sacred journey. I listened to the audiobook and found myself completely immersed, not only in the boys’ physical journey but in the deeper reckoning it invites with colonization, cultural desecration, and stolen children. The story threads together faith in Creator, the heartbreak of history, the quiet strength of resistance, and the power of choosing another way forward.
The tension between complicity and conscience was one of the most haunting threads in the book.
The audiobook format deepened the intimacy. The narrator’s voice carried cultural weight, felt emotionally honest, and made the world feel alive and reverent without ever overplaying it. It felt true.
If you are drawn to Indigenous stories, or if you're looking to better understand the cost of inherited histories, this book is an unforgettable companion.
The tension between complicity and conscience was one of the most haunting threads in the book.
The audiobook format deepened the intimacy. The narrator’s voice carried cultural weight, felt emotionally honest, and made the world feel alive and reverent without ever overplaying it. It felt true.
If you are drawn to Indigenous stories, or if you're looking to better understand the cost of inherited histories, this book is an unforgettable companion.
October 2, 2025
This is a good book about two young Lakota boys who ran away to avoid being taken to a government-run Indian boarding school and to find a way to replace their grandfather's sacred pipe.
June 19, 2025
Perhaps I read too many murder mysteries and thrillers where bad people do bad things again and again. This is not that type of book. In fact, this is a novel rooted in optimism and believing in the best of humanity. It’s the story of two young Lakota boys in the 1950s running from the government official sent to “nab them” for Indian School (an abomination of forced assimilation that whites are still atoning for… along with slavery, land grabs, internment camps, etc.). But instead of this being a retelling of Indian School horrors, the boys take us on a journey of discovery where we meet caring and concerned strangers who help guide them. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. But cynicism aside, this is a beautifully written (and very well narrated) audiobook that kept my interest. I enjoyed learning about some Lakota and Dakotah traditions, how “mixed” marriages were shunned along with their offspring, and the fierce storms of the west and Midwest. As the title suggests, there are paeans to dogs too. 4.4 stars rounded to 4.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @DreamscapeMedia, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook of #LoneDogRoad for review purposes. It is currently available.
My thanks to the author, publisher, @DreamscapeMedia, and #NetGalley for access to the audiobook of #LoneDogRoad for review purposes. It is currently available.
July 4, 2025
Lone Dog Road is a unique, tender journey with two young Lakota (Native American) boys. A journey where lessons are learned about what it means to be a man which include serving others; honouring your elders, and sacrifice.
The characters are fascinating and each has their own calling to discover. There is so much packed into this powerful novel; it is a story of courage, wisdom, healing, protecting what is sacred, finding strength, uniting with brothers, learning to live with hope and peace.
Lone Dog Road is not a particularly fast paced story, but absolutely worth reading with a little patience because there are interesting lessons here for everyone, not just about the Lakota culture, but also about mankind as a whole. The excellent audio narration held my attention throughout this moving journey.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for an audio copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The characters are fascinating and each has their own calling to discover. There is so much packed into this powerful novel; it is a story of courage, wisdom, healing, protecting what is sacred, finding strength, uniting with brothers, learning to live with hope and peace.
Lone Dog Road is not a particularly fast paced story, but absolutely worth reading with a little patience because there are interesting lessons here for everyone, not just about the Lakota culture, but also about mankind as a whole. The excellent audio narration held my attention throughout this moving journey.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media for an audio copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2025
Outstanding read! This story was captivating from the first page. The lives, history, and beliefs of the Lakota at stake. The government man wants to take the youngest boy to the "boarding school", but this cannot happen as Reuben is "other-minded". How will the Levi (11) care for his brother as they are on the run and trying to fulfill a task for grandfather?
September 9, 2025
A fine, sweeping novel. At times I felt bogged down by the length, but ultimately the short chapters with alternating narrators carried the highly emotional story forward. Set in South Dakota in 1950, this saga felt healing and ultimately hopeful.
June 11, 2025
I enjoyed this book and found it full of adventure, love, resilience, and more. While it was a little long for my usual reads, it was very good and will miss the characters.
July 16, 2025
heart warming story of how lives touch and create new family ties.
August 6, 2025
Heartwarming, but imo tries a little too hard. Not very realistic.
June 28, 2025
**⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Review: *Lone Dog Road* by Kent Nerburn**
*Lone Dog Road* is a poignant, beautifully written coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a dark chapter in American history. When 11-year-old Levi and his 6-year-old brother Rueben are warned by their mother to flee government agents intent on sending them to an Indian boarding school, the boys embark on a perilous journey that becomes a powerful exploration of identity, resilience, and love.
Levi, wise beyond his years, takes on the role of protector for Rueben—a tender, gentle soul clearly unsuited for the harsh realities of government schooling. Along their path, a diverse cast of characters steps in to help them in times of need, creating a compelling tapestry of human connection, survival, and redemption. These encounters bring depth and warmth to the narrative, offering insightful commentary on the human condition and the quiet strength found in unexpected places.
The audiobook version enhances the experience even further, with a full-cast narration that brings each character vividly to life. The performances are exceptional, immersing the listener in every emotion, moment of danger, and spark of hope.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This is a story that stays with you, a thoughtful and moving journey that I highly recommend.
*Lone Dog Road* is a poignant, beautifully written coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of a dark chapter in American history. When 11-year-old Levi and his 6-year-old brother Rueben are warned by their mother to flee government agents intent on sending them to an Indian boarding school, the boys embark on a perilous journey that becomes a powerful exploration of identity, resilience, and love.
Levi, wise beyond his years, takes on the role of protector for Rueben—a tender, gentle soul clearly unsuited for the harsh realities of government schooling. Along their path, a diverse cast of characters steps in to help them in times of need, creating a compelling tapestry of human connection, survival, and redemption. These encounters bring depth and warmth to the narrative, offering insightful commentary on the human condition and the quiet strength found in unexpected places.
The audiobook version enhances the experience even further, with a full-cast narration that brings each character vividly to life. The performances are exceptional, immersing the listener in every emotion, moment of danger, and spark of hope.
Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This is a story that stays with you, a thoughtful and moving journey that I highly recommend.
October 18, 2025
started with the hardcover book, but switched to audiobook. OMG! Five stars for both, this is one of THE best audiobooks ever! highly recommended!!
October 19, 2025
This is a beautiful story, wonderfully told about a chosen family and the two Native boys who are at the center of it.
July 2, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Kent Nerburn for the early access audiobook.
What a tale of growth, discovery, adventure, hurt, pain, and love. This novel and audio production was so well done. The tale wasn't just about the Levi, it was about every person that he encountered on Reuben and his journey on their own. Everyone on the boys' road to retrieve the stone and return home had something in their heart and soul that needed filling. Nerburn didn't disappoint in any of his characters' storyarcs. Giving time for each of them to open themselves to the reader and bare their souls for their life's anguish, troubles, and hopes.
I appreciate the way the book was read from the different voice actors as well. Each character was brought to life by the actors.
What a tale of growth, discovery, adventure, hurt, pain, and love. This novel and audio production was so well done. The tale wasn't just about the Levi, it was about every person that he encountered on Reuben and his journey on their own. Everyone on the boys' road to retrieve the stone and return home had something in their heart and soul that needed filling. Nerburn didn't disappoint in any of his characters' storyarcs. Giving time for each of them to open themselves to the reader and bare their souls for their life's anguish, troubles, and hopes.
I appreciate the way the book was read from the different voice actors as well. Each character was brought to life by the actors.
Read
September 6, 2025This novel by Kent Nerburn is outstanding. It’s long, 487 pages, but you’re hooked until the very end. This is a fictional tale set in South Dakota during the 1950s, which brings together ten people over a shared Lakota peace pipe. Lone Dog Road is a gripping tale that will entertain and evoke strong emotions. https://loom.ly/wOCIv5s
July 7, 2025
I would definitely recommend listening to this one.
July 8, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley for this audiobook!
I enjoyed this book so much, the audio was wonderful. I enjoyed the narrator who voiced the two boys the most, but all were very good to listen to.
The story itself was very engaging and I was sucked in after the first 5 minutes of the book. The author did such a great job of weaving together the stories of each of the characters and provided so much depth for each of the characters and the writing was beautiful. You were rooting or the boys to make it through their journey and back home the whole book. If you are a fan of William Kent Krueger's book This Tender Land, I think you will enjoy this one as well.
I enjoyed this book so much, the audio was wonderful. I enjoyed the narrator who voiced the two boys the most, but all were very good to listen to.
The story itself was very engaging and I was sucked in after the first 5 minutes of the book. The author did such a great job of weaving together the stories of each of the characters and provided so much depth for each of the characters and the writing was beautiful. You were rooting or the boys to make it through their journey and back home the whole book. If you are a fan of William Kent Krueger's book This Tender Land, I think you will enjoy this one as well.
September 2, 2025
This novel follows Lakota brothers Levi and Reuben as they are sent running to avoid forcibly attending boarding school. On their journey they encounter kind people who help them on their way to replace their grandfather’s broken channunpa and return home safely. I really enjoyed the 1st 2/3 of the book on their journey, once they returned home it slowed a little then finished strong. 4.5 stars
July 23, 2025
Listened to audiobook. Liked the narrators!
August 24, 2025
4.5 - I’ve never raced through a large book this fast before. I HAD to get to the end of this journey with these two little boys! They were tucked firmly in my heart as they made their way alone across hundreds of miles in the dust storm era. Who would they meet and how would they know who to trust? I learned to just listen to little Rueben.
The intricacies of Lakota culture and the inter-racial relationships that developed were fascinating. How could this work with the diverse group that gets thrown together because of Levi and Rueben. There was too much that could go wrong and too many fragile hearts on the line. There was no sleep for me until there was resolution as one of those hearts was mine. My heart survived and grew with new found insights and wisdom for having read this book.
The intricacies of Lakota culture and the inter-racial relationships that developed were fascinating. How could this work with the diverse group that gets thrown together because of Levi and Rueben. There was too much that could go wrong and too many fragile hearts on the line. There was no sleep for me until there was resolution as one of those hearts was mine. My heart survived and grew with new found insights and wisdom for having read this book.
August 31, 2025
A gently told story of hope and redemption, this is a quest that engages and changes all the characters encountered along the way-- including the reader.
June 25, 2025
A little slow paced, but the unique perspectives make this a recommended read. A sweet story about family and finding connection.
August 24, 2025
Such a beautiful book. I am surprised I didn’t stumble on his work till now. #MinnesotaAuthor
May 25, 2025
I feel changed having read this. Kent Nerburn's writing has a way of grounding me and nudging me to think about what's most important in my life and in this world.
I closed the book after reading the final words and I find that Levi and Reuben are still with me. Nerburn has woven together a story -- a world really, because it's so easy to get lost in his storytelling -- where family and spirit breathe in and out of me as I follow their adventure.
I haven't read many books where each character speaks from their own perspective but it's so interesting to learn each person's motivations and challenges and lessons. Nerburn builds a visual and emotional landscape that pulls us in and confronts us with our own biases. He asks us to hear our own history even as -- as a white man -- I sometimes choose to shield myself with my privilege.
Nerburn's experiences with Native American culture and the Lakota people are unique and I am grateful to him for embuing his stories with such richness and meaning. And to the Lakota people for trusting him with their stories.
If you read this book and if you enjoy it -- as I have -- I hope that you go back and start with "Neither Wolf Nor Dog" as I did so many years ago. And that it wakes up parts of you that have been lying dormant.
I closed the book after reading the final words and I find that Levi and Reuben are still with me. Nerburn has woven together a story -- a world really, because it's so easy to get lost in his storytelling -- where family and spirit breathe in and out of me as I follow their adventure.
I haven't read many books where each character speaks from their own perspective but it's so interesting to learn each person's motivations and challenges and lessons. Nerburn builds a visual and emotional landscape that pulls us in and confronts us with our own biases. He asks us to hear our own history even as -- as a white man -- I sometimes choose to shield myself with my privilege.
Nerburn's experiences with Native American culture and the Lakota people are unique and I am grateful to him for embuing his stories with such richness and meaning. And to the Lakota people for trusting him with their stories.
If you read this book and if you enjoy it -- as I have -- I hope that you go back and start with "Neither Wolf Nor Dog" as I did so many years ago. And that it wakes up parts of you that have been lying dormant.
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