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Ghost Girls and Rabbits
Flush with the victory of winning the election as Alaska's first Athabaskan Senator, Noni Begay wakes to find herself buried alive. When her coffin lid opens, though, it's not to rescue but to six years of captivity, betrayed by the one person she trusted most. Escape will require not only all her strength but all the strength and stories of the ancestors she had until now imagined were only a useful device, an accessory she wore to win votes and social media followers.
Mary Nelson's only daughter, Ryska, went missing ten years ago, with no one but her mother to search for her. Having used up every favor and chit she has, Mary is willing to risk everything on one last ploy to save her daughter from the monsters...even if she has to become one herself.
A chilling psychological horror novel excoriating the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in North America, Ghost Girls and Rabbits is an unforgettable read perfect for fans of Scandinavian noir and literary horror, told by two fractured minds in the trappings of myths truer than mirrors.
Mary Nelson's only daughter, Ryska, went missing ten years ago, with no one but her mother to search for her. Having used up every favor and chit she has, Mary is willing to risk everything on one last ploy to save her daughter from the monsters...even if she has to become one herself.
A chilling psychological horror novel excoriating the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls in North America, Ghost Girls and Rabbits is an unforgettable read perfect for fans of Scandinavian noir and literary horror, told by two fractured minds in the trappings of myths truer than mirrors.
154 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2025
2 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Cassondra Windwalker
25 books126 followersCassondra Windwalker earned a BA of Letters from the University of Oklahoma. She's the author of nine novels and three works of poetry who does her best to keep fed the menagerie of stray critters, cryptids, marooned kelpies, and lost specters. Born and raised on the red clay, she's wandered the sticky corn fields of the Midwest, the frozen seas of the Wild North, and frequently rests her wings where orange skies meet purple mountains. She enjoys interacting with readers, writers, and generally decent humans on social media.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
May 12, 2025
Review soon1
April 30, 2025
No spoilers.
A harrowing story centered around the often overlooked and neglected epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women. I am, unfortunately, accustomed to the way society tends to dehumanize indigenous people, especially women, but it was interesting to see that dehumanization towards other women from Mary.
I loved the two POVs that described the same situations with their own lenses and how they chose different aspects of the given time periods that resonated most with them.
This story got into my heart and squeezed, sometimes painfully - it's something that will stick with me for a long time. For the excellent writing, emotion, and staying power, 5 stars.
Please note: I received an ARC.
A harrowing story centered around the often overlooked and neglected epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women. I am, unfortunately, accustomed to the way society tends to dehumanize indigenous people, especially women, but it was interesting to see that dehumanization towards other women from Mary.
I loved the two POVs that described the same situations with their own lenses and how they chose different aspects of the given time periods that resonated most with them.
This story got into my heart and squeezed, sometimes painfully - it's something that will stick with me for a long time. For the excellent writing, emotion, and staying power, 5 stars.
Please note: I received an ARC.
January 24, 2026
An amazing psychological horror that brings into focus the fact that many indigenous women and girls of North America go missing.
The story follows Mary Nelson, whose daughter Ryska’s disappearance has enveloped her life and fractured her decision-making, and Noni Begay, the first Athabaskan Senator who also goes missing.
The horror is that Mary, one of Noni’s supporters, becomes predator and warden over Noni. Mary has isolated Noni in a remote cabin in Alaska only accessible by ATV.
We watch the emotional, physical and psychological breakdown of Noni over the years of her captivity as Mary is both tender mother and unfeeling monster.
The memories and dreams about Ryska are interweaved reminding us of Mary’s continued hopes and grief - reminding us of her humanity.
The contrasts of these fractured lives is spectacularly displayed. Ryska is the ghost rabbit stuck between Mary’s memories and dreams. The captured Noni, who Mary calls her seal pup, is Mary’s purpose and hope of finding Ryska. Noni’s strength is interspersed with her grief, resistance and acceptance of her loss of independence. This is a study of women’s lives in both subjugation and resilience. A study of women’s relationships, dependence, isolation, love and loss. The story is also filled with ancient myth and fairy tales that lend a spiritual sense within the characters.
The writing is beautiful and touches deeply. An unforgettable story. The wild harsh beauty of Alaska is also a character in this novel and is the perfect atmosphere to this story that is harrowing, brutal but also fascinating.
I strongly recommend and look forward to reading more from this author.
The story follows Mary Nelson, whose daughter Ryska’s disappearance has enveloped her life and fractured her decision-making, and Noni Begay, the first Athabaskan Senator who also goes missing.
The horror is that Mary, one of Noni’s supporters, becomes predator and warden over Noni. Mary has isolated Noni in a remote cabin in Alaska only accessible by ATV.
We watch the emotional, physical and psychological breakdown of Noni over the years of her captivity as Mary is both tender mother and unfeeling monster.
The memories and dreams about Ryska are interweaved reminding us of Mary’s continued hopes and grief - reminding us of her humanity.
The contrasts of these fractured lives is spectacularly displayed. Ryska is the ghost rabbit stuck between Mary’s memories and dreams. The captured Noni, who Mary calls her seal pup, is Mary’s purpose and hope of finding Ryska. Noni’s strength is interspersed with her grief, resistance and acceptance of her loss of independence. This is a study of women’s lives in both subjugation and resilience. A study of women’s relationships, dependence, isolation, love and loss. The story is also filled with ancient myth and fairy tales that lend a spiritual sense within the characters.
The writing is beautiful and touches deeply. An unforgettable story. The wild harsh beauty of Alaska is also a character in this novel and is the perfect atmosphere to this story that is harrowing, brutal but also fascinating.
I strongly recommend and look forward to reading more from this author.
November 27, 2025
** I received an ARC for an honest review **
Ghost Girls and Rabbits has a dual storyline with one protagonist, Alaska’s first Athabaskan senator, Noni. The second character is Mary, a mother with a damaged and grief-twisted psyche haunted by the disappearance of her daughter a decade earlier who kidnaps Noni calculating that her disappearance will bring attention to the countless missing indigenous women including her own daughter.
Windwalker delivers a dark, psychological horror where generational trauma and violence against indigenous women is a front and centre sociopolitical theme. The core of both characters, the victims and perpetrators often blurring until the systemic failures of society are reflected in the deep psychological damage revealed in both characters. Noni’s captivity takes a savage toll on sanity and identity relying on ancestral stories to endure the violence perpetrated against her by Mary’s own mental and moral collapse self-justification and grief-driven actions twisting her conception of reality and relying on metaphors and legends that are haunting throughout. The dual perspectives makes mental and physical violence at the forefront of the novel and strikes a chord of increasing dread and terror. Here, Windwalker is unflinching in her portrayal of systematic violence against women.
Windwalker incorporates Indigenous legends and symbolism that contrasts well with brutal realism. The prose is lyrical in how symbolism weaves throughout the novel and ties events, characters and generations together set against the stark issue of indigenous cultural sorrow and societal neglect. The narrative is deliberately fragmented, interludes of indigenous mythic tales, symbolism and history create an instability of both storytelling and prose. However, the highly disturbing content and this fragmented narrative style work well to unsettle and reflect the fragmented stories of the many indigenous missing women. This is two characters providing a discourse for a much larger issue. This concise but powerful work has psychological horror at the core which infiltrates every aspect of the novel. This is an unsettling read that is graphic and provides no simple justice as expected from a multifaceted and multilayered novel.
Ghost Girls and Rabbits is a visceral, unflinching depth of grief, horror, identity, and the systemic violence against Indigenous women. Confronting and raw, this demands a witnessing and awareness for voices and stories untold and the hard truths society attempts to bury. This is a powerful, and honest psychological horror.
Conclusion
Recommend for readers of dark fiction and psychological horror but awareness of gendered violence is a necessary consideration. There is much to enjoy in this indigenous horror that has a haunting and uncanny atmosphere while mythological and symbolic elements are juxtaposed to brutality and dread. This is an important commentary on the sociopolitical issue of violence against indigenous women and the unaccounted missing.
** This is my personal opinion and does not affect any potential judging decisions **
Ghost Girls and Rabbits has a dual storyline with one protagonist, Alaska’s first Athabaskan senator, Noni. The second character is Mary, a mother with a damaged and grief-twisted psyche haunted by the disappearance of her daughter a decade earlier who kidnaps Noni calculating that her disappearance will bring attention to the countless missing indigenous women including her own daughter.
Windwalker delivers a dark, psychological horror where generational trauma and violence against indigenous women is a front and centre sociopolitical theme. The core of both characters, the victims and perpetrators often blurring until the systemic failures of society are reflected in the deep psychological damage revealed in both characters. Noni’s captivity takes a savage toll on sanity and identity relying on ancestral stories to endure the violence perpetrated against her by Mary’s own mental and moral collapse self-justification and grief-driven actions twisting her conception of reality and relying on metaphors and legends that are haunting throughout. The dual perspectives makes mental and physical violence at the forefront of the novel and strikes a chord of increasing dread and terror. Here, Windwalker is unflinching in her portrayal of systematic violence against women.
Windwalker incorporates Indigenous legends and symbolism that contrasts well with brutal realism. The prose is lyrical in how symbolism weaves throughout the novel and ties events, characters and generations together set against the stark issue of indigenous cultural sorrow and societal neglect. The narrative is deliberately fragmented, interludes of indigenous mythic tales, symbolism and history create an instability of both storytelling and prose. However, the highly disturbing content and this fragmented narrative style work well to unsettle and reflect the fragmented stories of the many indigenous missing women. This is two characters providing a discourse for a much larger issue. This concise but powerful work has psychological horror at the core which infiltrates every aspect of the novel. This is an unsettling read that is graphic and provides no simple justice as expected from a multifaceted and multilayered novel.
Ghost Girls and Rabbits is a visceral, unflinching depth of grief, horror, identity, and the systemic violence against Indigenous women. Confronting and raw, this demands a witnessing and awareness for voices and stories untold and the hard truths society attempts to bury. This is a powerful, and honest psychological horror.
Conclusion
Recommend for readers of dark fiction and psychological horror but awareness of gendered violence is a necessary consideration. There is much to enjoy in this indigenous horror that has a haunting and uncanny atmosphere while mythological and symbolic elements are juxtaposed to brutality and dread. This is an important commentary on the sociopolitical issue of violence against indigenous women and the unaccounted missing.
** This is my personal opinion and does not affect any potential judging decisions **
May 6, 2025
Noni's life is going great she just won an election. Now she canstarthelpingpeople. Everythingchangesbeforeshe has a chance. Now, she must fight to survive. Pulse pounding read. .
May 22, 2025
It has taken me a little while to read this one and review it. It's a heavy read but a brilliant one and the words are not so easy to get into a coherent manner.
I am once again in awe at the detail driven and haunting narrative that Cassondra has graced these pages with. I admit I had little knowledge of the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in Alaska (and others but this book is set in Alaska) and when I first started to read it I had to stop and educate myself a bit more so that I could fully appreciate this.
This book has no dialogue but only women have a 'voice' throughout. The chapters alternate between two linked female experiences over several years. Mary, a woman whose daughter is missing and, in a desperate attempt to draw attention to this, kidnaps and holds prisoner Noni, the second POV. The chapters come in pairs, forever linking the women and cover a year at a time.
In some ways, I could talk about this book for hours. It was heavy due to the subject matter and the lack of dialogue but also it was a deeply psychological read and I constantly found myself wanting to know more about each woman's thoughts. Mary, as the kidnapper was almost painful to read. Her grief at losing her child was buried in every one of her actions and reactions and this was interwoven in the disbelief that she would be causing other parents the same grief through kidnapping Noni. There is so much to unpack in this short book and I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
This book is out now, it was released earlier this month on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Day and I'd urge anyone to read up on this and give voice to those who can't and hopefully pick up Ghost Girls and Rabbits if I've piqued your interest.
Thank you to @cassondrawindwalker for sending me a copy to read.
I am once again in awe at the detail driven and haunting narrative that Cassondra has graced these pages with. I admit I had little knowledge of the crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People in Alaska (and others but this book is set in Alaska) and when I first started to read it I had to stop and educate myself a bit more so that I could fully appreciate this.
This book has no dialogue but only women have a 'voice' throughout. The chapters alternate between two linked female experiences over several years. Mary, a woman whose daughter is missing and, in a desperate attempt to draw attention to this, kidnaps and holds prisoner Noni, the second POV. The chapters come in pairs, forever linking the women and cover a year at a time.
In some ways, I could talk about this book for hours. It was heavy due to the subject matter and the lack of dialogue but also it was a deeply psychological read and I constantly found myself wanting to know more about each woman's thoughts. Mary, as the kidnapper was almost painful to read. Her grief at losing her child was buried in every one of her actions and reactions and this was interwoven in the disbelief that she would be causing other parents the same grief through kidnapping Noni. There is so much to unpack in this short book and I know I'll be thinking about it for a long time.
This book is out now, it was released earlier this month on Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Awareness Day and I'd urge anyone to read up on this and give voice to those who can't and hopefully pick up Ghost Girls and Rabbits if I've piqued your interest.
Thank you to @cassondrawindwalker for sending me a copy to read.
May 26, 2025
What would you do?
What would you do if your daughter disappeared and almost nobody cared? How far would you take things?
Campaign manager Mary Nelson helps lead Noni Begay to victory in the US senate election. Noni will be the face that will help change the narrative on missing indigenous women, which is more than just a cause for Mary. Her daughter Ryska is among the missing.
After the election, Noni goes missing. I wouldn't call it a plot spoiler to say that Mary is holding Noni captive. The author pretty much makes it clear from the start. It's the why that's key to the plot.
As the story unfolds, changes takes place in both of the main characters. Will they be for the better or worse? Cassondra's writing and choice of words is prose like in some parts and very concise in others, but never dull. One of the chapters towards the end of Ghost Girls and Rabbits is less than a page long.
There is a description of a violent scene, but it's not overly graphic.
The tale comes to a fairly expected ending, but it's well developed for a novel that is less than 200 pages long. I highly recommend it.
In addition to this story, I'd suggest reading her other stories as well. Unlike some authors, she does well with variety. I feel like she never follows a formula. I'm looking forward to more writing from Cassondra Windwalker.
What would you do if your daughter disappeared and almost nobody cared? How far would you take things?
Campaign manager Mary Nelson helps lead Noni Begay to victory in the US senate election. Noni will be the face that will help change the narrative on missing indigenous women, which is more than just a cause for Mary. Her daughter Ryska is among the missing.
After the election, Noni goes missing. I wouldn't call it a plot spoiler to say that Mary is holding Noni captive. The author pretty much makes it clear from the start. It's the why that's key to the plot.
As the story unfolds, changes takes place in both of the main characters. Will they be for the better or worse? Cassondra's writing and choice of words is prose like in some parts and very concise in others, but never dull. One of the chapters towards the end of Ghost Girls and Rabbits is less than a page long.
There is a description of a violent scene, but it's not overly graphic.
The tale comes to a fairly expected ending, but it's well developed for a novel that is less than 200 pages long. I highly recommend it.
In addition to this story, I'd suggest reading her other stories as well. Unlike some authors, she does well with variety. I feel like she never follows a formula. I'm looking forward to more writing from Cassondra Windwalker.
July 11, 2025
⭐ 4.5
Windwalker’s Ghost Girls and Rabbits is a haunting and poetic novel that lingers in the mind long after you’ve finished. True to her reputation for blending horror, magical realism, and lyrical prose, she crafts a story that’s both unsettling and strangely beautiful. The characters feel raw and real, and there’s a deep sense of empathy throughout, even when the subject matter turns dark. Some passages are almost dreamlike, with vivid imagery and a rhythm that makes you want to read certain lines twice. It’s not a straightforward read—expect layers of meaning and a fair bit of ambiguity - but if you like literary fiction that isn’t afraid to get a bit weird or uncomfortable, this is definitely worth picking up.
Windwalker’s Ghost Girls and Rabbits is a haunting and poetic novel that lingers in the mind long after you’ve finished. True to her reputation for blending horror, magical realism, and lyrical prose, she crafts a story that’s both unsettling and strangely beautiful. The characters feel raw and real, and there’s a deep sense of empathy throughout, even when the subject matter turns dark. Some passages are almost dreamlike, with vivid imagery and a rhythm that makes you want to read certain lines twice. It’s not a straightforward read—expect layers of meaning and a fair bit of ambiguity - but if you like literary fiction that isn’t afraid to get a bit weird or uncomfortable, this is definitely worth picking up.
October 20, 2025
This book highlights the issue of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. Mary Nelson's daughter went missing 10 years ago and no one cared. After helping get Noni, an Athabaskan, elected senator Mary betrays her by kidnapping her to bring to the forefront the problem of MMIW.
The story is told from both Mary and Noni's perspective. Mary is haunted and desperate driven to this crazy extreme. Noni is forced to go inward, with the help of her ancestors stories to get her through this ordeal. A brutal and harrowing tale.
The story is told from both Mary and Noni's perspective. Mary is haunted and desperate driven to this crazy extreme. Noni is forced to go inward, with the help of her ancestors stories to get her through this ordeal. A brutal and harrowing tale.
January 30, 2026
3.75 ⭐
Haunting story of an indigenous mother who goes to extreme lengths in order to find her missing daughter. Mary Nelson lost her daughter 10 years ago and in order to attempt to bring more attention to her case, decides to abduct a high-profile native woman, Noni. During this time, we see both Mary and Noni become more delusional and each holding on to scraps of their own humanity. This story allows you to see Mary's point of view and thoughts and how, in her mind, what she is doing is justified. At the same time, you see Noni go from fighting for her life, to complacency, and finally to finding herself. The underlying horror of this story is not so much what happens in the book, but the fact that the reality is that there are so many missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and yet they get little to no attention. This book brings attention to a subject that is often forgotten or not talked about and I think that is such an important thing to do.
Haunting story of an indigenous mother who goes to extreme lengths in order to find her missing daughter. Mary Nelson lost her daughter 10 years ago and in order to attempt to bring more attention to her case, decides to abduct a high-profile native woman, Noni. During this time, we see both Mary and Noni become more delusional and each holding on to scraps of their own humanity. This story allows you to see Mary's point of view and thoughts and how, in her mind, what she is doing is justified. At the same time, you see Noni go from fighting for her life, to complacency, and finally to finding herself. The underlying horror of this story is not so much what happens in the book, but the fact that the reality is that there are so many missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and yet they get little to no attention. This book brings attention to a subject that is often forgotten or not talked about and I think that is such an important thing to do.
May 18, 2025
How far would you go? How far is too far?
What happens when you are so vastly consumed by grief that you become the villain?
Survival requires adaptability—mentally, physically, & emotionally. These are the same aspects of the human condition that are transformed by grief and trauma. As this book switches back and forth between the two main perspectives, the lines seem to merge.
I love that the author is bringing awareness of MMIWG, that was my initial draw to want to read this book. In conjunction with that, only women have “voices” which I thought was neat to note.
I appreciate the author providing me with this ARC and the opportunity to voluntarily post this review.
What happens when you are so vastly consumed by grief that you become the villain?
Survival requires adaptability—mentally, physically, & emotionally. These are the same aspects of the human condition that are transformed by grief and trauma. As this book switches back and forth between the two main perspectives, the lines seem to merge.
I love that the author is bringing awareness of MMIWG, that was my initial draw to want to read this book. In conjunction with that, only women have “voices” which I thought was neat to note.
I appreciate the author providing me with this ARC and the opportunity to voluntarily post this review.
October 15, 2025
This was definitely a different read than what I am use to but still quite enjoyed it. Cassondra does an amazing job describing in full detail every piece - painting a clear picture for the reader as you continue through the story. I never realized how big of an issue it was with indigenous women going missing in Alaska and the point of view Cassondra tells it from is very captivating.
May 22, 2025
This highlighted the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women and was a story of the lengths grief and desperation can push someone to. Brutal and haunting.
July 1, 2025
Ghost Girls and Rabbits is a tale of grief, madness, and abduction. It also provides a platform to give air to the epidemic of lost and missing indigenous girls and women in the United States of America.
Set in Alaska, the tale is told through the eyes of two Native American women. Mary Nelson is the grieving mother whose daughter, Ryska, went missing ten years before. Noni Begay is a young, idealistic woman who shares with Mary the desire to bring the plight of these lost girls to the public’s attention. Mary becomes Noni’s campaign manager in a race for a senate seat in Washington. Bucking the odds, Noni wins but then, shortly after, disappears.
Mary, in her grief for her lost daughter, has hatched a plot. Public outcry will follow Noni’s disappearance and possibly bring Ryska home to her. Thus, she abducts Noni and buries her in a box.
Ghost Girls and Rabbits was a compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Mary’s journey is fueled by grief and anger because no one cares about her lost child. Noni’s journey, on the other hand, starts with physical pain and deprivation that she must somehow overcome. The novel is replete with Native American legends and symbolism which guide Noni as she navigates the perils of her new existence.
Author Windwalker has created a spellbinding read and it is one that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
Set in Alaska, the tale is told through the eyes of two Native American women. Mary Nelson is the grieving mother whose daughter, Ryska, went missing ten years before. Noni Begay is a young, idealistic woman who shares with Mary the desire to bring the plight of these lost girls to the public’s attention. Mary becomes Noni’s campaign manager in a race for a senate seat in Washington. Bucking the odds, Noni wins but then, shortly after, disappears.
Mary, in her grief for her lost daughter, has hatched a plot. Public outcry will follow Noni’s disappearance and possibly bring Ryska home to her. Thus, she abducts Noni and buries her in a box.
Ghost Girls and Rabbits was a compelling read that I thoroughly enjoyed. Mary’s journey is fueled by grief and anger because no one cares about her lost child. Noni’s journey, on the other hand, starts with physical pain and deprivation that she must somehow overcome. The novel is replete with Native American legends and symbolism which guide Noni as she navigates the perils of her new existence.
Author Windwalker has created a spellbinding read and it is one that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended.
May 9, 2025
"Somehow she had been sucked into a nightmare. She'd misstepped, taken one step too near the edge of some invisible cliff, and now she'd fallen past the point of return."
Cassondra Windwalker's new horror novel is the story of Mary Nelson, her only daughter Ryska and newly elected senator Noni Begay. Ryska went missing ten years ago, her mother being the only person looking for her and having exhausted all the favours she could possibly call in, she has plotted one last way in which to save her daughter, even if it means she has to become the exact monster that took her daughter away from her. Noni wakes to find herself buried in a coffin. This is the beginnig of six years of captivity by a person she thought she could trust.
The author has written a harrowing account of the capture and brutal treatment of missing indigenous women and children. Deeply routed within this story is the impact these missing cases have had over history.
Given is an explicit account through the perspective of the captive and those left behind desperate to find their missing loved ones. The story takes on many themes and meets them head on. This will leave the reader with much to think about.
Blending the tales of the ancestors and past events, this horror story was hard to put down.
Cassondra Windwalker's new horror novel is the story of Mary Nelson, her only daughter Ryska and newly elected senator Noni Begay. Ryska went missing ten years ago, her mother being the only person looking for her and having exhausted all the favours she could possibly call in, she has plotted one last way in which to save her daughter, even if it means she has to become the exact monster that took her daughter away from her. Noni wakes to find herself buried in a coffin. This is the beginnig of six years of captivity by a person she thought she could trust.
The author has written a harrowing account of the capture and brutal treatment of missing indigenous women and children. Deeply routed within this story is the impact these missing cases have had over history.
Given is an explicit account through the perspective of the captive and those left behind desperate to find their missing loved ones. The story takes on many themes and meets them head on. This will leave the reader with much to think about.
Blending the tales of the ancestors and past events, this horror story was hard to put down.
June 5, 2025
Cassondra's Windwalker's Ghost Girls and Rabbits is a tale that gives voice to the silenced stories and statistics of missing and murdered Indigenous women. Released on MMIW Day, it respectfully honours those who've gone missing, or lost their lives, with little or no acknowledgment- specifically as a result of their being Indigenous.
Windwalker braids the lives of Mary, Ryska, and Noni together in a narrative free of dialogue. Throughout, the importance of words/language, and tradition in Indigenous culture is highlighted- as is the disregard for both by (white) society. Windwalker sheds light on the lengths mothers will go to for their children, the horrors and vulnerability women face on a daily basis (particularly if they are a minority), and human nature's capacity for evil.
The story invites the reader to be still, and press their ear to the earth. To listen. To realize we are all connected. Windwalker reminds us of this through her acknowedgment of those that have not been acknoweldged. She weaves ravens, shape-shifters, and all of nature into her writing, further emphasizing their importance in the characters' culture, and therefore to mankind.
I thank Cassondra for writing this book as it is a beautiful, uncomfortable, tale that speaks many truths.
Windwalker braids the lives of Mary, Ryska, and Noni together in a narrative free of dialogue. Throughout, the importance of words/language, and tradition in Indigenous culture is highlighted- as is the disregard for both by (white) society. Windwalker sheds light on the lengths mothers will go to for their children, the horrors and vulnerability women face on a daily basis (particularly if they are a minority), and human nature's capacity for evil.
The story invites the reader to be still, and press their ear to the earth. To listen. To realize we are all connected. Windwalker reminds us of this through her acknowedgment of those that have not been acknoweldged. She weaves ravens, shape-shifters, and all of nature into her writing, further emphasizing their importance in the characters' culture, and therefore to mankind.
I thank Cassondra for writing this book as it is a beautiful, uncomfortable, tale that speaks many truths.
May 17, 2025
Ghost Girls and Rabbits by Cassondra Windwalker was an emotional reading experience. It walked me through a world of unimaginable loss and grief, survival, adaptation, and madness. This book employs mystical storytelling and harrowing realism to drag the plight of missing indigenous women out of the darkness and into the light. The story of Mary Nelson, Ryska, and Noni Begay now has a space in my mind and heart. The short-lived attention from politicians and the media to missing indigenous women made me examine myself as well. Was I one of those "thoughts and prayers" individuals? Ghost Girls and Rabbits is a beautifully written story about a distressing subject. It is a story that needed to be told and read. This book enlightened me, and I thank the author for a unique reading experience and for raising my awareness.
May 7, 2025
This book will immediately draw you into a mystical tangle of anguish and devotion. It is a magical tale of sorrow and suffering, hope and solidarity. You will find yourself cheering for and crying alongside the women in this moving story.
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