Tony Hillerman: A Life

by James McGrath Morris, George Guidall (Narrator)

The author of eighteen spellbinding detective novels set on the Navajo Nation, Tony Hillerman simultaneously transformed a traditional genre and unlocked the mysteries of the Navajo culture to an audience of millions. His best-selling novels added Navajo Tribal Police detectives Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee to the pantheon of American fictional detectives.

Morris offers a balanced portrait of Hillerman’s personal and professional life and provides a timely appreciation of his work. In intimate detail, Morris captures the author’s early years in Depression-era Oklahoma; his near-death experience in World War II; his sixty-year marriage to Marie; his family life, including six children, five of them adopted; his work in the trenches of journalism; his affliction with PTSD and its connection to his enchantment with Navajo spirituality; and his ascension as one of America’s best-known writers of mysteries. Further, Morris uncovers the almost accidental invention of Hillerman’s iconic detective Joe Leaphorn and the circumstances that led to the addition of Jim Chee as his partner.

Hillerman’s novels were not without controversy. Morris examines the charges of cultural appropriation leveled at the author toward the end of his life. Yet, for many readers, including many Native Americans, Hillerman deserves critical acclaim for his knowledgeable and sensitive portrayal of Diné (Navajo) history, culture, and identity.

At the time of Hillerman’s death, more than 20 million copies of his books were in print, and his novels inspired Robert Redford to adapt several of them to film. In weaving together all the elements of Hillerman’s life, Morris drew on the untapped collection of the author’s papers, extensive archival research, interviews with friends, colleagues, and family, as well as travel in the Navajo Nation. Filled with never-before-told anecdotes and fresh insights, Tony Hillerman will thrill the author’s fans and awaken new interest in his life and literary legacy.
 

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Memoir, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published October 14, 2021

About the author

I'm the author of several well-received biographies, including the New York Times bestseller and Editor's Choice "Eye on the Struggle: Ethel Payne, The First Lady of the Black Press," which received the Benjamin Hooks National Book Prize and was long-listed for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography; "The Ambulance Drivers: Hemingway, Dos Passos, and a Friendship Made and Lost in War,' as well as "Pulitzer: A Life in Politics, Print, and Power," "The Rose Man of Sing Sing: A True Tale of Life, Murder, and Redemption in the Age of Yellow Journalism," and "Jailhouse Journalism: The Fourth Estate Behind Bars."

My newest book is "Tony Hillerman: A Life."

Reviews

[Jeffrey Keeten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tony Hillerman

”A towering figure in the realm of mystery fiction like Tony Hillerman is worthy of a biography of monumental proportions, a book that can encompass the grace, talent, and humanity of not only the man but his incredible body of work. James McGrath Morris’s Tony Hillerman: A Life is that book--one of the most thoughtful, detailed, and captivating biographies I’ve read in a very long time.”---Craig Johnson

When I was contacted about reading this book, not only was I excited about the prospect of learning more about Tony Hillerman, but I was also looking forward to revisiting my own memories of reading his books and reliving the pleasurable conversations I was fortunate enough to have with him.

I first met Tony on the campus of Phoenix College. The school administration had emptied all the classrooms and had asked us to file down to the auditorium for a presentation by this writer of Native American fiction. I’d recently found a copy of The Dark Wind and had blown through the novel in one evening. I had scoured a couple of local used bookstores looking for more copies of his works with no luck. After his presentation, Hillerman took questions, and when no one raised their hands, I raised mine. This went on for a while, me asking questions and him answering me, until the students around me started to groan every time my arm went up. After the presentation, one of the teachers found me and asked me to come down and meet Tony. I chatted with him for a while and then walked him out to his car. He dug around in the back seat and gave me a paperback of Dance Hall of the Dead. I was too stunned by this unexpected gift to even think to ask him to sign it.

I came to the realization, as I was reading this book, that Tony Hillerman was the first writer I’d ever met in my life.

Hillerman grew up poor in a reservation area in Oklahoma, so he had an affinity for the very people he was writing about. ”Like him, most Navajos are raised in rural poverty, undereducated, religious, and friendly people who place a high value on telling stories.” Hillerman was a journalist before he became a writer of novels. He had a great perspective on the differences between writing “facts” and creating fiction. ”’Fiction demanded more creativity resting on material either made up or from one’s memory. The facts are crafted in your imagination,’ Hillerman said. ‘They are glossy, persuasive, rich in symbolism, redolent of universal meaning, glittery, sordid, perfect, polished facts--the stuff of art.’”

I remember Tony sharing a story with us at one of the signing events I attended, and Morris relates it in this book as well. Tony told us with a grin that, when he first submitted The Blessing Way for publication, the agent told him...this would be pretty good if you’d just get rid of all the Native American stuff. This, of course, broke up the room into laughter because we were all sitting there at this event and buying his books because of all “that Native American stuff.”

I was pleasantly surprised, but certainly not shocked, that Hillerman was influenced by Raymond Chandler, Eric Ambler, and Graham Greene, writers who number among my favorites to read. When I was working in a bookstore in Tucson, we sold his books to a wide range of readers from cozy mystery readers to university professors. I remember one in particular from Michigan who came in and bought every single copy of every Hillerman book we had. The professor had bought a Hillerman book to read between conferences and was so taken with the native culture depicted in the book that he wanted to give copies away to all of his friends back home. Hillerman might have started out being a regional writer, but when his books started hitting the New York Best Seller list, it became impossible to keep him tucked under a genre label. He was more than just a guilty pleasure for most readers, and anyone from a PhD to a grocery clerk could enjoy his writing.

If you are a fan of Tony Hillerman’s works, then your pleasure in what you’ve read will be enhanced by getting to know the man better. I know from personal experience what a great man he was and how deserving he was of all the success he earned. If you haven’t read any of Tony Hillerman’s books, I envy you because you have a magic carpet ride waiting to take you deep in Navajo Country. I’d suggest reading a few of his books before reading this biography, but do put this biography on your TBR list. The man behind the books is as interesting as the tales he conjured from his imagination.

I want to thank Jennifer Richards and the University of Oklahoma press for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you wish to see more of my most recent book and movie reviews, visit http://www.jeffreykeeten.com
I also have a Facebook blogger page at:https://www.facebook.com/JeffreyKeeten and an Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/jeffreykeeten/

[Michael Burke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved reading all 18 of Tony Hillerman's Navajo Nation police mysteries. This was a world I was not familiar with. The culture and rituals were fascinating, the landscape images breathtaking, and the central core characters were unforgettable. The strength of the "mysteries" varied, but it was a fun way of learning about something completely foreign to me. I have DVDs of the three PBS Mystery! films and have enjoyed watching the recent Dark Winds series… which consists of a predominantly Native American cast.

Tony Hillerman was not Native American, and the question of cultural appropriation sometimes arises. This was my reason for checking out this biography-- just to examine what others had to say. There does not seem to be a consensus, Some claim he profited wrongly off of natives and exposed closely guarded secrets, things he was not in a position to understand. He did have support from many in the Navajo community, however, and felt he gave back and exposed a wonderful culture to the world.

This is a thorough biography covering the whole of Tony Hillerman’s career. While I was familiar with much of his background, I appreciated learning about the challenges he faced as each new novel was taking shape.

[David Crow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about a great man.

Tony Hillerman was an institution as a writer of Navajo lore with native hero’s solving crimes on the reservation. He taught us the value of Navajo traditions and beliefs and made his characters human and accessible. He was a war hero, wonderful husband, And father to six children, five of them adopted. This book let me know more about Hillerman the man than his autobiography.I loved this book and am so grateful daughter Anne has carried on the tradition. Hillerman led a great life and this wonderful book is one that Tony would be proud of.

[The Phoenix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was interested in this biography, because I wanted to know how he knew all the Navajo info and how accurate his research was. I was really impressed. If you are a fan of his Leaphorn and Chee series, this biography on the author will really interest you.

[J.J. Amaworo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb biography of one of the great Southwestern authors. McGrath Morris provides fascinating and little-known (to me, at least) insights into the great mystery writer’s life, including Hillerman’s early years in Depression-era Oklahoma, his war service and subsequent PTSD, and his relationship with Navajo culture. Highly recommended.

[Megan B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received Tony Hillerman: A Life as an electronic advanced reader copy, and put it to the side, pursing Sean Duffy and Belfast instead of the creator of Leaphorn and Chee, biographies not being my normal genre.

I've read another James McGrath Morris book - The Ambulance Drivers - and as I am not a reader of the works of either Hemingway or Dos Passos, I didn't have a connection to the authors, which is vital in a biography. This time, I had a passing familiarity with the author, living in New Mexico and having read several of the Leaphorn and Chee novels when my mother bought then in mass market paperback when I was probably far too young to read murder mysteries like Hillerman's. As such, I was enthralled by the portrait painted of Hillerman. It made me want to re-read the novels, the ones where all I can remember are random plot points, such as Jim Chee ordering "dinner" for breakfast in, I believe, LA, and Joe Leaphorn having switched sides of the bed, touching the window sill when he wakes up.

Tony Hillerman: A Life is a very well written biography, covering his entire life, not just his years living in New Mexico, which adds to the story of how he became a "breakout" author and an "overnight success." On his seventh Leaphorn/Chee novel. It covers his family, and while I would have loved to learn more about his family, this is a biography of Hillerman, not his family. Overall, a very well-written biography that makes me want to re-read the Leaphorn/Chee novels, and maybe start reading some other writers mentioned in the book. 4.5 stars.

Thank you to James McGrath Morris for the electronic advanced reader copy. It was quite unexpected, and very much enjoyed.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding biography of the humble, heroic Tony Hillerman, exhaustively researched by James McGrath Morris. As hoped, it’s loaded with fascinating background information on Hillerman’s famous characters Leaphorn and Chee, and nearly every novel through the decades. Morris covers Hillerman’s career as a journalist, editor, teacher, and professor in equal detail, tracing his dream of becoming a full time novelist from inkling to reality. His incremental journey to bestselling author took longer than I realized, with Hillerman working a day job for most of his life.

Hillerman’s personal life is also covered from his service in World War II where he was severely wounded to his marriage and large brood of children, to his battles with mortality. For aspiring writers the book also includes its subject’s experiences with agents, publishers, and movie deals.

Hillerman’s knowledge of the Navajo culture and traditions was reflected in his novels—and its values in the way in which he lived his life. His work has been criticized as capitalizing on Navajo culture, but his stories were instrumental in educating the world about the Navajo Nation, and Morris reveals the generosity of Hillerman and his family who donated much of his fortunes anonymously back to the people whose culture fueled his writing.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read all of Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee Navajo mysteries and learned about many elements of Navajo philosophy and religion. In a long-ago issue of Smithsonian magazine, I also learned that his work was appreciated by the Navajo people themselves for raising awareness of their beliefs and lifestyles. This book reinforces that impression even as it addresses charges by some of cultural appropriation.

Hillerman led an interesting life, starting in Oklahoma where he attended school with Native Americans from his hometown and neighboring reservations. He was a journalist, an academi9cian and finally a fiction writer. He was also a wounded veteran of WWII, and that is abn adventure story in itself.

I very much enjoyed learning more about the author and the book-by-book account of how he created his characters and told their stories, yet the biography often felt a bit flat, and there were a number of inaccuracies that annoyed me. They were not major points, but they should have been caught by the author, an editor or the publisher's fact checkers, and they occasionally made me wonder what else might be inaccurate.

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very well written biography. Fans of Hillerman's books will enjoy getting to know the author better.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

Morris offers a balanced portrait of Hillerman’s personal and professional life and provides a timely appreciation of his work. In intimate detail, Morris captures the author’s early years in Depression-era Oklahoma; his near-death experience in World War II; his sixty-year marriage to Marie; his family life, including six children, five of them adopted; his work in the trenches of journalism; his affliction with PTSD and its connection to his enchantment with Navajo spirituality; and his ascension as one of America’s best-known writers of mysteries. Further, Morris uncovers the almost accidental invention of Hillerman’s iconic detective Joe Leaphorn and the circumstances that led to the addition of Jim Chee as his partner. [amazon synopsis]

Good read. I have enjoyed Hillerman's books for years.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of Tony Hillerman's mysteries, from which I have learned so much about Navajo culture. Joe Leaphorn, Jim Chee and Bernie Manuelito are fascinating characters and Hillerman did a great job of taking me and other readers into their world.

James McGrath Morris' biography tells Hillerman's life story--Oklahoma farm boy, WW II soldier, journalist, University of New Mexico professor, novelist, philanthropist and family man/father of six children. To me, the interesting part began with the novel writing. Morris tells where the ideas came from and how the process worked or didn't with agents and editors. He creates a picture of man who toiled long hours at his craft and genuinely appreciated the Navajo way of life. He does not idealize Hillerman, pointing out some of his mistakes.

Morris says Dance Hall of the Dead is his favorite Hillerman book even though A Thief of Time is generally considered to be the best of the series.

[Diane McKenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

James McGrath Morris did an amazing job with Tony Hillerman: A Life BUT how could he not as Tony was an amazing human being, son, brother, husband, father, journalist, author, UNM staff, and community member who strived for balance/harmony in his life and writings. I am ready to reread the Leaphorn and Chee series as well as earlier stand alone books by Tony. It was heartwarming to read that daughter Anne and Tony had discussed his next book and she put it to paper and continues with this incredible series. I look forward to her latest addition in the spring. Your Dad would be very proud of you!

[Chris Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Mr. Morris' work for a long time, and this book only increases that admiration. Although Mr. Hillerman wrote his autobiography, Mr. Morris fills a conspicuous gap with this book. Mr. Morris provides copious detail to the story. Carefully researched, his prose flows with the pace of a novel, and he has provided deep insights into a thoughtful, family-loving wordsmith. Be aware, though. If you are a fan of Mr. Hillerman, you will want to block out time to re-read his work.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read all of the Leaphorn and Chee books plus The Fly on the Wall. The mysteries were great plus I learned about Native American culture. Though Tony has left us, his daughter Anne has done a great job of continuing the series for those of us in Leaphorn withdrawal. It is not surprising given the heart found in his books to learn that Mr. Hillerman was a brilliant and kind man. Kristi & Abby Tabby

[Eileen McCauley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, thank you Mr. Morris for writing this wonderful book. Like millions of readers, I love Mr. Hillerman's Navajo mysteries, especially the details of Navajo culture and geography. His are the only mysteries I reread with pleasure. This biography has lots of details about the writing of the books to satisfy us fans. What was new to me, was how good and kind and generous Tony was. It was a pleasure to meet and follow him. It was also very interesting to learn about the process of becoming a very successful author.

[Carol Castillo · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy Tony Hillerman’s books, you will enjoy this biography. I enjoyed it more than Hillerman’s autobiography which did not detail the writing of the books nearly enough for me. Here, Morris gives extensive background for how Hillerman finally broke out with his writing, and how he made them so faithful to the real people and places involved. This is a must read for fans of Hillerman’s books.

[Karen Boyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially liked this biography because of the connection between Hillerman’s World War II experience and his interest in the Navajo Indians. Also, the biographer’s discussion of how much Hillerman understood about Native Americans was presented well so that readers had insight into the 1950s and mistakes that were made by Caucasian writers.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though I've never read any of Tony Hillerman's books, I had entered the Goodreads giveaway and won a copy. It was an interesting read, and after reading it I'm thinking of checking out his books as I have an interest in mysteries and Native Americans. I recommend reading this, especially if you have read this author's books.

[Elisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, standard bio. What really made it for me though is that it is read by George Guidall who reads many of the Leaphorn/Chee books, so it felt very familiar.

Learned some fun stuff about the origins of Hillerman's characters and plots.

[Evelyn Petschek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting biography of a favorite mystery novel writer and a fellow New Mexican. It was fascinating to learn of how he got into writing and everything he did besides writing. A recommended read for anyone who’s enjoyed the Hillerman books!

[Larry White · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good read about the author of 18 novels about several Navajo tribal police officers. Tony Hillerman lived a good life with his wife Marie & family, and did not let the criticism of others stop him from writing about Navajos. Read more & whine less!

[Jon Airey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great life story

Nice biography of an exception life. A bit to worried about Hillermans storytelling laps but aside from a bit of pretending he is smarter than Hillerman an excellent telling of his life story.

[Elizabeth Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found this very interesting. I have read all of Hillerman's books - didn't realize he started writing so much later in life. I am also enjoying his daughter's continuation of the series.

[Jeff Macey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great biography of my favorite writer. Especially when it got to the part of his life when he was writing the Leaphorn and Chee books. Highly recommend!

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Tony Hillerman’s mysteries and enjoyed this biography. I think it gives an excellent portrait of the author and, especially, what it is like to be an aspiring and then successful author.

[Rena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 I was most touched by his WW2 experiences, a painful reminder of why war is best avoided; starting halfway, the Navajo enter and the biography shifts to the business of writing.

[Juanito]

Good

[Rita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional biography of one of the iconic mystery writers of the West.

[Nan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice filler to the book Tony wrote about himself.

[Nina Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the last chapter on Navajo reception of his Leaphorn & Chee series, particularly interesting. And had always wondered about it.