House Made of Dawn: A Novel

“Both a masterpiece about the universal human condition and a masterpiece of Native American literature. . . . A book everyone should read for the joy and emotion of the language it contains.” — Paris Review

The magnificent Pulitzer Prize-winning classic about a stranger in his native land from renowned Kiowa writer and poet N. Scott Momaday, now available as a limited Olive Edition from Harper Perennial.

A young Native American, Abel has come home from war to find himself caught between two worlds. The first is the world of his father’s, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, and the ancient rites and traditions of his people. But the other world—modern, industrial America—pulls at Abel, demanding his loyalty, trying to claim his soul, and goading him into a destructive, compulsive cycle of depravity and disgust.

An American classic, House Made of Dawn is at once a tragic tale about the disabling effects of war and cultural separation, and a hopeful story of a stranger in his native land, finding his way back to all that is familiar and sacred.

A special fiftieth anniversary edition of N. Scott Momaday’s magnificent Pulitzer Prize–winning classic, set against the incomparable landscape of the American Southwest

A young Native American, Abel has come home to New Mexico from war to find himself caught between two worlds. The first is the world of his grandfather’s, wedding him to the rhythm of the seasons, the harsh beauty of the land, and the ancient rites and traditions of his people. But the other world — modern, industrial America — pulls at Abel, demanding his loyalty, claiming his soul, and goading him into a destructive, compulsive cycle of depravity and despair.

An American classic, now reissued with a new preface from Momaday, House Made of Dawn is at once a tragic tale about the disabling effects of war and cultural separation, and a hopeful story of a stranger in his native land, finding his way back to all that is familiar and sacred.

“Superb.” - New York Times Book Review

“A new romanticism, with a reverence for the land, a transcendent optimism, and a sense of mythic wholeness...Push[es] the secular mode of modern fiction into the sacred mode, a faith and recognition in the power of the world.” - American Literature

“Authentic and powerful. . . . Anyone who picks up this novel and reads the first paragraph will be hard pressed to put it down.” - Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A beautiful and moving tale. Intricately conceived . . . executed with easy lyricism. Mr. Momaday’s performance is brilliant.” - Publishers Weekly

“Dazzling. . . . Momaday [is] an important voice in American letters.” - Los Angeles Times

“Mr. Momaday has a superb sense of imagery. . . . There is a rich treasury of Pueblo Indian lore on almost every page.” - Baltimore Sun

“A tragic story…one of considerable power and beauty.” - The Nation

“Both a masterpiece about the universal human condition and a masterpiece of Native American literature. . . . A beautiful artistic object, a book everyone should read for the joy and emotion of the language it contains.” - The Paris Review