Tony Hillerman: A Life

Journalist Morris (The Ambulance Drivers) takes a look at the life and art of writer Tony Hillerman (1925–2008) in this comprehensive portrait. Hillerman, who grew up in Oklahoma, wrote 18 mysteries featuring Native American leads, beginning with 1970’s The Blessing Way; the books were commercial and critical successes, yielding an Edgar Award and a designation as a Grand Master of Crime Fiction by the Mystery Writers of America. Morris offers just the right amount of detail in tracing Hillerman’s life, including his childhood, during which he and his brother were permitted to attend a Catholic School for Potawatomi girls, and his service during WWII, which resulted in his earning the Silver Star. After the war, Hillerman worked as a journalist in New Mexico, eventually trying his hand at fiction. He abandoned attempting an “American War and Peace,” and hit on a winning formula that integrated Navajo culture into his plots. Morris describes the sometimes rocky path to success; at a signing one reader told him that she couldn’t tell his leads, Joe Leaphorn and Jim Chee, apart. Morris also notes Hillerman’s response to criticism that his novels were marked by cultural appropriation; Hillerman accepted the complaints as “part of a larger shift regarding issues of racial and cultural identity.” Skillfully written, Hillerman’s fans will want to give this a look. (Oct.)