Last Human Bear

Greg Sarris is an enrolled member of the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria and is currently serving his seventeenth consecutive elected term as chairman of the tribe. He is the author of several books, including the novel Grand Avenue, which he adapted for an HBO miniseries and co-executive produced with Robert Redford; the novel Watermelon Nights; Weaving the Dream, a biography of Mabel McKay; Becoming Story, a memoir; and the story collections How a Mountain Was Made and The Forgetters. Formerly a full professor of English at UCLA, Sarris serves on the University of California Board of Regents and the Sundance Institute Board, and he holds the Distinguished Emeritus Graton Endowed Chair in Native American Studies at Sonoma State University. He lives in Sonoma County, California.

Praise for The Last Human Bear:"This powerful novel by Greg Sarris is about one character, one place, one time, one curse, but it’s also about all the stormy impulses in any human heart that undermine love, joy, connection, all the ways that loss and privation lead to loss and privation. But it is itself lush and gripping as it follows one Native Californian from early girlhood to late old age, walking her own path through a changing world." —Rebecca Solnit, author of Men Explain Things to Me"The Last Human Bear is a very complex, very moving meditation on personal origins and family lore, illuminating a part of California’s history that’s rarely seen in literature. It’s revelatory on every page.” —Dave Eggers, author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius"A page into The Last Human Bear, Greg Sarris writes, 'The heart has no limits.' Thus begins an exploration of the heart—its longings, aches, grievances, regrets, hates, and loves. Sarris has given us a love letter to the western landscape and the people who call it home." —Lisa See, author of Daughters of the Sun and Moon and Lady Tan’s Circle of Women"The Last Human Bear is a love story, a tale of place and of a bold-voiced woman whose life has been misunderstood, and a vaulting American yarn that carries you along like a leaf on the wind." —John Freeman, author of California Rewritten"Sarris has a master touch that is both delicate and vivid. The Last Human Bear is filled with this grace. This novel is so much more rich and complicated than a few words can express and it is so very worth it to discover that in the reading." —Sheryl Cotleur, Copperfield's Books"The grand return of a master storyteller, The Last Human Bear is a riveting journey into the intricacies of passion and how the legacies of the past can haunt us. Greg Sarris courageously explores the ethical struggles that emerge from genuine self exploration and offers a timely meditation on the possibilities for healing and reconciling with one's nature." —Peter Maravelis, City Lights Booksellers"A very compelling tale of being caught between worlds. Dealing with biases without the support of her tribe, Mary has only her irascible stepmother, a Human Bear. Mary scoffs at this belief but learns a great deal from her elder. Mary can pass as Mexican or white and has many choices to make in life: in her 90s she looks back and sees herself as stubborn and selfish, but with strong legs. She begins to suspect that she, too, is a Bear." —Hannah Jennings, Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery"The novel traces the very long life of one Pomo woman, from the 1930s to the present, and the breathtaking changes of that span: to nature, the built environment, social ties, and traditional ways. It asks and answers critical questions and implicates the reader in that conversation, telling a remarkable twisting story along the way. This novel is literally unforgettable: it will embed itself in your mind and stay there." —Christie Olson Day, Gallery Bookshop"Mary Hatcher cannot die, that is, until she passes on what her stepmother passed on to her: how to be a tolik (a Human Bear, shape-shifter, 'poisoner', medicine carrier). Rich in story-telling texture, Mary's story takes you from her childhood to old age. Extending the story over an entire lifetime leaves time for discoveries, love, hate, bad decisions, good decisions and encounters with people that leave their mark even to the end. The writing is excellent. Highly recommend." —Kathleen Johnson, Roundabout Books