Why should these books be adapted, anyway? To invite the endless pieces stating how the book was better than the movie? No, I don’t think so. I think the purpose of hoping these books get adapted for screen is that you cannot deny the mass appeal that the screen holds, and the more people will hear these stories, the more inclusive the public narrative becomes. Not to mention, all of these picks are extremely well done and deserve all the attention they can get. Without further ado! While searching for some of these picks, I did notice a lack of romances written by Indigenous authors. There are some that are mentioned here, but I am going to read more of that and get back to you all about adaptations’ potential. I found plenty by authors that featured Indigenous characters like Beverly Jenkins’ in reads like Night Hawk, but not many from the voices of Indigenous authors themselves. That’s something I am going to think about for a while. Our story begins by confronting our main character, Joan’s grief. Her husband vanished a year ago and she’s been searching for him ever since. During one hungover night, she stumbles onto a white tent to find the one she lost a year ago, her husband Victor. Well, it looks and talks like him, but he refuses to acknowledge Joan and goes by the name of Eugene Wolff, a charismatic preacher intent on delivering people to Jesus. Only he seems to be doing much more than that. It’s up to Joan to figure out quite what’s going on and how to save her husband from it all. If that plot does not speak for itself, this would make for a fantastic tale of suspense. The book itself weaves commentary on culture and remembering where you come from, and I feel like it would translate excellently on screen. Do you know those silent movies like The Grey where you are witnessing the inner monologues of the characters through their actions? That is how I foresee this one playing out. Even in moments of extreme tension, it wouldn’t belie the calm. The story begins when the power goes out on an isolated reservation cutting off the supply chain and contact with the town. Thinking nothing is out of the ordinary, life continues until supplies start running out and their haven stands to be invaded. If you would like to occupy your time with some screen time until Netflix adds my requests to the queue, make sure to check out the series Trickster based on Son of a Trickster by Eden Robison.
