Laughing Boy
Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge, published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2004, is a reprint edition comprising 193 pages. This novel captures the essence of the Southwest in the early twentieth century, focusing on the life of Laughing Boy, a model member of his Navajo tribe. Raised in traditional ways and skilled in silver work, he faces the challenges of a changing world as modern influences begin to encroach upon his culture. The story unfolds as he meets Slim Girl, whose American education contrasts sharply with his upbringing, leading to a complex relationship marked by desire and cultural conflict.
Readers will find a narrative that explores themes of love, honor, and heritage against the backdrop of a shifting landscape. As Laughing Boy and Slim Girl navigate their differing backgrounds, their lives become intertwined in a poignant examination of tradition and loss. The book delves into the intricacies of their relationship and the broader implications of cultural change, providing insight into both Navajo culture and the universal struggles faced by individuals in the face of modernization.
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Winner of the Pulitzer Prize
“A romantic idyll played out in the rhythms and meanings of a vanished Navajo world.” –Denver Post
An enduring American classic, Oliver La Farge’s award-winning first novel captures the essence of the Southwest in the early twentieth century.
Laughing Boy is a model member of his tribe. Raised in old traditions, skilled in silver work, and known for his prowess in the wild horse races, he does the Navajos of T’o Tlakai proud. But times are changing. It is 1914, and the first car has just driven into their country. Then, Laughing Boy meets Slim Girl–and despite her “American” education and the warnings of his family, he gives in to desire and marries her.
As Laughing Boy and Slim Girl settle away from traditional villages–their different upbringings clashing within both their relationship and the ever-encroaching culture around them–each of their worlds are thrown into a heart-wrenching turmoil of love, honor, hope, and heritage.
“Compelling in its strength and simplicity, and its fidelity to the deepest impulses of human nature,” Laughing Boy is an unprecedented look at both the Navajo culture and the enduring legacy of tradition and loss that all Americans share (New York Times).
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