Central Kansas Library System

Deborah Jorgenson is just four years old when she witnesses racism for the first time. Unfortunately, the hatred is directed at her. Born to Swedish parents in Minnesota in the early 1900s, Deborah believes her dark hair and skin come from a great-grandmother. When a fellow student bullies her and tells her she is an Indian, Deborah wonders why. Taught by her elderly Hopi Indian mentor to solve all her problems without resorting to violence, the strong-willed...

As a drought and the Great Depression continue to ravage Fremont County, Kansas, Deborah Nelson is attempting to raise seven boys, with the help of her neighbors and the spirit of her beloved friend, Grandfather Blue Sky. With here husband missing for two years, she has had no choice but to learn to rely on herself in uncertain and challenging times. Change is coming to Deborah's life, however, on several fronts.

Sky Bird continues the saga of one woman's struggle to endure adversity and find joy in the uncertainty pervading America in the late 1930s. Deborah Nelson experiences her share of hardship with the Depression, drought, and dust storms as she struggles to retain her farm and family in western Kansas. Family secrets and friendships have an impact on those in the neighborhood.