A death in Oklahoma sets in motion events leading to something great: so says a Muscogee-speaking narrator when Cufe Smallhill, a registered Seminole who's part Creek, discovers his father's body one morning. Per dad's wishes, Cufe sinks the body in a pond. After a closed-casket funeral - Cufe's cousin loads a donated coffin with weights and a watermelon - Cufe goes to Tulsa to spend time with his sister, Miri. He meets Miri's neighbor, Francie. They talk and listen, and things seem to open up for Cufe. Miri has her problems, though, including an estrangement from her mother, Cora. Miri drinks too much, sleeps around, and steals from her boss. How can anything great come of this? Written by
Four Sheets to the Wind
After his father's untimely suicide, Cufe leaves his home in a Native American reservation in search of a more fulfilling life.
