Rain Is Not My Indian Name

When grief threatens to swallow you whole, sometimes the hardest thing—and the bravest—is to step back into the light.

New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Leitich Smith delivers a powerful, tender story about a teenage photographer learning to live again after unimaginable loss. Six months ago, Cassidy Rain Berghoff’s best friend Galen died, and she’s been hiding behind her camera lens ever since, shutting out the world and everyone in it.

But when her Aunt Georgia’s Indian Camp becomes the center of controversy in their mostly white midwestern town, Rain accepts a job photographing the campers for the local newspaper. What begins as a way to stay professionally distant becomes something much more profound—a journey back to her intertribal community, back to connection, and ultimately, back to herself.

Smith writes with remarkable insight and humor, capturing the messy, complicated truth about grief: that healing isn’t linear, that community matters, and that opening your heart again takes tremendous courage. Rain’s voice feels authentic and lived-in, navigating questions about identity, belonging, and what it means to honor the past while embracing new beginnings.

Perfect for readers who loved The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian or Firekeeper’s Daughter, this story resonates long after the final page. Created in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, it’s an essential addition to any collection celebrating authentic Native voices and stories of resilience.

Sometimes the camera helps you see what you’ve been missing all along.

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