Shards of Silence
Brian Lee Young
Heartdrum
Published May 5, 2026
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About Shards of Silence
In his first YA novel, award-winning author Brian Lee Young (Diné) bridges the generational divide between a Navajo teen at an elite prep school and his great-grandmother’s experience at a federal boarding school for Indigenous students. The book is an eye-opening call for community healing and a profound coming-of-age story.
Even if it hurts to leave behind his friends and family in Navajo, New Mexico—especially his great-grandmother, Mildred—Derrick knows his scholarship to an elite East Coast boarding school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Sagefield Academy is totally different from life on the rez: His new classmates vacation in Europe and take study drugs. Derrick wants to stick to caffeine, but handling sports, school, and a twenty-page term paper, all while dodging comments about his hair and heritage, feels straight-up impossible.
Back home, Másání Mildred’s health is fading quickly. On the phone, she begs Derrick to leave Sagefield. When he realizes her fear comes from her time in federal Native boarding schools, he knows he’s finally found the term paper theme he believes carrying her voice into the future.
Derrick will need to shatter a steadfast generational silence to untangle his great-grandmother’s memories—though her story might change him, and his family, forever.
My Review
What struck me most in reading this story is the parallel the author draws between Derrick’s experience at a boarding school and his great-grandmother’s at a residential school years earlier. His experience gives him the opportunity to ask about her history. It also prompts him to learn more of the history surrounding the schools and to read more survivor stories.
As a character, Derrick is pretty likable. He’s straightforward and open, takes care of his family, and works hard to protect his future. He’s not perfect, certainly, but he is committed to following his heart.
His own experience at boarding school challenges him, too. He must decide how and when he wants to educate others about his beliefs and traditions. He has to decide when to speak up and offer a new perspective on the history curriculum he’s expected to learn in class. It was easy to follow his feelings as he sorted out how he felt in those instances and wrestled with how to respond.
I also really liked his relationships with his family, especially his mom and his great-grandmother. I think the softness in his interactions with them helped balance some of the harder edges of his character with his teammates and friends.
All in all, I can see this book appealing to readers who enjoy contemporary fiction that explores social issues. Readers looking for contemporary stories that don’t center on romance will also enjoy this one.
Content Notes
Recommended for Ages 14 up.
Profanity/Crude Language Content
Mild profanity used somewhat frequently. Two instances of stronger profanity.
Romance/Sexual Content
None.
Spiritual Content
References to Indigenous spiritual practices and religious beliefs.
Violent Content
Reference to a drunk driving accident with fatalities. This happened before the story begins.
Drug Content
Brief use of stimulants to aid in studying. The user regrets this later. Derrick hears rumors that a close friend has started using and/or selling drugs.
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