New books recently published by members of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln community include “The Bones of Paradise” by Jonis Agee and “Great Plains Indians” by David Wishart.

The Bones of Paradise, by Jonis Agee, professor of English, (William Morrow, 417 pages, 2016) —This multigenerational family saga is set in the Nebraska Sandhills 10 years after the massacre at Wounded Knee. It opens with J.B. Bennett, a white rancher, and Star, a young Native American woman, being murdered in a remote meadow. The deaths bring together the scattered members of the Bennett family. As the mystery of the deaths unfold, the history of the dysfunctional Bennett clan and their secrets are revealed, exposing the conflicted heart of a nation caught between the past and future. Agee is the award-winning author of “The River Wife.” For more information, click here.

Great Plains Indians, by David Wishart, historical geographer with the School for Natural Resources (University of Nebraska Press, 168 pages, 2016) — The Center for Great Plains Studies has kicked off its “Discover the Great Plains” small-books series with Wishart. In the book, Wishart tackles the exploitation of Native American nations since the arrival of Europeans several hundred years ago; he looks at the displacement of Natives to territories; and then to the Native’s willing sales of those lands over the course of 100 years. Finally, he looks at how Natives have thrived despite, at times, difficult odds. The series is meant to bring a variety of Great Plains topics to a general audience. For more information, click here.

This regular Nebraska Today column features information about the recent publications of faculty, staff and students. For more information about each publication, click the link within the related book. The campus community can submit recent publication news to tfedderson@unl.edu or call 402-472-8515.