2025 Book Award Winners
Eve
How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution Cat Bohannon Seattle, WA Bohannon surveys more than 200 million years of evolutionary history and asks: where are the female bodies? The result is a deeply rigorous and witty corrective to the way we view the role they have played in the development of tools, body parts, and brains. Eve delivers something genuinely, brilliantly new and sets the standard for how we talk and think about our species. Alfred A. Knopf |
It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over
Anne de Marcken Olympia, WA In haunting prose, de Marcken guides us through the world of her unnamed, undead narrator with a deft hand and an unparalleled tenderness. As she travels westward, reaching for the details of a life that she has forgotten, she meets humanity in all its disparate forms, encountering violence, devotion, and grief—the breadth of the human experience. A fascinating, groundbreaking entry into modern speculative fiction, sure to leave the reader changed. New Directions Publishing |
Log Life
Amy Hevron Seattle, WA Hevron’s playful text and lively art celebrate the essential role of nurse logs in a healthy forest. The informational picture book gives a fun and accessible overview of the centuries-long progression of fungi, insects, seeds and spore, small mammals, birds, and eventual larger beings that benefit from a fallen fir tree. Delightfully rewarding for older readers as well. Simon & Schuster |
Coexistence
Stories Billy-Ray Belcourt Vancouver, BC Characters who embody Native perspectives drive this compelling collection. Through nuanced narrative, Belcourt portrays the ways theory, ideas, and values—passively or with purpose—influence daily decisions, directing life trajectories. These stories amplify unheard voices. Be prepared to listen. W.W. Norton |
Becoming Little Shell
A Landless Indian's Journey Home Chris La Tray Missoula, MT La Tray invites us to walk with him as he navigates the complexities of identity, ancestry, and the enduring legacy of Montana's Little Shell Tribe. This is a journey that spans generations, weaving personal memoir with the rich and often painful history of a people fighting to maintain their heritage in the face of adversity. We witness not only the struggles and injustices, but also the unwavering strength of the Little Shell spirit, their deep connection to the land, and enduring power of family bonds. Milkweed Editions |
Wild and Distant Seas
Tara Karr Roberts Moscow, ID Magical realism meets historical fiction in this literary reimagining in the voice of a minor character from Melville's Moby Dick. An expansive debut novel spanning not only continents but generations, with exacting and whimsical imagery that harkens back to the classic that inspired its creation. You won't forget the women in these pages and perhaps you'll even long for your own bowl of chowder from the Try Pots Inn. W.W. Norton |