Sacred City

by Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.

Chicago: home to urban Indians and immigrants and working folks and the whole gamut of people getting by in a world that doesn't care whether they do so or not. Sacred City is an incomparable follow-up to Van Alst's award-winning debut collection, Sacred Smokes. Our young narrator now heads deeper into the heart of the city and himself, accompanied by ancestors and spirits who help him and the reader see that Chicago was, is, and always will be Indian Country. Part love song and part lament, Sacred City explores what options are available to an intelligent, smart-assed young man who was born poor and grew up in a gang. Van Alst's skillful storytelling takes us on a journey where Chicago will never seem the same.

Genres: Indigenous, Fiction

200 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2021

About the author

Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. is the author of Chicago-set award-winning story collections Sacred Smokes, Sacred City; and Sacred Folks as well as Pour One for the Devil. He is the co-editor of the bestselling Never Whistle at Night from Vintage/Penguin Random House. His debut novel, The El, won the 2025 Chicago Review of Books Fiction of the Year. His work has appeared in Southwest Review, Chicago Review, The Journal of Working-Class Studies, Red Earth Review, Massachusetts Review, Indian Country Today, and elsewhere. More at theodorevanalst.com.

Reviews

[Andrea Frazee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book

[Lauren Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book more than his previous one! It had the same really compelling voice and a similar cast of characters, but the chapters worked together better as a whole and it was easier to connect with the narrator in this book. I also liked how he incorporated conversations with his ancestors into the story, and it had some really interesting commentary about how gang life created a sense of community for some urban Indians. That being said, I still struggled a bit with the poetic, gritty style, and some of the chapters felt like they dragged on a bit. It was also a little challenging at times to trace the narrator's journey through his different jobs to his present day.

[H.V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this collection of related short stories. Gorgeous lyrical writing and strong voice/characters.

[C. Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Van Alst began in the excellent Sacred Smokes, he expands upon in Sacred City. It’s another voicey collection of interlinked stories told by Teddy, the author’s (maybe?) alter ego. But Teddy is growing up in this collection, and the stories accordingly expand in style as Teddy’s awareness expands. Themes such as the history of Chicago as Indigenous land are introduced in this collection and likewise expand the writing’s focus. There are quiet moments in Sacred City that hit this reader with as much power—more, probably—as the outrageous and harrowing ones. Van Alst has done what I wasn’t sure could be done. I’m rarely a fan of sequels or series, because the magic of that first novel so rarely can be repeated. But Van Alst has followed a favorite of mine with something that builds upon that prior work in ways both surprising and elevating.

[Nate Ripley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty awesome read. Very entertaining characters and stories. Familiar stories but each one is unique, and each illuminates the gritty underbelly of working class America. At the same time it is a very interesting perspective on urban living. Showing the blend of contemporary urban sensibilities and adversity with Lakota traditions, beliefs, and familial relations. Theodore displays a cohesiveness and maturation of the narrators voice both locally, within the book, and throughout this book and his last, "Sacred Smokes".

On a much more personal note. Theodore's books are so inspiring to me. I feel I can relate to a lot of these stories. His voice is a inspiration of my own in my writing, and it inspires me to do more writing. Couldn't ask for more from a book!

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great collection of stories

Sacred City, like Sacred Smokes before it, is filled with amazing characters that transport you to specific places (and often shifting points of time) in a familiar but unique narrative. The one liners are banger and plentiful with the description of the ambiance of Walmart alone worth the price of admission. I miss the world already but will get the audiobook when it comes out to experience it again through the author’s own reading.

[Shane Hawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this one a month back.

Placeholder for a review. Just like Ted’s first one, this is something special. I’m going to see if I can review this one for my forthcoming podcast, Indigenized Classroom.

SH

[Seamus Hight · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, this book is close to my heart. It's one of the books i'll always keep reading and re-reading.

[Maryellen Fricke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book from start to finish