Crazy Brave is a memoir written by the Native American poet Joy Harjo. The book spans over 176 pages and was published in July 2012 by W. W. Norton Company, before being republished a year later by the same publisher. In 2014, it was made into an audiobook by Audible Studios. Following the life of Joy Harjo, the reader gets an insight into the life of the author, including how and why she became the woman she is today.
Harjo is a descendant of both the Cherokee and the Creek tribe, a status which she elegantly interweaves into her story. She grew up in a turbulent home, as her mother raised her children alone. Looking for help, she married an older man that ended up being abusive to both the children in the home as well as herself. This is one of the important aspects of the book, as the book itself is one of the few written documents documenting how native women were treated in America.
She also includes how she turned to poetry for help and peace, which is what she is more widely known for. Her home is a safe haven for Native victims of domestic abuse, including taking care and nourishing these people, giving them strength in numbers. The book won the American Book Award in 2013.
