Literary Awards
Review Highlights Beyond Romance -- HISTORY AND CULTURAL L.A
Bad Billy Review (Musician)
This novel was compelling, mystical, witchy and arrogant! Ms. Godin has a very colorful way with words, the beatnik lengua of L.A. She paints a picture telling tales of love, romance, from rags to riches, success and failure. A love story of an artist spanning four decades. I like her use of expressions, old sayings and acronyms. Godin certainly has a flare with using American English.
Dawnbreaker (Accountant)
This novel brought back the feel and tone of the 70's -- vibrant and cultural. The Southwest, its native culture and the pain and pride of survival. I cried. I laughed. I ranted and I will rave to all of my friends about this story.
Totally Honest Review (Biologist)
I loved this book and could not wait to read it every evening. I was very sad when I hit the last chapter of the book and it came to a closing. I loved the story, the characters, the development of the characters, the creative descriptions. Cordi's wasp-like waist and many other ideas and relationships and descriptions that made me think that I could relate to: Cordi's relationship with her mother. I loved the details about the native community in southern California, many transplants for various reasons. I loved the period references and pop culture, Macy Gray, Rickie Lee Jones, etc. ... I really can't wait for the next novel by this author. I am really very picky about writing style, stories, facts used in fiction, history, a compelling/interesting story setting/place, female perspective and NATIVE STORIES!
Intergenerational-Trauma Driven Academic Review (High School Teacher)
Following this storyline of pain and healing was very emotional and moving. It speaks through the turbulence of finding success, and ultimately peace, against a backdrop of intense Intergenerational trauma, and despite injustices of the present, I found the description of Los Angeles to be particularly interesting and colorful. I also appreciated the witty moments of humor throughout the book. The author provides a true historical background for her characters. This history is not well known, though compelling. It illustrates how generations shape our lives--a narrative of resilience, empowerment and hope.
Introducing Antoinette Godin
A New Literary Voice
Antoinette Godin is a debut novelist based in Tacoma, Washington, who explores themes of Native American identity in her work. An enrolled member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and a UCLA Law graduate, she has practiced tribal law for over three decades. Antoinette is also a proud finalist in the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (BIPOC), and the 2026 American Legacy Book Awards (ALBA), where her novel, 'Native Brush Strokes,' has garnered national attention.
Praise for Native Brush Strokes
A Masterclass in Visual Storytelling, 1970s Activism, and the Power of Indigenous Women
As an Indigenous female filmmaker, I am constantly looking at stories through a lens of framing, pacing, and visual texture. When I picked up Antoinette Godin's award-winning novel, Native Brush Strokes, I didn't just read the pages—I saw them unfold like a masterfully shot feature film.
Antoinette Godin, a gifted Chippewa storyteller and tribal law attorney, crafts a narrative that is both profoundly intimate and sweeping in scope. Following the turbulent journey of Cordi, an urban Native artist trying to find her place, the story is fueled by the raw energy, political awakening, and radical resistance of the 1970s. Godin brilliantly captures the high-stakes tension of the time, including the American Indian Movement (AIM) alongside the profound, parallel struggle for women's rights. For me, seeing Cordi navigate intergenerational trauma while pushing against both systemic oppression and patriarchal boundaries gives the narrative an incredible, modern feminist appeal.
What resonates most deeply is how Godin handles these broader movements. She balances a dark, intense romance with sharp, authentic cultural insights, avoiding clichés to show the true, complex spectrum of Indigenous female resilience during a revolutionary era of change. Every chapter feels like a deliberate brushstroke, painting a portrait of survival, autonomy, and reclamation.
Antoinette Godin's voice is essential to the contemporary literary landscape. She proves that our stories are not static; they are dynamic, cinematic, and profoundly moving. Native Brush Strokes is a triumph that demands to be read—and eventually, adapted for the screen.
-Orie Medicine Bull, Indigenous Filmmaker