A Council of Dolls is the tale of three extraordinary women, told in part through the stories of the dolls they carried. Sissy, born 1961: Sissy's relationship with her beautiful and volatile mother is difficult -- even dangerous -- but her life is also filled with lovely things, including a new Christmas present: a doll called Ethel. Ethel whispers advice and kindness in Sissy's ear, and in one especially terrifying moment, maybe even saves Sissy's life. Lillian, born 1925: Raised in her tribe's reservation in a time of terrible change, Lillian clings to her sister Blanche and her doll, Mae. When the sisters are forced to attend an Indian boarding school far from their home, Blanche refuses to be cowed by the school's abusive nuns. But when tragedy strikes the sisters, Mae finds her way to defend the girls. Cora, born 1888: Born just after the genocidal "Indian Wars," Cora still isn't afraid of the white men who take her away to be "civilized." When teachers burn her beloved buckskin doll Winona, Cora discovers that the spirit of Winona may not be entirely lost.