The Eisner-nominated author/artist/colorist trio (This Place: 150 Years Retold, 2019) reunites here to continue the Denendeh series, a planned trilogy. The inaugural volume, A Blanket of Butterflies, introduced a T???ch? Dene community in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, controlled by the town's "bad man," Benny, whose "DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP!" sign belied a broken heart. Benny returns in volume 2, celebrating his birthday with an endless line of desperate people hoping to "impress" him for a $20,000 reward. Curtis, who's just returned to Fort Smith after six weeks in rehab, presents Benny with Benny's long-missing gold watch. Rather than the cash, Curtis requests his grandfather Louis' house back, which Benny owns. Curtis desperately hopes Louis' "old magic" is still contained within. To break the generations of self-destruction, Curtis knows the only way to help himself is to help others, Benny included. Once again, Van Camp affectingly melds his T???ch? Dene heritage d his Fort Smith hometown th urgent, contemporary storytelling, memorably enlivened by Henderson's meticulous, realistic art and vibrantly colored by Yaciuk.

Notorious bootlegger Benny the Bank and his crew return in a story about connecting with Tłı̨chǫ Dene heritage and reckoning with personal and community struggles.It's Benny's birthday, and whoever can impress him will receive a significant sum of money. Curtis, a young man who recently returned to Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, after six weeks in rehab, surprises Benny by returning his lost watch to him. Curtis found it in the forest while fighting fires. Desperate to change his life and not fall back on abusing alcohol, Curtis asks not for money but to have his grandfather's home, which Benny now owns. Curtis' grandfather was said to have healing powers given to him by the Little People and Spirit Helpers. Wanting to help others in Fort Smith who struggle with alcoholism, Curtis believes he can bring the old magic back. As Curtis calls on the Little People, Benny struggles physically (with a wound he received in prison from being stabbed with a poisoned knife) and mentally (with thoughts of the legacy he will leave behind). Van Camp (Tłı̨chǫ Nation) has created a fast-paced tale containing positive depictions of Dene medicine, spirituality, and people. The striking full-color illustrations add cultural context and drama to the text. Although second in a series, this book can be read as a stand-alone. Backmatter gives cultural information and context for one character's Inuit face tattoos.A beautiful, moving story of helping, healing, and hope. (Graphic fiction. 14-adult)