Plot Summary
A Yellow Raft in Blue Water follows a young woman named Rayona, her mother Christine, and Christine's mother Aunt Ida. The novel begins with Rayona playing cards with Christine in the hospital, when Rayona's African American father Elgin visits, angering Christine. Christine leaves the hospital with Rayona, threatening suicide at the spot where Rayona was conceived. Christine eventually leaves Rayona with Aunt Ida, where over time, Rayona begins to learn about herself and where she came from. Rayona eventually runs away and lives with a family at Bear Paw Lake until she returns to Aunt Ida.
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