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In the NoCo

A Berthoud writer’s newest horror novel explores the real-life crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women

Author Cassondra Windwalker, a woman with dark brown hair with faint blue or purple highlights is photographed outside with a blurry waterfall in the background.
Photo by Nika Refr Wolfe
/
Courtesy of Cassondra Windwalker

Writer Cassondra Windwalker’s new horror novel uses fiction to highlight a real-life crisis that often goes ignored.

Ghost Girls and Rabbits touches on the thousands of unsolved cases of Indigenous American and Alaska Native women who were missing or murdered. More than 4,000 cases fit that description, according to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The novel tells the story of two Indigenous American women: one who has lost her daughter, and the other who has herself been kidnapped. Windwalker is originally from Oklahoma, spent time in Alaska and now lives in Berthoud.

Ghost Girls and Rabbits was released on May 5, which is also a day of awareness to call attention to the issue.

Windwalker spoke with Erin O'Toole earlier this year about her influences and how she hopes the book raises awareness about an urgent problem.

We’re listening back to that conversation as part of In The NoCo’s Holiday Book Club – our annual look back at some of the year’s most fascinating titles by Colorado authors.

Find more information and links to the 2025 collection of author interviews here.

KUNC's In The NoCo is a daily slice of stories, news, people and issues. It's a window to the communities along the Colorado Rocky Mountains. The show brings context and insight to the stories of the day, often elevating unheard voices in the process. And because life in Northern Colorado is a balance of work and play, we celebrate the lighter side of things here, too.
As the host of KUNC’s news program and podcast In The NoCo, I work closely with our producers and reporters to bring context and diverse perspectives to the important issues of the day. Northern Colorado is such a diverse and growing region, brimming with history, culture, music, education, civic engagement, and amazing outdoor recreation. I love finding the stories and voices that reflect what makes NoCo such an extraordinary place to live.
Brad Turner is an executive producer in KUNC's newsroom. He manages the podcast team that makes In The NoCo, which also airs weekdays in Morning Edition and All Things Considered. His work as a podcaster and journalist has appeared on NPR's Weekend Edition, NPR Music, the PBS Newshour, Colorado Public Radio, MTV Online, the Denver Post, Boulder's Daily Camera, and the Longmont Times-Call.