At once tragic and up-lifting, Heartsong tells the story of an Oglala Sioux who travels the extraordinary geographical and cultural distance from tribal life in South Dakota to surviving by his wits on the streets of Marseilles. Marooned after a horse-riding accident, Charging Elk struggles for survival in an alien world. Scared, disoriented and hamstrung by bureaucratic red tape, he becomes embroiled in a shocking murder and love affair that will change his life - beyond his wildest imaginings. Welch has produced a haunting epic of culture shock, discovery and personal redemption.