Fiction about uranium miners

Returning home: Author talks about experiences growing up in ShiprockAuthor Ann Cummins' new book, "Yellowcake," centers on uranium mining in Shiprock and its consequences for the miners, both Anglo and Navajo. The daughter of a miner herself, Cummins was born in Durango, Colo., and lived in Shiprock from age 9 to 18. The book is her first novel, a follow-up to her debut collection of short stories.

Cummins said she's been working on the book for about 10 years, returning to Shiprock, Farmington and Durango. about twice a year. In a phone interview, she talked about growing up during the Navajo "apartheid" in Shiprock in the 1960s and 70s, her entry to writing at the age of 27, and her next project—adapting "Yellowcake" for the stage.