In ‘The Removed,’ Brandon Hobson delves into Cherokee folklore and healing from trauma The novel focuses on a family coping with the aftermath of a police shooting. Brandon Hobson, originally from Oklahoma and an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation Tribe of Oklahoma, incorporated tribal traditions into his new novel, "The Removed."(Brandon Hobson) Where the Dead Sit Talking, was a finalist for the National Book Award. His new book, The Removed, focuses on the Echota family in the days leading up to its annual family bonfire. The small-town Oklahoma gathering celebrates the Cherokee National Holiday, but the Echotas also use it to remember teenager Ray-Ray, their son and brother, killed 15 years earlier in a police shooting.