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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
3.5 stars. An engaging story in many ways but I refuse to believe anyone wrote in their diary this much, especially when toiling all day. I also don’t see how the l diary format helped the narrative arc at all.
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Some good, some bad. An entertaining read but sad as well.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
“Now we move out again, the horses slipping down off the knoll, following the People, who follow the buffalo, who follow the grass, which springs from the Earth” (p. 175).
Woof, this sure was a book. I’m about to get on a cruise and if I wasn’t worried about pollution, I would throw this thing overboard.
The author is a white man narrating from an 1870s woman’s perspective with a lot of really fun hot takes. The main character is #notlikeothergirls. She’s also racist as all get out. Racism is a pretty big theme here and while I recognize that we’re talking about the 1870s, there’s a way you can write that history without succumbing to the prejudice and bigotry yourself. Rape and sexual assault is also a pretty significant theme which was SO great to read from a man’s perspective. Side note for a weird detail that came up a lot; penis size was mentioned competitively in a way that I haven’t heard since middle school. Which is obviously exactly what a rape survivor/frontier woman/asylum patient from 1870 is talking about. I don’t think I have the space or the energy to detail the extent of the racism in this book, but in brief, there are Black, Irish, Swiss, Indigenous, and French characters who are all little more than a caricature. The Black and Indigenous characterizations are among the most appalling. There’s also gratuitous use of racial slurs.
I realize this book was published in the 90s but I am legitimately shocked that it was approved for publication at all. Don’t waste your time with this one. If you want to understand the vibe of this book, maybe talk to your friendly neighborhood white supremacist.
Edit: I just learned this monstrosity is part of a trilogy????? It’s giving the biggest ick.
The author is a white man narrating from an 1870s woman’s perspective with a lot of really fun hot takes. The main character is #notlikeothergirls. She’s also racist as all get out. Racism is a pretty big theme here and while I recognize that we’re talking about the 1870s, there’s a way you can write that history without succumbing to the prejudice and bigotry yourself. Rape and sexual assault is also a pretty significant theme which was SO great to read from a man’s perspective. Side note for a weird detail that came up a lot; penis size was mentioned competitively in a way that I haven’t heard since middle school. Which is obviously exactly what a rape survivor/frontier woman/asylum patient from 1870 is talking about. I don’t think I have the space or the energy to detail the extent of the racism in this book, but in brief, there are Black, Irish, Swiss, Indigenous, and French characters who are all little more than a caricature. The Black and Indigenous characterizations are among the most appalling. There’s also gratuitous use of racial slurs.
I realize this book was published in the 90s but I am legitimately shocked that it was approved for publication at all. Don’t waste your time with this one. If you want to understand the vibe of this book, maybe talk to your friendly neighborhood white supremacist.
Edit: I just learned this monstrosity is part of a trilogy????? It’s giving the biggest ick.
adventurous
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, War
Minor: Child death, Gore, Miscarriage, Racial slurs
Fascinating book. First of all, the author describes the America west beautifully. With the setting firmly in place, he then pulls us into the 19th century, not the best time to be a woman or a Native American. This book made me think of American History, even though it is completely fictional, in a whole new way. Life is never easy. Nothing is really all that black or white. There are always multiple ways of looking at something and they can all be "right". I highly recommend this book!
I meant to just start the book and get to some chores around the house. Six hours later, I finished the book. I enjoyed the it very much, despite the fact that I couldn't let myself get completely absorbed in the story, since it was so obviously written by a man. The beginning is a little clunky and the characters can be sort of cliches...but I also spent six hours of time I planned on using for doing necessary things happily reading on the couch. I'd read another book by him.
