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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
This book just did not ring true to my ears in any way. What-if about an attempt to bring Cheyenne into mainstream cultural alignment by marriage to white women (Cheyenne is matrilineal society). Told from perspective of one woman's (May Dodd) diary entries.
Yes, Jim Fergus, we want this to be a true story...and are ever-surprised that it is not. Still...I love May Dodd's story and how her own voice (through her journals) narrates her journey and that of her fellow fascinating "white women." This is one of those books you hate to see end - metering out the last pages deliberately to make it continue just a little longer. And the last pages of THIS book are particularly worth a slow read!
In One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd, Jim Fergus crafts a story of what might have occured had the request by a Northern Cheyenne chief for white women as brides to help assimilate Native Americans to white culture had been granted during a peace conference in 1854. May Dodd is rounded up to be a bride because she is in an asylum for having a relationship and children with a man below her station in life. She keeps journals to recount how this "giving of brides" played out. I thought she was a great narrator smart and straight forward with a fair amount of humor toward her situation. I especially appreciated her observations on the Cheyenne culture. I loved some of the other brides as well, Phemie, Helen, and the twins. I enjoyed this book though it did have its moments where I was ready to be moving along.
The writing was beautiful but the way in which the story was presented was not believable. I found the protagonist mostly annoying and couldn't feel for her but the overall story was good.
Even though it was hard to imagine we were in the 1800's...the story was interesting and kept my attention. If you don't overthink the writing, it was an enjoyable read.
Super interesting premise with a fast moving storyline that sucked me right in. The details were both ridiculous and believable in a way I couldn’t quite figure out until the end.
It was ok. It didn't really grab me like I thought it would. She was an interesting narrator, but I found it really slow.
I love Native American stories, women's history, and fiction, and this book having all three of those descriptions would be right up my alley. I probably would like this book more than those who do not. While I found the premise to be genuinely interesting and original, I was a little disappointed in the delivery. The horrors of war were not so horrible, the bonds between the women could have been closer, and I don't think I'm giving anything away by saying the main character's persistence in assimilation was annoying.
adventurous
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Cultural appropriation
adventurous
funny
reflective
tense
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:
Yes