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meaganmart's review against another edition
2.0
I will start with the positives and say that I had never heard of The Long Walk of the Navajo and will now be doing more research and reading of materials by indigenous authors to learn more about the forced relocation, their internment, the agreement to send Navajo children to government run schools, and the impact on the cultural heritage of the tribe.
What I disliked tremendously: I think it is totally unrealistic for the main character to have the English name Sarah. For a tribe that so clearly resented and feared white men, why before establishing reliable contact would that have given their child this name? How would they even have heard or known how to pronounce an English name?
Also, the book has a soldier that plays the role of white savior, because what story could be complete without “proving” that all white people weren’t completely terrible and barbaric in their treatment of the indigenous people of the Americas.
What I disliked tremendously: I think it is totally unrealistic for the main character to have the English name Sarah. For a tribe that so clearly resented and feared white men, why before establishing reliable contact would that have given their child this name? How would they even have heard or known how to pronounce an English name?
Also, the book has a soldier that plays the role of white savior, because what story could be complete without “proving” that all white people weren’t completely terrible and barbaric in their treatment of the indigenous people of the Americas.
willwork4airfare's review against another edition
5.0
Love this series. Love this book. Happy to rediscover one of the ones I owned in elementary school.
zenithharpink's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars. I had trouble getting into this, probably because of the heartbreaking story of the book, which didn't waste any time digging into the sadness. I also had trouble because as much as this was a fictional memoir, it wasn't a diary and didn't pretend to be a diary. I found it off-putting given the context of this book series.
This is a chronicle of the destruction of a way of life, and it's hard to witness, even as fiction. I read with dread, especially since there was no real context until after the book ended. The confusion made everything both more terrifying and more realistic.
I recommend to mature young readers looking for a strong historical read on a shameful piece of American History.
This is a chronicle of the destruction of a way of life, and it's hard to witness, even as fiction. I read with dread, especially since there was no real context until after the book ended. The confusion made everything both more terrifying and more realistic.
I recommend to mature young readers looking for a strong historical read on a shameful piece of American History.
emilyusuallyreading's review against another edition
4.0
This is well-written and captivating. I remember being absorbed in the story of Sara Nita and her sister and their wolf-dog as a child.
I like the use of stories that are integrated into this book as well. Oral history is a big part of Native American culture, so I appreciated learning more about it.
I like the use of stories that are integrated into this book as well. Oral history is a big part of Native American culture, so I appreciated learning more about it.
world_etcher's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
disconightwing's review against another edition
5.0
I thought this one was really well written, actually.
alexblackreads's review against another edition
2.0
Usually I quite enjoy these books. I've been collecting and reading/rereading the Dear America books for the past few years, and I have always come away with a positive rating. But this one I didn't enjoy.
The historical aspects felt off to me. I'm very ignorant of the Navajo removal and Navajo culture in general, but it just didn't feel right. Checking reviews of some other people who were more educated on the topic basically confirmed my feelings that this book wasn't quite accurate. I highly recommend checking out some other reviews because they'll be much more helpful and detailed than mine.
It didn't feel as bad as it should have. It focuses on The Long Walk, when soldiers rounded up Navajo people and marched them several hundred miles to an internment camp. Many people died. Many people were murdered. And it feels very glossed over here. Like I said, I'm reading a lot of these books and they cover some absolutely tragic events in a child appropriate manner. People were killed, but it focuses more on the "good" white man than all the tragedy. The tone just felt off.
Half the book is also Sarah Nita telling stories to various people, which lifts the mood. I understand the attempt, but I think that also went a long way toward trivializing the events. Everyone smiles when Sarah Nita finishes a story, regardless of the fact that a pregnant woman just got shot for going into labor and they're starving. I think this structure could have worked had it been written different, but it almost feels like it infantilizes the Navajo people.
This is the first of these books that I've read as an adult that I wouldn't recommend, to adults or children. It's just not worth it.
The historical aspects felt off to me. I'm very ignorant of the Navajo removal and Navajo culture in general, but it just didn't feel right. Checking reviews of some other people who were more educated on the topic basically confirmed my feelings that this book wasn't quite accurate. I highly recommend checking out some other reviews because they'll be much more helpful and detailed than mine.
It didn't feel as bad as it should have. It focuses on The Long Walk, when soldiers rounded up Navajo people and marched them several hundred miles to an internment camp. Many people died. Many people were murdered. And it feels very glossed over here. Like I said, I'm reading a lot of these books and they cover some absolutely tragic events in a child appropriate manner. People were killed, but it focuses more on the "good" white man than all the tragedy. The tone just felt off.
Half the book is also Sarah Nita telling stories to various people, which lifts the mood. I understand the attempt, but I think that also went a long way toward trivializing the events. Everyone smiles when Sarah Nita finishes a story, regardless of the fact that a pregnant woman just got shot for going into labor and they're starving. I think this structure could have worked had it been written different, but it almost feels like it infantilizes the Navajo people.
This is the first of these books that I've read as an adult that I wouldn't recommend, to adults or children. It's just not worth it.
huncamuncamouse's review against another edition
3.0
Somewhere between a 3.5 and 4 feels right, especially for this series.
After reading Ann Rinaldi's My Heart Is on the Ground, I wasn't looking forward to another book from a Native American's perspective so soon (since this diary was also authored by a white woman). However, I thought that if nothing else, this book is not as tonally ambiguous, which I appreciated. I had (wrongly, thanks public school education) assumed that the Long Walk was the same thing as the Trail of Tears, but nope. This was just a similar event of native people being forced from their land.
Because the Navajo did not have a written language, the conceit of this particular diary is that Sarah Nita is giving an oral history to her granddaughter, who transcribes it. I thought this was pretty clever but it's a stretch to call it a diary. That didn't particularly bother me because we learn quickly that Sarah Nita is a very gifted storyteller and would have an excellent memory, especially about what was likely the hardest time in her life.
The first third of the book is somewhat slow moving, and it's unfortunate to say this, but once Sarah, her sister, and their surrogate family are forced to make the Long Walk, it picks up significantly and became really interesting. There are some brutal scenes, including the murder of a pregnant woman, so this is probably on the mature end of the Dear America books. The author also does a really good job handling the issue of sexual assault in an age appropriate way. That is, a reader who knows what sexual assault is will immediately recognize the threat, but those who aren't as knowledgeable will still understand that women are often singled out for abuse. That's a tough balance to strike.
I could have done without William/Micah Eyes, who takes a liking to Sarah's sister. Thank God this book didn't end with them married! In the author's defense, although he ALMOST veers into "white savior" and "not all white men" territory, I like that Sarah still remains suspicious of him and isn't exactly a fan. I appreciated that this had a relatively happy ending, all things considered. While not my favorite book in the series by any means, this was a definite improvement from the previous book featuring an indigenous narrator, and I appreciated a more straightforward indictment of how the Navajo people were driven from their land and brutalized.
After reading Ann Rinaldi's My Heart Is on the Ground, I wasn't looking forward to another book from a Native American's perspective so soon (since this diary was also authored by a white woman). However, I thought that if nothing else, this book is not as tonally ambiguous, which I appreciated. I had (wrongly, thanks public school education) assumed that the Long Walk was the same thing as the Trail of Tears, but nope. This was just a similar event of native people being forced from their land.
Because the Navajo did not have a written language, the conceit of this particular diary is that Sarah Nita is giving an oral history to her granddaughter, who transcribes it. I thought this was pretty clever but it's a stretch to call it a diary. That didn't particularly bother me because we learn quickly that Sarah Nita is a very gifted storyteller and would have an excellent memory, especially about what was likely the hardest time in her life.
The first third of the book is somewhat slow moving, and it's unfortunate to say this, but once Sarah, her sister, and their surrogate family are forced to make the Long Walk, it picks up significantly and became really interesting. There are some brutal scenes, including the murder of a pregnant woman, so this is probably on the mature end of the Dear America books. The author also does a really good job handling the issue of sexual assault in an age appropriate way. That is, a reader who knows what sexual assault is will immediately recognize the threat, but those who aren't as knowledgeable will still understand that women are often singled out for abuse. That's a tough balance to strike.
I could have done without William/Micah Eyes, who takes a liking to Sarah's sister. Thank God this book didn't end with them married! In the author's defense, although he ALMOST veers into "white savior" and "not all white men" territory, I like that Sarah still remains suspicious of him and isn't exactly a fan. I appreciated that this had a relatively happy ending, all things considered. While not my favorite book in the series by any means, this was a definite improvement from the previous book featuring an indigenous narrator, and I appreciated a more straightforward indictment of how the Navajo people were driven from their land and brutalized.