Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
Having read Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West, I was familiar with the long history of the U.S. government making and breaking treaties with the indigenous peoples of this land, but Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz added a new dimension to my understanding. She powerfully underscores the fact that North America was a land of multiple independent nations before Europeans came and forcibly took the land from them. People often seem to have this fascination with the question, "What if the Nazis had won?" but what Dunbar-Ortiz showed me is that we've already seen the answer to that in horrifying detail. Nation after nation was invaded, their land annexed, and their people systematically killed. And as she makes clear, this was not a case of two armies coming together and the "weaker" one losing, nor was it primarily a case of unintentional manslaughter through foreign pathogens. Again and again, white invaders — and, eventually, representatives of the U.S. government — intentionally went about killing unarmed civilians, including women and children, with the express purpose of committing genocide in order to make it easier for them to forcibly take over the land. Using both primary documents and work by modern indigenous researchers, and with compelling comparisons to the ways U.S. imperialism has played out abroad, Dunbar-Ortiz makes a strong case for the idea that the indigenous peoples in what is now the United States are victims of a form of colonization that is still in effect today.
As a comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and highly detailed work of history, the book is understandably a bit dry. I listened to it on audio and needed to rewind numerous times because my mind was wandering. I think it's worth the read/listen — and honestly, it's not that long of a book — but be prepared to give it your full attention and don't expect to get drawn in on the prose alone.
On the whole, this is extremely well done and definitely worth a read.
As a comprehensive, thoroughly researched, and highly detailed work of history, the book is understandably a bit dry. I listened to it on audio and needed to rewind numerous times because my mind was wandering. I think it's worth the read/listen — and honestly, it's not that long of a book — but be prepared to give it your full attention and don't expect to get drawn in on the prose alone.
On the whole, this is extremely well done and definitely worth a read.
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
This review is mostly for me and not about any particular content.
I haven't seriously read a non-fiction book since 2022 and found that I have a surface-level understanding of how deep and dark the history of the U.S. goes. I've read a lot of fiction books that serve as allegories or interact with the real-world through a fantasy lens, but considering the times we're in, I don't think picking up a copy of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games or something equivalent is sufficient for me or the situation right now. This book is packed with a lot of information and the Indigenous resistance that started since the settlers/colonizers invaded this land is both disheartening and powerful. I learned a lot and I plan to compile my notes to be able to retain and sit on the information here. This book is very much academic writing so it can be a challenge. I'm thinking of reading the Young Adults version as well to help with that. Nonetheless, this is a good read for covering a comprehensive and expansive history of the United States' colonialist and genocidal actions toward the Indigenous people of this land. It's not for a focus on a particular event in time, but it is good for someone like me who had basically no knowledge of the history. This is my first non-fiction book of the year and I plan to keep the momentum moving. I checked this book out of the library, but I definitely will buy a physical copy (and recommend anyone else to do so) so that this information carries on in case of any future bans.
informative
challenging
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Wow. Such a hard read. But a necessary one. I had to take it in segments and digest it slowly. I appreciated the author's extensive research and the way she presented the material.
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Colonisation, War
Moderate: Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Alcohol