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taibreakfast's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual violence, Death of parent, Suicide, Rape, Racism, Mental illness, Grief, Genocide, and Kidnapping
Minor: Child abuse, Alcoholism, War, Addiction, Child death, and Colonisation
annemaries_shelves's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was an absolutely beautiful novel of a Dakota woman through her life who, as a young teen, was stolen from her community in the 70s after her father died and put into foster care. She ended up marrying a white farmer, having a son, and making something of a life for herself for a while. Until her husband dies (at the beginning of the novel) and she finally returns home to the cabin she was raised in, only to rediscover the community she still has.
There's so much to unpack in this novel about specific Dakota experiences (such as the Minnesota-Dakota war of 1862), intergenerational trauma, the importance of family and community, the reciprocal relationships with the land and water (and how modern day colonial farming practices are actively harming those relationships), and most importantly, the literal and metaphorical importance of seeds.
And while I'm sure it wasn't the goal of the author, I personally learned a lot about Dakota history and colonization in Minnesota, especially with respect to the role seeds have played in historical and contemporary Dakota culture.
While Rosalie was our main character and provided the majority of the perspective for the novel, we did spend some time (but not enough) with a few other women. I would have loved some additional chapters with Marie Blackbird or Gaby Makepeace. I felt they had a lot to offer the story and could have rounded it out even further. Some POVs from Rosalie's family (especially her mother or grandmother) would have also worked well.
My favourite part is probably the absolutely stunning nature writing that was woven throughout this novel. If you're a fan of Braiding Sweetgrass or other nature writing I think you'll love this aspect.
Overall, The Seed Keeper was a beautiful story with memorable characters with a strong message of strength, resilience, and hope. It was an absolutely pleasure to read and I made a lot of annotations of various passages and scenes that stuck with me.
It also didn't hurt that it was partially set in the deep Minnesotan winter and I could relate while reading with my current frigid snowy Canadian winter.
There's so much to unpack in this novel about specific Dakota experiences (such as the Minnesota-Dakota war of 1862), intergenerational trauma, the importance of family and community, the reciprocal relationships with the land and water (and how modern day colonial farming practices are actively harming those relationships), and most importantly, the literal and metaphorical importance of seeds.
And while I'm sure it wasn't the goal of the author, I personally learned a lot about Dakota history and colonization in Minnesota, especially with respect to the role seeds have played in historical and contemporary Dakota culture.
While Rosalie was our main character and provided the majority of the perspective for the novel, we did spend some time (but not enough) with a few other women. I would have loved some additional chapters with Marie Blackbird or Gaby Makepeace. I felt they had a lot to offer the story and could have rounded it out even further. Some POVs from Rosalie's family (especially her mother or grandmother) would have also worked well.
My favourite part is probably the absolutely stunning nature writing that was woven throughout this novel. If you're a fan of Braiding Sweetgrass or other nature writing I think you'll love this aspect.
Overall, The Seed Keeper was a beautiful story with memorable characters with a strong message of strength, resilience, and hope. It was an absolutely pleasure to read and I made a lot of annotations of various passages and scenes that stuck with me.
It also didn't hurt that it was partially set in the deep Minnesotan winter and I could relate while reading with my current frigid snowy Canadian winter.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Racial slurs, and Racism
Minor: War, Suicide, Sexual violence, Addiction, and Forced institutionalization
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