You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
This was an eye opening peak into life on the reservation.
The cruelty and inhuman acts committed against the Native Americans.
The cruelty and inhuman acts committed against the Native Americans.
Author Weiden has had an extensive life - a lawyer, a prof of Poli Sci (Metro State U in Denver, where he lives), and after a few years of Creative Writing programs, his first novel - in his mid 50's!
Set mostly in the Rosebud Indian reservation in SD, and a bit in Rapid City, Denver, and the are around Valentine (northeast corner of NE - so we get also get a brief stop off at Carhenge in Alliance, NE!).
A bit too much going on at first, a few too many story lines. But he brings them all together in the end. The grand finale is violent, so be warned.
He brings up lots of NAI issues - the drugs, the lack of adequate policing (which is why our main character is a paid enforcer, outside the law), nutrition, history, and spirituality. While Weiden does often bring up social issues, I never felt like I was preached to. I was never a fan of Hillerman, but I felt that Heska Wanbli Weiden, an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota nation, incorporated the Lakota spirituality well. He adds an "Authot's Note" at the end, discussing some of the social and criminal issues on the reservation, but also letting us know that any of the ceremonies he describes he has taken from sources already in print - he does not share aspects of these ceremonies which should be kept only within the tribe.
The last 80 pages burn along, and I am excited to read his next adventure - hinted at in the last lines of this book.
Set mostly in the Rosebud Indian reservation in SD, and a bit in Rapid City, Denver, and the are around Valentine (northeast corner of NE - so we get also get a brief stop off at Carhenge in Alliance, NE!).
A bit too much going on at first, a few too many story lines. But he brings them all together in the end. The grand finale is violent, so be warned.
He brings up lots of NAI issues - the drugs, the lack of adequate policing (which is why our main character is a paid enforcer, outside the law), nutrition, history, and spirituality. While Weiden does often bring up social issues, I never felt like I was preached to. I was never a fan of Hillerman, but I felt that Heska Wanbli Weiden, an enrolled member of the Sicangu Lakota nation, incorporated the Lakota spirituality well. He adds an "Authot's Note" at the end, discussing some of the social and criminal issues on the reservation, but also letting us know that any of the ceremonies he describes he has taken from sources already in print - he does not share aspects of these ceremonies which should be kept only within the tribe.
The last 80 pages burn along, and I am excited to read his next adventure - hinted at in the last lines of this book.
"Virgil Wounded Horse is the local enforcer on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in South Dakota. When justice is denied by the American legal system or the tribal council, Virgil is hired to deliver his own punishment, the kind that’s hard to forget. But when heroin makes its way into the reservation and finds Virgil’s nephew, his vigilantism suddenly becomes personal. He enlists the help of his ex-girlfriend and sets out to learn where the drugs are coming from, and how to make them stop."
Sounds like a great plot line and I was looking forward to something a little different in my mystery/thriller reading. Despite all the positive reviews of Winter Counts, after reading near to a quarter of this novel, I returned it to my library. The story plodded along, can't say as I had any attachment to the protagonist, and I lost interest. Found the novel dull.
Sounds like a great plot line and I was looking forward to something a little different in my mystery/thriller reading. Despite all the positive reviews of Winter Counts, after reading near to a quarter of this novel, I returned it to my library. The story plodded along, can't say as I had any attachment to the protagonist, and I lost interest. Found the novel dull.
dark
tense
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Gun violence
"Sadness is like an abandoned car left out in a field for good - it changes a little over the years, but doesn't ever disappear. You may forget about it for a while, but it's still there, rusting away, until you notice it again."
Winter Counts has been on my radar for some time now. Every now and then I love a good thriller and I especially love thrillers that feature new stories/perspectives for me. Thrillers from an indigenous point of view? Sign me up. On top of being a thriller, this book offered me some new information about what life is like for indigenous folks. In this case, I learned about the justice system and what that often looks like for indigenous folks. Since crimes committed on reservations cannot be tried by the American justice system, it has to be handled by the tribal council. Often, these folks know each other so "true" justice doesn't happen. That's when Virgil Wounded Horse comes in. He delivers his own punishment which often results in some incredibly violent and bloody encounters.
Virgil knows there are drugs on the reservation but it isn't until heroin reaches Virgil's nephew that Virgil takes an interest in figuring out what is happening. Virgil seeks out his ex-girlfriend and the two of them start to uncover where the drugs are coming from and work to make them stop coming to his reservation. Their search takes them to Denver and back. More is uncovered the longer they search - and their search just yields more unknowns, danger, and questions.
I liked the perspective of this book and I especially loved that we got to learn more about what it's like living on an indigenous reservation in today's world. Rampant drug and alcohol use with very little money makes life dark and difficult yet you can see glimpses of what could be for some of these characters. I think going into this book I was expecting more of a mystery and while there was definitely a mystery with this story, it's more of a thriller. Even as a novice mystery reader, I was able to guess the ending and for that, that made this reading experience slightly less enjoyable for me. I would definitely recommend this one for adult readers who want to know more about what life is like for indigenous folks today.
TW: violence, police injustice/brutality, drug use, addiction, assault, murder, death, rape (mentioned), poverty, suicidal ideology
Winter Counts has been on my radar for some time now. Every now and then I love a good thriller and I especially love thrillers that feature new stories/perspectives for me. Thrillers from an indigenous point of view? Sign me up. On top of being a thriller, this book offered me some new information about what life is like for indigenous folks. In this case, I learned about the justice system and what that often looks like for indigenous folks. Since crimes committed on reservations cannot be tried by the American justice system, it has to be handled by the tribal council. Often, these folks know each other so "true" justice doesn't happen. That's when Virgil Wounded Horse comes in. He delivers his own punishment which often results in some incredibly violent and bloody encounters.
Virgil knows there are drugs on the reservation but it isn't until heroin reaches Virgil's nephew that Virgil takes an interest in figuring out what is happening. Virgil seeks out his ex-girlfriend and the two of them start to uncover where the drugs are coming from and work to make them stop coming to his reservation. Their search takes them to Denver and back. More is uncovered the longer they search - and their search just yields more unknowns, danger, and questions.
I liked the perspective of this book and I especially loved that we got to learn more about what it's like living on an indigenous reservation in today's world. Rampant drug and alcohol use with very little money makes life dark and difficult yet you can see glimpses of what could be for some of these characters. I think going into this book I was expecting more of a mystery and while there was definitely a mystery with this story, it's more of a thriller. Even as a novice mystery reader, I was able to guess the ending and for that, that made this reading experience slightly less enjoyable for me. I would definitely recommend this one for adult readers who want to know more about what life is like for indigenous folks today.
TW: violence, police injustice/brutality, drug use, addiction, assault, murder, death, rape (mentioned), poverty, suicidal ideology
Rich descriptions of the Lakota culture, mystery was ok- slightly predictable.
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
3.5 stars. Kept my interest though I didn’t necessarily enjoy the writing style.