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caidyn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
What a compelling, fast read. I loved how the story was carried by so many people who had their own perspectives. This was just excellent.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Police brutality
shelleyanderson4127's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was a deeply engaging book that I can heartedly recommend. It is a multi-generational drama that revolves around a young man named Ever Geimausaddle, told by different members of his extended family. Ever's Mexican father is almost beaten to death by corrupt police in from of him, an act of violence that took place when Ever was six months old. His Cherokee grandmother and other traditional elders believe this act bewitched the baby, leaving him prone to violence himself.
Ever's mother Turtle, of Kiowa and Cherokee heritage, struggles to provide a secure home for her children and to put food on the table. In a last act of redemption, Ever's alcoholic grandfather makes Ever and his cousin dance regalia and introduces them to pow-wows and the Kiowa Gourd Dance. His Cherokee grandmother gifts Ever, and later Ever's own children, hand-made quilts full of their own healing.
The details of indigenous life and the different family voices form the gripping emotional core of this work. Poverty, addiction, corruption and the struggle for affordable housing are clearly depicted, alongside the strength of family, community, and knowing one's roots.
There are many moving chapters that will stay with me from this debut novel. These include the story of Vincent Geimausaddle, who abandoned Turtle as a child, dying as a result of alcohol abuse, but who fights to build a good relationship with his grandsons, and to pass on some of his Kiowa culture. And the story of Opbee Geimausaddle, a relative of Ever's, who understands the power of her grandmother's quilts to save lives. The blanket dance in the title refers to a custom of community members contributing money on a blanket and presenting it to honor or to help a family in need. Ever has sold his grandmother's quilts in order to keep his family together, and Opbee embarks on a journey to reunite his children with their quilts, a journey that will heal both her and the children.
"If we were echoes from one voice we wouldn't carry very far," says a character in the book. "We've echoed through endless generations because we are constructed by the voices of many." Ultimately this very moving novel is about survival in the face of devastating violence.
Ever's mother Turtle, of Kiowa and Cherokee heritage, struggles to provide a secure home for her children and to put food on the table. In a last act of redemption, Ever's alcoholic grandfather makes Ever and his cousin dance regalia and introduces them to pow-wows and the Kiowa Gourd Dance. His Cherokee grandmother gifts Ever, and later Ever's own children, hand-made quilts full of their own healing.
The details of indigenous life and the different family voices form the gripping emotional core of this work. Poverty, addiction, corruption and the struggle for affordable housing are clearly depicted, alongside the strength of family, community, and knowing one's roots.
There are many moving chapters that will stay with me from this debut novel. These include the story of Vincent Geimausaddle, who abandoned Turtle as a child, dying as a result of alcohol abuse, but who fights to build a good relationship with his grandsons, and to pass on some of his Kiowa culture. And the story of Opbee Geimausaddle, a relative of Ever's, who understands the power of her grandmother's quilts to save lives. The blanket dance in the title refers to a custom of community members contributing money on a blanket and presenting it to honor or to help a family in need. Ever has sold his grandmother's quilts in order to keep his family together, and Opbee embarks on a journey to reunite his children with their quilts, a journey that will heal both her and the children.
"If we were echoes from one voice we wouldn't carry very far," says a character in the book. "We've echoed through endless generations because we are constructed by the voices of many." Ultimately this very moving novel is about survival in the face of devastating violence.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Child abuse, and Police brutality
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