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A review by nglofile
#NotYourPrincess: Voices of Native American Women by Lisa Charleyboy, Mary Beth Leatherdale
4.0
A remarkable collection of original artwork, poetry, essays, and testimonials. The formats may vary, as do the voices, but the connective tissue is the combined message of strength and agency.
Because the selections themselves are compact and the entire work is slim, it is easy to pick up for a few minutes but then lose yourself in its entirety. This makes it accessible to a variety of readers, especially the intended young adult audience, and the purity of message has value regardless of the reader's previous exposure to indigenous culture.
Two of the entries on which I find myself continuing to reflect are of wildly different tones but equal in power. One is a portrait of the thirteen-year-old who has been an active leader in the Standing Rock protest. The other is a recounting of (offensive, infuriating, all-too-believable) comments the unsuspecting author was subjected to by her massage therapist during a session. These are but samples that illustrate the different entry points that invite greater understanding of the struggles very much a part of even 21st century life.
Because the selections themselves are compact and the entire work is slim, it is easy to pick up for a few minutes but then lose yourself in its entirety. This makes it accessible to a variety of readers, especially the intended young adult audience, and the purity of message has value regardless of the reader's previous exposure to indigenous culture.
Two of the entries on which I find myself continuing to reflect are of wildly different tones but equal in power. One is a portrait of the thirteen-year-old who has been an active leader in the Standing Rock protest. The other is a recounting of (offensive, infuriating, all-too-believable) comments the unsuspecting author was subjected to by her massage therapist during a session. These are but samples that illustrate the different entry points that invite greater understanding of the struggles very much a part of even 21st century life.