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uniskorn 's review for:
Tidewater: A Novel of Pocahontas and the Jamestown Colony
by Libbie Hawker
Hawker writes about Pocahontas' life, from adolescence to death. It's immediate that she's done a lot of research on the topic as she introduces very influential people that affected the outcome of Tidewater. That, and she brings the reader fully into the Algonquian tribe beneath the Powahtan, Pocahontas' father; we see their rituals and rites, their religion, and their basic lifestyle (although I should note that even Hawker expresses some rites are fiction as there is not much information on the women's lifestyle; while this is a good introduction to the ways and life of the Algonquian in no way should you take it as all true).
The beginning is slow. Hawker doesn't trust her audience, uses the same rising / falling action, and her writing style in general is weak. I stand firm in saying that this book should have been shorter: not because of the beautiful descriptions we get in describing Pocahontas' lifestyle, but the unnecessary seasonal descriptions that go on for too long.
If you make it past the first half of the book, it's worth it. The second half is better written, Hawker seems to trust her readers, and her descriptions are more relevant. She doesn't shy away from the atrocities of the conflict but she also doesn't expound on them as much. This read is more of an emotional one in terms of seeing the way indigenous lives must change and adapt just in order to survive. It's knowing that you can never return back to what once was; it's knowing that your home will never be what home became to you. We see the loss and grief through Pocahontas' eyes and through the eyes of many other tribal members and leaders.
Give it a go if you want to know a generalized more about the tribal way of life, the important people, and the general outcome of the ordeal. Don't take it all at face value and read Hawker's notes at the end to get a grasp of what's made up and what's better based on facts. She also includes some historical books to help you pursue more knowledge on Pocahontas if that's of interest to you.
If authors want to grab you into a subject and make you want to know more about it, then Hawker has done that for me.
For a more in depth review, check out my blog.
The beginning is slow. Hawker doesn't trust her audience, uses the same rising / falling action, and her writing style in general is weak. I stand firm in saying that this book should have been shorter: not because of the beautiful descriptions we get in describing Pocahontas' lifestyle, but the unnecessary seasonal descriptions that go on for too long.
If you make it past the first half of the book, it's worth it. The second half is better written, Hawker seems to trust her readers, and her descriptions are more relevant. She doesn't shy away from the atrocities of the conflict but she also doesn't expound on them as much. This read is more of an emotional one in terms of seeing the way indigenous lives must change and adapt just in order to survive. It's knowing that you can never return back to what once was; it's knowing that your home will never be what home became to you. We see the loss and grief through Pocahontas' eyes and through the eyes of many other tribal members and leaders.
Give it a go if you want to know a generalized more about the tribal way of life, the important people, and the general outcome of the ordeal. Don't take it all at face value and read Hawker's notes at the end to get a grasp of what's made up and what's better based on facts. She also includes some historical books to help you pursue more knowledge on Pocahontas if that's of interest to you.
If authors want to grab you into a subject and make you want to know more about it, then Hawker has done that for me.
For a more in depth review, check out my blog.