A breakthrough book

O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A breakthrough book for Willa Cather, O Pioneers! is rooted in the land and people of the northern plains of Nebraska. Bold topics and strong characters, especially the heroine of the story, shine in this revolutionary and grounded book published in 1913! Ms. Cather was certainly ahead of her time as a writer and advocate of gender roles and rights. I am looking forward to reading more of her celebrated works.

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precious jewels

Black Elk Speaks by Black Elk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Black Elk Speaks is several books in one.

On one hand, it is a personal history of man living within a society and culture under siege and risk of extinction by the self appointed heirs of the North American continent. Through the "words" of Black Elk, a Oglala Lakota medicine man, as written and felt by John G. Neihardt, a dedicated poet historian and mystic, we are able to see and feel what it was like being the last generation of a great and noble people to live in freedom in their homeland. We also experience, just a little, being the targets of a genocide both of our people and of our culture and environment. It is refreshing and sobering to be able to learn and feel a little of what it was like to be the victims of our European descended ancestors.

But Black Elk Speaks is also a philosophical and spiritual glimpse into the Great Vision that Black Elk was given as a child that defined his purpose for most of his life, and of his "brother" from outside his race and culture who was able to bond and translate more than just words, but a life and people's philosophy into a language we can experience and try to understand.

At times the book was beyond my grasp as a 21st century skeptical reader and thinker, but the story and meaning inside are precious jewels and we are lucky that they were captured for us before they were lost forever to our own peoples acts of genocide and destruction.

We discovered this author and book because of his connection to the University of Missouri, and of his influence on another excellent and loved author William Least-Heat Moon, the author of Blue Highways.

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suspense and tension right to the very end

Bright's Passage by Josh Ritter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We just recently heard Josh Ritter and his band in concert for the first time, and fell in love with his music and lyrics. Doing some homework after the show, not only do we discover many great CDs, but we also find out that Josh had written and published this book! Given the depth and richness of his lyrics, we immediately picked this book up at our local library.

Bright's Passage is a beautifully told tale that is rich in imagery and feeling. The method of story telling makes it difficult to put the book down until finished, and maintains the suspense and tension right to the very end. The story opens with both drama and mystery, and then fills in details little by little as the story progresses. The chapters jump around in space and time to gradually paint a complete picture of the characters and situations, right on through to the uncertain conclusion of the story, and at the same time leaves an open path for our hero to walk on. Excellent story and writing!

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