This book was recommended by Elizabeth and I absolutely LOVED it! The story is based on the premise that back in 1875 the Cheyenne Indians requested the US government trade 1000 white women for 1000 horses. The idea being that in the Cheyenne culture, children are raised in the mother's tribe/culture so any children produced from these unions would be raised in white culture and it would be a learning process for the Indians, who were being decimated by whites, to become acclimated in the culture.
Naturally, in real life, this proposal didn't fly and everyone went home without a resolution but the book takes the idea that it DID happen and how the program unfolded through the journal of the main character, May Dodd.
May was in an insane asylum for promiscuity (sex does make you crazy, doesn't it?) when she signed up for the program - what better candidate to shack up with an Indian husband for two years after all? The journals take the reader through her time in the asylum, the cross-country trip to meet up with her tribe and then the gradual learning of the Cheyenne culture and working to integrate a conflicting set of values/morals into her own life.
Its an amazing concept and very well executed book. I loved all the characters, the descriptions and the writing. What really blew my mind was that it was written by a man - just like in Memoirs of a Geisha - a man being able to fully express a woman character is astonishing to me.
I hope others read it, would love to hear what you all think!
No comments:
Post a Comment