Michael Dorris has crafted a fierce saga of three generations of Indian women, beset by hardships and torn by angry secrets, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of kinship. Starting in the present day and moving backward, the novel is told in the voices of the three women: fifteen-year-old part-black Rayona; her American Indian mother, Christine, consumed by tenderness and resentment toward those she loves; and the fierce and mysterious Ida, mother and grandmother whose haunting secrets, betrayals, and dreams echo through the years, braiding together the strands of the shared past.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
Exceptionally well written and memorable:
Three women connected as mothers and daughters but each with tremendous burdens to bear and pass along. Although the stories are not beautiful, the writing in this book is exceptionally beautiful -- simple, direct, vivid, and tender. The author definitely knows how to bring the reader into the shoes of the characters. At times as I was reading, I could simply forget where I was and was astonished when I looked up to find myself in my own living room. If you are at all interested in family... more info
Great Story:
I first read this book in high school, over 10 years ago, when I saw it in a pile of used books at a library book sale. Tattered and worn, I didn't know what to expect from it, but I picked it up because of the cover. It was a gem that hooked me early on and kept me on the edge of my seat. It's not a thriller, but merely a well crafted story about people, relationships, and real life emotions and motivations. The first section, told from the daughter Rayona's pov, is the best part of the novel. Dorris... more info
Three strong women:
Rayona, 15, biracial, resourceful, sits by the hospital bed of her Indian mother Christine in the opening of this book. She is a girl used to conflict; her father, who is black, is rarely around, and she has seen a multitude of her mother's boyfriends come and go as Christine searches endlessly for someone who can bring peace to her life. Christine is dying, though Rayona doesn't know this yet; and at some point, Christine reaches the conclusion that she would rather die at home, on the reservation, than in... more info
I still think about this book.:
I read this book over ten years as a freshman in high school. It touched me so much that when I am in a certain mood I think about the characters. They are great characters very deep, well thought out and relateable. I think this book is great book for women of all walks of life from teen years and up.
