Daunis has finally finished high school but in her new normal, her plans for the fall have changed. While not a registered member 4.5 stars rounded up
Daunis has finally finished high school but in her new normal, her plans for the fall have changed. While not a registered member of her father’s Ojibwa tribe, she feels deeply rooted in its culture and beliefs - some of which collide with her mom’s family. Her own birth was a scandal - something that hangs over her all the time but that she doesn’t let stop her from making her father's family the community of her heart.
Something is happening on the reservation, though, and even kids that Daunis is close to are being affected by it. When a cute new boy shows up and a traumatic event triggers a cascade of questions - Daunis has to decide how far she’s willing to go and what she’s willing to do to protect her Ojibwa family.
I don’t even know how to describe this book. It’s such a beautiful portrait of a modern teen choosing to live a life deeply invested in their indigenous culture. I absolutely loved this part of it, this glimpse of a truly intentional way of living. It’s also a coming of age story, a look at trauma - both generational and in real time. It’s about love and trust and sacrifice. It’s about the power of science AND the power of the knowledge that’s passed down from our elders It’s also a thriller that sucks you in and while I guessed some of it, the plot still surprised me and even the sometimes repetitive nature of Daunis’s inner monologue didn’t spoil this incredible listen. Daunis is smart, intuitive, a strong protagonist in a strong story. Some questions that never really got answered are forcing me to take 1/2 a star off because it's still bothering me but overwall, there is so so much in this book to appreciate and I loved it.
Ned Begay's life as a Navajo is woven with a love of the earth, with a passion for familial relationships and a deep knowledge of his history's peopleNed Begay's life as a Navajo is woven with a love of the earth, with a passion for familial relationships and a deep knowledge of his history's people and culture. When, as a 16 year old, he learns that there is a special role that Navajos can play in the war beginning to rage in Europe and the Pacific, he chooses to join up to protect a land that has NOT ever made his people's interests a priority. Ned is enrolled in code talker school - a program where native Navajo speakers create a code that allows them to talk to each other over radio waves that the Japanese can hear - but can never understand. The role these "code talkers" play, Ned's experiences in the Pacific War, these are at the crux of this novel but Ned's love of his traditions, his joy in his sacred language, this play an important part too.
While a bit dry sometimes, I actually really enjoyed this quick moving story. I appreciated that we meet Ned when he is a young boy, forced to actually give up his language in an (horrible) Indian Boarding School, which of course he defies. I love Ned's connection to his culture and history and how it follows him to the Pacific and sustains him. I really came to appreciate the vital role this Navajos played - and the significant risk they put themselves in as well as how little our government did to show its thanks. The more you learn about Native American Indian/US Government relations, the more I am disgusted by my country's history. There are important lessons here, taught in a readable novel. Glad I read it....more
In the wilds of northern Canada, a group of Anishinaabe live an isolated yet communal existance. Life is slow-paced and peaceful enough until the day In the wilds of northern Canada, a group of Anishinaabe live an isolated yet communal existance. Life is slow-paced and peaceful enough until the day the power goes off - and no one knows why. And the longer they don't know why, the more the tribal council has to make decisions for the community - and one of the hardest decisions comes quickly: what to do with this white stranger who has shown up? And wants to stay?
I started this with absolutely no idea what it was about! I think if I'd had known it was an apocalyptic novel I might've waited to read it but I'm glad I didn't wait. I found the sparse narrative paced well, for the most part, and I actually really invested in this story of a village that is quite suddenly isolated and has to figure out how to survive. I appreciated the cultural piece, most particularly, as the members of tribe try to keep their traditions (or not) in a place they did not choose. I thought the writing was good and I'd read something else by this author....more
By the time Cedar begins to understand how deeply the world is changing, how desperately evolution seems to be going backward, it 3.5 stars rounded up
By the time Cedar begins to understand how deeply the world is changing, how desperately evolution seems to be going backward, it is too late. She's already pregnant. It isn't long before she can see the writing on the wall: if you are pregnant, you no longer have autonomy and in order to evade capture, Cedar makes plans. Reconnecting with her Ojibwe roots, she tries to find people among whom she can be safe in a world that is quickly disintegrating into a dystopian nightmare.
I really enjoyed the dystopian slant of this book, the twist on the sort of disaster that our own biology could create. Cedar's journey is harrowing and for me, the plot device of the entire novel being a letter to her unborn child worked really well. All we know is what Cedar knows (or believes she knows) and every once and while the book has this sort of hallucinatory feeling, where I'm not sure that what's happening is real or a dream or a vision, and sometimes it worked and sometimes it made me feel like I didn't have my footing in an unsettling way. I found myself very engaged in the novel and the ending left me feeling a little unsatisfied after all I'd been through with Cedar, but I don't think it was a BAD way to end the book. I'd just have liked fewer loose ends. I appreciate how Erdrich makes me as a reader be more aware of Tribal issues and that her Native American characters are nuanced and capable. Interesting book....more
In a future where the earth is warming and people can no longer dream, there is no safe place for the First Peoples, who are believed to have a cure. In a future where the earth is warming and people can no longer dream, there is no safe place for the First Peoples, who are believed to have a cure. The cure comes at a cost, however, and all that Frenchie knows is that he cannot get caught, not ever. So he runs. He remembers. And he searches for a place where people like him, indigenous people who have an ancient love of the land in their blood, can be safe.
I had no idea where this story was going to take me. The vaguely science-fictiony dystopian element was interesting and that coupled with survival and build-your-own-family kept me really engaged. Frenchie is a straightforward and sensitive narrator and I cared about him from the start. Sometimes things are disturbing and maybe there are a few too many coincidences but I loved the mystical feeling that is settled over Frenchie's experience, his deep desire to be his most authentic self - connected to the land, his people and his culture....more
This is a book that I read outloud to my two older children, ages 8 and 6. We LOVED IT. Here's my 8 year old daughter's thoughts:
It's about a girl a gThis is a book that I read outloud to my two older children, ages 8 and 6. We LOVED IT. Here's my 8 year old daughter's thoughts:
It's about a girl a girl who is left on an island and she has to survive by herself. She makes her own weapons and she makes her own house that she makes with whale ribs for a fence. They used seaweed to tie the whale ribs together. That was my favorite part. I liked the ending, even though there were sad parts.
From my 6 year old: I liked about how she made weapons. I liked how she made friends with animals on the island.
I love when a book fits the three of us so well. The story and setting feel expertly researched and authentic. Sometimes, when we had a chapter where we learned the details of Indian life and culture, it reminded me of Little House on the Prairie, especially when we learned how to dry food or make a skirt. There was certainly a lot of adventure, more than you'd think when a girl is living on an island by herself. Whilst reading a part where some wild dogs are having a bloody battle, my son actually gasped and yelled, "THIS is AWESOME!!!"
We all liked how many animals she interacted with - and the animals were the impetus for much of the emotion in the story. During one scene with an animal, I actually teared up as I was reading aloud. Karana (the main character) is tough and resourceful and she has to deal with way too much tragedy. Yet, part of what I liked is how she never sat like a lump and wanted to give up. Things get destroyed? Rebuild. All your food washes away/gets eaten? Collect more. She was a great example to my kids and we had some really interesting discussions about the hard things she deals with. At one point (you'll know when you read it, near the beginning), I worried that maybe it would be a bit too intense, but my kids took it in stride better than I did.
I read my kids the author's notes at the end too and we had a great talk about historical fiction. My kids wanted to know specifically what was real and what wasn't (I can relate to that!) and I could tell them, thanks to O'Dell's great notes. This one was a winner for us :)
Edit Jan 2021 - read again, outloud this time to my eight year old twin sons. Held up, 100%. They never wanted to be done listening. We marveled at the animals in her world and in her tenacity. We'd read about an animal and look up pictures and videos. A really great experience all around....more
In the fourth grade my elementary school had Kenneth Thomasma come to our school to do a talk on his new book: Naya Nuki. I remember being enthralled In the fourth grade my elementary school had Kenneth Thomasma come to our school to do a talk on his new book: Naya Nuki. I remember being enthralled by his speech (I was also incredibly into Native Americans at the time) and my sweet mother must've given me money to buy the book that day, because my copy is signed by the author and it says "To Corinne 3/25/87". I bet I read it a half dozen times while in elementary school.
I was digging through my box of old books recently and when I found my copy, I thought my kids would love it. I was absolutely right.
Naya Nuki is a Shoshoni who is captured, along with her friend Sacajawea, and taken a thousand miles from home. When she realizes that she will be a slave and possibly sold to the white men, Naya Nuki decides to escape and somehow rejoin her own people.
Never will you meet a more resourceful 11 year old. When I asked my daughter about this book, she told me she liked it because Naya Nuki was "courageous." I couldn't agree more - she's an excellent example for modern day kids, making her own shoes, killing and skinning animals, creating shelters, knowing what food is safe to eat and escaping from all kinds of danger. It's quite a lesson in Native American abilities and culture, as well as an nearly extinct way of life. My kids ate it up.
The thing is, the writing is really just marginal, which is a shame. If the book was written to engage adults, it probably would've gotten three stars. While the story itself is inspiring, the author is unbelievably repetitive and things dragged on (to me, my kids didn't seem to mind). I feel like Naya Nuki could've been a beautifully illustrated picture book and I would've gotten as much out of it. I think, however, for Thomasma's intended audience, this book can expand kid's horizons and introduce them to an incredibly heroic character from real life....more
There is much to like in this book. Junior is such a mix of weakness and strength - caught between two different worlds, both culturally and mentally.There is much to like in this book. Junior is such a mix of weakness and strength - caught between two different worlds, both culturally and mentally. I appreciated his struggles and honest words about living on a reservation and the vices that can stifle his people. But you also get a sense that, as much as his Indian Family frustrates him and angers him, there is truly a feeling of solidarity and community that he recognizes and sorely misses once he chooses to leave. I felt like the line on page 198 was symbolic, when in the basketball game, "one play can change your momentum forever." For Junior, that play in his life was his choice to transfer from the "rez" high school to the "white" high school in town. And it did change his momentum - it opened doors and offered opportunities that he would never have had, but at a great cost.
As a cultural study, I found it a very interesting perspective - it doesn't paint a glossy picture of reservation life. While living and working with others of your culture for support seems good, the lack of opportunities and a general state of hopelessness seem to sometimes make reservations a place for dreams to die. I'm sure his being a teenager influenced that perspective somewhat - I appreciated that Junior's emotions never felt contrived. While I found it funny at times, and poignant at times, I probably would've related to it much better if I was a teenage boy - I had a hard time with some of the crassness in the book. I did like most of the cartoons and the "diary" format. The book does make you think about your own preconceptions of Indians as a group and as individuals - it brings reservation life into an interesting focus...more
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