Search This Blog
2024 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (Hosted by Yours Truly)
December Reviews Link-Up
2024 Literary Escapes Challenge
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (1)
- Arizona (1)
- Arkansas (1)
- California (11)
- Colorado (1)
- Connecticut (2)
- Delaware (1)
- Florida (3)
- Georgia (4)
- Hawaii (1)
- Idaho (3)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (4)
- Iowa (1)
- Kansas (1)
- Kentucky (2)
- Louisiana (1)
- Maine (1)
- Maryland (1)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (1)
- Minnesota (2)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (1)
- Montana (1)
- Nebraska (1)
- Nevada (2)
- New Hampshire (1)
- New Jersey (1)
- New Mexico (1)
- New York (10)
- North Carolina (4)
- North Dakota (1)
- Ohio (3)
- Oklahoma (2)
- Oregon (2)
- Pennsylvania (2)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (1)
- South Dakota (1)
- Tennessee (1)
- Texas (4)
- Utah (5)
- Vermont (2)
- Virginia (2)
- Washington (3)
- West Virginia (1)
- Wisconsin (1)
- Wyoming (2)
- Washington, D.C.* (2)
International:
- Argentina (1)
- Australia (6)
- Austria (1)
- Bolivia (1)
- Canada (4)
- China (2)
- England (27)
- France (2)
- Ghana (1)
- India (1)
- Indonesia (1)
- Ireland (4)
- Italy (1)
- Poland (2)
- Russia (2)
- Scotland (4)
- The Netherlands (1)
2024 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2024 Reading Challenge
2024 52 Club Reading Challenge
2024 Build Your Library Reading Challenge
2024 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2024 Medical Examiner's Mystery Reading Challenge
2024 Mystery Marathon Reading Challenge
Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2024 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Disney Animated Movies Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Wednesday, August 15, 2018
Debut Novel Offers Poignant, Heart-Wrenching Look at 1800s Native American Assimilation
7:00 PM
(Image from Barnes & Noble)
With her successful lawyer husband and posh Philadelphia home, Alma Mitchell appears to be just another sheltered, well-to-do society woman. No one would guess she spent her childhood in the wilds of Wisconsin, mingling with the "savages" her father was attempting to tame at The Stover School for Indians. As the only white child at the boarding school, Alma watched with fascination—and growing horror—as her brown-skinned classmates were stripped of their birth names, their native language, and their unique culture. Forever changed by her experience in Wisconsin, Alma has buried the scars and secrets of her past in an effort to assimilate into a society that no longer feels like her own.
Fifteen years after fleeing Wisconsin, Alma reads a shocking newspaper article that propels her right back into the past she's been trying so hard to forget. An old friend from the Stover School, Asku "Harry" Muskrat, is being charged with the murder of a federal agent. The smart, sweet boy Alma knew would never commit such an act. Determined to right a past wrong, she begs her husband to represent Asku. When the two confront the angry Native American, Alma is shocked by what she sees. The boy could never have harmed anyone, but what about the man? With Asku's life on the line, Alma will find the truth and free her old friend, even if it means reopening the wounds and heartaches of her past.
Between Earth and Sky, a debut novel by Amanda Skenandore, offers a sharp, heart-wrenching look at the U.S. government's troubling efforts to assimilate Native Americans into "polite" society after the Indian Wars of the 1800s. It's a fascinating subject, made even more intriguing through Senandore's use of lyrical prose, sympathetic characters, and a compelling (if a little slow) plot. Although the novel is depressing, it's also affecting and eye-opening without being sentimental or preachy. Overall, I enjoyed this thought-provoking book.
(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)
Grade:
If this were a movie, it would be rated:
for brief, mild language; violence; and mild sexual content
To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find
5 comments:
Comments make me feel special, so go crazy! Just keep it clean and civil. Feel free to speak your mind (I always do), but be aware that I will delete any offensive comments.
P.S.: Don't panic if your comment doesn't show up right away. I have to approve each one before it posts to prevent spam. It's annoying, but it works!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments
(Atom)
Reading
Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie
Listening
The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth
Followin' with Bloglovin'
Followin' with Feedly
-
Goals for 2024 Final Check-In19 minutes ago
-
-
Bookshelf Bounty4 hours ago
-
-
Stacking The Shelves9 hours ago
-
Holiday Weekend Book Deals in December16 hours ago
-
Happy Crossword Puzzle Day!!!17 hours ago
-
-
The Shadowed Land By Signe Pike23 hours ago
-
What your inside cats miss1 day ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
106. Little Christmas Carol2 days ago
-
Swordheart2 days ago
-
-
A Review of The Christmas Mourner3 days ago
-
-
-
-
Review: 1984 by George Orwell4 days ago
-
Hide by Tracy Clark4 days ago
-
-
I have been reading...1 week ago
-
-
-
Sunday Post 5583 weeks ago
-
-
I'm Still Reading - This Was My October5 weeks ago
-
Open for Murder by Mary Angela1 month ago
-
Reading Recap September 20242 months ago
-
-
Review: The Duke and I4 months ago
-
Girl Plus Books: On Hiatus4 months ago
-
-
-
What Happened to Summer?1 year ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Are you looking for Pretty Books?2 years ago
-
-
-
-
-
-
Grab my Button!
Blog Design by:
Blog Archive
- ► 2021 (159)
- ► 2020 (205)
- ► 2019 (197)
- ▼ 2018 (223)
- ► 2017 (157)
- ► 2016 (157)
- ► 2015 (188)
- ► 2014 (133)
- ► 2013 (183)
- ► 2012 (193)
- ► 2011 (232)
- ► 2010 (257)
- ► 2009 (211)
- ► 2008 (192)
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
This one interests me. I guess that’s another to keep an eye out for.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am interested in this one. And I like that it was thought provoking for you. I'm going to see if my library has it and is getting it.
ReplyDeleteI feel like these stories need to be told, but they're just so depressing and sad!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds good. What an important issue to incorporate into a novel.
ReplyDeleteBooks about Native Americans being forced out of their homes and expected to live like their conquerors always make me angry. I am extremely tied to my heritage (Choctaw), and my grandfather still tells stories of his childhood and how he was impacted even today. Our civilization has very little respect for the people that lived her before us, and they are still treated with derision and unfavorable circumstances.
ReplyDeleteThe pipeline is a good example of how the world continues to take and take from them without a second thought. They can't even be left alone on the little piece of this earth they were given.
Lindsi @ Do You Dog-ear?