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asl4u's review against another edition
4.0
This book was okay. It was not stellar... but just okay. The story was good - just slow. The characters were... not real enough - I did not feel like they were ever living breathing people - with personal histories and likes and dislikes... They were insubstantial - but the book overall was okay. It was a story.. I kept reminding myself that it was just a story - fiction... The men in this story are men.. the women are childish. The injuries were a little unrealistic - you cannot get hurt so badly and then get up and walk 20 miles... and time was a little weird every now and then... and there were definitely bits of soft but enthusiastic porn... ... but I'm glad I read it.. it was entertainment.
_cmcole_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
A masterpiece. This novel explores the life of Kwani, in the Anasazi southwest of Northern America. Unforgettable! You will get lost in a world from thousands of years ago.
vivo_morior's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
kiwikazz's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyable book - same vein as Clan of the Cave Bear series....a good story
margs810's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
3.0
She Who Remembers is the first book in the Kwani series by Linda Lay Shuler. A prehistoric fiction, it is compared to the Clan of the Cave Bear series quite often. And while I see some similarities, I don't think it's quite as engaging as that series.
Kwani is of the Pueblo, Anasazi actually. But because of her startling blue eyes she is accused of being a witch and driven from her home. It is during her wandering that she stumbles into the path of Kokopelli, a proud and mysticized trader that decides she is perfect for his mate. But Kwani may be meant for more, and will her love for Kokopelli hold her back?
I can't say that any of the characters in this book are really likable. They're all quite selfish actually. And Kwani I didn't quite understand. She's born an Anasazi, yet when she goes to another tribe they have to explain customs to her that are shared across the tribes. It seems like she should have known them all already. I can understand when she goes to tribes that are not Anasazi and having to learn the customs, but that wasn't the case all the time. Kokopelli was a jerk and definitely not how I had envisioned such a popular figure. In fact, I think men were done a real disservice in this book because most of them didn't have anything good about them and were seen as controlling. While I recognize that men play a stronger role in some cultures, it just painted too broad a brush on their personalities.
But as much as I complain about the characters in this book I do have to say that the plot was well done. It was engaging, hard to put down and really researched quite well for being fiction. I learned things about the Southwestern region that I didn't know before. And the journey was lifelike and exciting. So much of what Kwani had to endure was probably true to the times and realistic. There was a lot of sex, and some of it was quite graphically written (and there is rape as well) so anyone who doesn't like these topics in a book should probably steer clear. There is also some violence.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book and hope that the character development is a bit better. Or that there's at least a likable one. The series has such a great premise that it could be something truly terrific with those aspects.
She Who Remembers
Copyright 1988
395 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2013
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
Kwani is of the Pueblo, Anasazi actually. But because of her startling blue eyes she is accused of being a witch and driven from her home. It is during her wandering that she stumbles into the path of Kokopelli, a proud and mysticized trader that decides she is perfect for his mate. But Kwani may be meant for more, and will her love for Kokopelli hold her back?
I can't say that any of the characters in this book are really likable. They're all quite selfish actually. And Kwani I didn't quite understand. She's born an Anasazi, yet when she goes to another tribe they have to explain customs to her that are shared across the tribes. It seems like she should have known them all already. I can understand when she goes to tribes that are not Anasazi and having to learn the customs, but that wasn't the case all the time. Kokopelli was a jerk and definitely not how I had envisioned such a popular figure. In fact, I think men were done a real disservice in this book because most of them didn't have anything good about them and were seen as controlling. While I recognize that men play a stronger role in some cultures, it just painted too broad a brush on their personalities.
But as much as I complain about the characters in this book I do have to say that the plot was well done. It was engaging, hard to put down and really researched quite well for being fiction. I learned things about the Southwestern region that I didn't know before. And the journey was lifelike and exciting. So much of what Kwani had to endure was probably true to the times and realistic. There was a lot of sex, and some of it was quite graphically written (and there is rape as well) so anyone who doesn't like these topics in a book should probably steer clear. There is also some violence.
I'm definitely looking forward to reading the next book and hope that the character development is a bit better. Or that there's at least a likable one. The series has such a great premise that it could be something truly terrific with those aspects.
She Who Remembers
Copyright 1988
395 pages
Review by M. Reynard 2013
More of my reviews can be found at www.ifithaswords.blogspot.com
lkmreads's review against another edition
4.0
This was one of the first Native American related books I've read. I loved it to bits and found it thoroughly enjoyable, however in my personal opinion (and to my personal taste) I found the reading to be slow as it was a little hard to get into initially, despite the interest I had in it. It sat on my shelf for months to be picked again and then sit again for months until I finally finished it.
In all, though, it was worth the read.
In all, though, it was worth the read.
bev_reads_mysteries's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I picked this up on the basis of recommendations and reviews back when I was reading the Jean M Auel books (Clan of the Cave Bear, etc). This just didn't do it for me. The story line just didn't draw me in like the Auel novels did.
taykah's review against another edition
4.0
Fun. Fantastical. A period fiction that takes you to a whole different world, set in a world I know - Southwestern U.S., only 800+ years ago - MESA VERDE. I picked this up right before going to visit the national park, and it completely changed my experience. I read all about and imagined Kwani's life - which the author took great care to craft from the best available archeology knowledge. So when I actually stepped into Mesa Verde, I didn't see a ghost town of lifeless abandonment, I saw all the ceremonies, dances, kiva fires, and normal daily life that was the whole of "She Who Remembers". I knew how the inhabitants had dressed, what they ate from the surrounding landscape, their daily and seasonal practices/routines, and some of their beliefs.
The story itself was entertaining, and I LOVE her theory on Kokopelli and his wide-spread popularity! She posits that he was a traveling tradesman all the way from tribes in Mexico. He played his flute to announce his coming, and brought incredible goods. His magical ways and wares convinced people he was a god, and he played it up. There was even a viking in the novel too! I loved the female-centric power, and the interactions between everybody. A fun vacation read, and the BEST for a Southwest Mesa Verde vacation!
The story itself was entertaining, and I LOVE her theory on Kokopelli and his wide-spread popularity! She posits that he was a traveling tradesman all the way from tribes in Mexico. He played his flute to announce his coming, and brought incredible goods. His magical ways and wares convinced people he was a god, and he played it up. There was even a viking in the novel too! I loved the female-centric power, and the interactions between everybody. A fun vacation read, and the BEST for a Southwest Mesa Verde vacation!