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readingwithcoffee's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.5
The short book (though my copy was 151 pages so I don’t know if the ten others were just the title page etc that gets count on Libby or something else) is a collection of memoir excerpts, short stories, an essay and poetry by Native American artist and activist Zitkala-Sa. The poetry from the time period of the late 19th and early 20th I Can be be very hot and cold to by mood but it did remind me of other old poetry I found of good quality if not my preferences, the short essay ends fairly curtly but perhaps it is only an excerpt. I think it would have been good for an editor to remind a modern reader or someone unfamiliar with the continent’s history this was before native Americans had American citizenship and why they wanted it etc.
I love the short stories (and I think the collection builds on the arrangement and prices chosen very well) my favorite were “The Soft-Hearted Sioux” and “the wide spread enigma concerning blue star women” they were complex and multilayered short stories I think did a lot emotions while discussing multiple issues of the time.
I love the short stories (and I think the collection builds on the arrangement and prices chosen very well) my favorite were “The Soft-Hearted Sioux” and “the wide spread enigma concerning blue star women” they were complex and multilayered short stories I think did a lot emotions while discussing multiple issues of the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Genocide and Colonisation
curatoriallyyours's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0
I read this book as part of the '1921 in 2021' reading challenge and I'm so glad I did. This book is split into sections - an autobiographical account of the author's childhood, a series of allegorical stories, and an essay. The most compelling section is the first. Not knowing much about the author I guess I was expecting a sort of quiet recollection palatable to a white audience of the time. Not so! Zitkala-Sa does not hold back her opinions and paints a very clear picture of this transitional period of history and what it looked like for individual first nations people of different generations navigating that transition from the traditional way of life to survival under the so called 'protection', downright manipulation and sometimes the oppressive 'good intentions' of white people. The essay at the end is not as easy to read but it does show that even then the failure of government policies and practices of the time that pertained to first nations people. Over all, this was a compelling read and a meaty start to my 2021 reading challenges.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Genocide, Racism, Slavery, and Violence