A review by wynwicket
Black Hills by Dan Simmons

4.0

I was initially a little intimidated by this book: the author uses a great number of terms in the Lakota language, and I know very little about the time period in which the story takes place (from Custer's Last Stand to World War 1). However, the writing was so vivid, and the protagonist, Paha Sapa (whose name means "Black Hills") wonderfully developed. I also learned a great deal about the Chicago World's Fair, the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, and the carving (with dynamite!) of Mt. Rushmore, as well as many of the customs of and the changes that the Lakota people experienced during this time. A complex but gripping book.