Thirteen Moons: A Novel

Thirteen Moons: A Novel
Average customer rating:

Thirteen Moons

Starts off good, but...

Dull and flat characters

The Abridged version is confusing

Faulkner, McCarthy, Frazier

Thirteen Moons: A Novel
Charles Frazier
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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General | Frazier, Charles | ( F ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0375509321
Release Date: 2006-10-03

Book Description

Charles Frazier’s Thirteen Moons is the story of one man’s remarkable life, spanning a century of relentless change. At the age of twelve, an orphan named Will Cooper is given a horse, a key, and a map and is sent on a journey through the wilderness to the edge of the Cherokee Nation, the uncharted white space on the map. Will is a bound boy, obliged to run a remote Indian trading post. As he fulfills his lonesome duty, Will finds a father in Bear, a Cherokee chief, and is adopted by him and his people, developing relationships that ultimately forge Will’s character. All the while, his love of Claire, the enigmatic and captivating charge of volatile and powerful Featherstone, will forever rule Will’s heart.
In a distinct voice filled with both humor and yearning, Will tells of a lifelong search for home, the hunger for fortune and adventure, the rebuilding of a trampled culture, and above all an enduring pursuit of passion. As he comes to realize, “When all else is lost and gone forever, there is yearning. One of the few welcome lessons age teaches is that only desire trumps time."

Will Cooper, in the hands of Charles Frazier, becomes a classic American soul: a man devoted to a place and its people, a woman, and a way of life, all of which are forever just beyond his reach. Thirteen Moons takes us from the uncharted wilderness of an unspoiled continent, across the South, up and down the Mississippi, and to the urban clamor of a raw Washington City. Throughout, Will is swept along as the wild beauty of the nineteenth century gives way to the telephones, automobiles, and encroaching railways of the twentieth. Steeped in history, rich in insight, and filled with moments of sudden beauty, Thirteen Moons is an unforgettable work of fiction by an American master.

PRAISE FOR THIRTEEN MOONS

“Genius.”
–Time

“Gorgeous…Thirteen Moons calls Cold Mountain to mind in its wonder at the natural world; its pacificist undercurrents; its dismay at the dismantling of what matters, and its convication that one love, no matter how tortured and inexplicable, can be life-defining…fascinating…vivid and alive.”
–Newsweek

“Thirteen Moons is rare in many ways and occupies a literary plane of such height that reviewing it is not really salient….Thirteen Moons has the power to inspire great performances from succeeding generations of writers….For those who simply value the literary experience, Thirteen Moons will provide the immense satisfaction of taking a literary journey of magnitude. Whether on a plane, in an office or curled in a window seat, readers who absorb Will's story will find their own lives enriched….Thirteen Moons belongs to the ages.”
–Los Angeles Times

“Thirteen Moons brings this vanished world thrillingly to life…
One of the great Native American, and American stories, and a great gift to all of us, from one of our very best writers.”
« –Kirkus Reviews, starred review «

“There are things so masterful words can’t do them justice. Frazier’s writing falls in that category…With Thirteen Moons, he’s doing important work fillnig in the gaps, helping restore the roots, of our knowledge of our own history.”
–Asheville Citizen-Times

“Fascinating…Reading Thirteen Moons is an intoxicating experience…This is 21st-century literary fiction at its very best.”
–BookPage

“Thirteen Moons is rare in many ways and occupies a literary plane of such height that reviewing it is not really salient….Thirteen Moons has the power to inspire great performances from succeeding generations of writers….For those who simply value the literary experience, Thirteen Moons will provide the immense satisfaction of taking a literary journey of magnitude. Whether on a plane, in an office or curled in a window seat, readers who absorb Will's story will find their own lives enriched….Thirteen Moons belongs to the ages.”
–Los Angeles Times

“Once again, we are in the hands of an assured writer who knows how to bring history to life…Gorgeous.”
–New Orleans Times Picayune

“Magical…the history lesson in Thirteen Moons is fascinating and moving…You will find much to admire and savor in Thirteen Moons.”
–USA Today

“Incredibly powerful.”
–Melissa Block on NPR All Things Considered

“Verdict: A powerhouse second act….a brilliant success…Frazier's second act should convince everyone that he's here to stay. It is a powerful, dramatic, often surprising and memorable novel.”
–Atlanta Journal Constitution

“Thirteen Moons is a boisterous, confident novel that draws from the epic tradition... Frazier is a natural storyteller, and throughout his picaresque tale are grand themes and eulogies”
–Boston Globe

“Warm hearted…Frazier is a remarkably meticulous and tasteful writer… Thirteen Moons is a worthy successor to the first novel
and a highly readable book.”
–Seattle Times

“Fiction of the highest order…Another indelible character. Charles Frazier has a knack for them.”
–Charlotte Observer

“Splendidly written.”
–New York Daily News

“What a story!... Frazier's creation, Will Cooper, is utterly charismatic….Frazier's genius lies in his ability to convey emotions that feel pure and genuine…It was worth the wait.”
–Dayton Daily News

“To Charles Frazier, words are playthings. Like very few other contemporary American novelists, he puts them together in such a way that they can transform an otherwise mundane moment, scene or conversation into one that is transcendent….No sophomore jinx here. Reading a Frazier novel is like listening to a fine symphony. He's a maestro whose pen is his baton, beckoning the best that each sentence has to offer. And just as you wouldn't rush a conductor, you should take the time to savor Frazier’s work, to take in each thought, to relish the turn of phrase or the imagery of a craftsman.”
–Denver Post

“Two for two…Here is a book brimming with vivid, adventurous incident…Charles Frazier set himself a daunting challenge with this book. He set out to write a historical novel that was retrospective and meditative, yet still vibrant and immediate with life. Thirteen Moons succeeds in classy fashion.”
–Raleigh News & Observer

“If current fiction is anything to go by, it’s hard for a novelist to make Santayana's puzzle pieces - lyricism, comedy, tragedy - fit together, as they do in real life and real history. Frazier has done it…Thirteen Moons makes you feel that change that happened so long before our own time, and makes you mourn it.”
–Newsday

“[Thirteen Moons] is superbly entertaining, and it packs enough emotional heft to measure up to most readers’ high expectations.”
–Richmond Times-Dispatch

“Thirteen Moons is a fitting successor to Cold Mountain…fans of Frazier's debut will be cheered to discover that the new book is another compulsively readable work of historical fiction.”
–St. Louis Post-Dispatch

“If there is any doubt that Frazier is an incredibly gifted storyteller - and not just a lucky name or a one-hit wonder - it will be put to rest with the publication of Thirteen Moons. Within 10 pages, this long-awaited new novel bears the reader swiftly out of the waking world into its own imagined universe like nothing else published this year.”
–Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Achingly beautiful descriptions of nature…It’s rich, it’s beautiful.”
–Columbia State

“Forget the sophomore jinx. Frazier demonstrates that Cold Mountain was no one-hit wonder with this fully realized historical novel again set in the South….Again, Frazier shows himself a master of landscape and language, both often fresh and surprising in his telling.
–Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Thirteen Moons contains achingly beautiful passages of snowfalls, fog-wrapped rivers and moonlit forests. There are ribald and hilarious events, too, including a description of the Cherokee Booger Dance that is a masterpiece of satire. The love affair between Cooper and Claire threads its way through this pseudo-historic epic like a brilliant, scarlet ribbon. There is also a melancholy refrain that celebrates a wondrous time and place that is gone and will never return.”
–Smoky Mountain News

“Once again, we are in the hands of an assured writer who knows how to bring history to life…Gorgeous.”
–New Orleans Times Picayune

“Magical…the history lesson in Thirteen Moons is fascinating and moving…You will find much to admire and savor in Thirteen Moons.”
–USA Today

“Verdict: A powerhouse second act….a brilliant success…Frazier's second act should convince everyone that he's here to stay. It is a powerful, dramatic, often surprising and memorable novel.”
–Atlanta Journal Constitution

“Thirteen Moons is a boisterous, confident novel that draws from the epic tradition... Frazier is a natural ...

Customer Reviews:

Thirteen Moons.......2007-10-18

I hesitated about picking up this book as I had read Cold Mountain and did not care for it. The flip-flopping through the whole book got irritating.
This book, however, was a delight. The story of an orphan who makes good despite the many obstacles in his path, the history, the span of a lifetime, the white man's culture vs. the indians' culture...I found it fascinating and very readable. It is a bit over 400 pages but a good book can go on forever as far as I'm concerned.

Starts off good, but..........2007-10-05

The first half of "Thirteen Moons" soars; the second half sinks. As I got into the story and its lovely language, I was prepared to give it a rating of 8.5 or higher. But it eventually fades into dissolution, ending with a whimper, not a bang. Rob's rating: 8.0 of 10.

See http://www.bluecorncomics.com/13moons.htm for a longer review.

Dull and flat characters.......2007-09-24

I started this book because our book group is reading it. The character is flat and self-absorbed. You get to the point that you don't care what happens to the character because he is so dull. I don't finish it because there was nothing of interest to keep me going.......You feel nothing for the characters... so why read?

The Abridged version is confusing.......2007-09-23

I bought this book as an audio book, abridged.
It was confusing. Stick to the unabridged.

Faulkner, McCarthy, Frazier.......2007-09-19

Thirteen Moons is a pure Masterpiece. I think it should be getting more credit for being one of the greatest American novels ever written. I cannot believe how rounded Will Cooper is as a character. I have never read a book that has a character as real as this. Everything about his life and times, reactions, words, feelings, inner thoughts are absolutely real and consistent. Bear, Featherstone, Claire all come to life so perfectly. I was amazed that anyone found reason to criticize this novel. The metaphors, details and knowledge of the region makes Frazier seem supernatural to me. He was there. It's just weird how well he knows this tale and how real it all is. Perfect writing.

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation

Average customer rating:

Unevenly written but an enjoyable read
Not all shame belongs to the white man
trail of tears
Counterpoint to the whitewash
Woefully inomplete and biased

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation
John Ehle
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0385239548
Release Date: 1997-09-22

Book Description

The fascinating portrayal of the Cherokee nation, filled with Native American legend, lore, and religion -- a gripping American drama of power, politics, betrayal, and ambition.

B & W photographs

Customer Reviews:

Unevenly written but an enjoyable read.......2007-07-24

Ehle's writing style can be entertaining, but is also uneven and at times downright confusing. The strengths are his telling of the Major Ridge story, which is really what this book is about, i.e. The life of Major Ridge and his son, John Ridge, and nephews, Elias Boudinot and Stand Watie. This was the first book I had read about the events leading up to the Trail of Tears, and I came away with the distinct impression that Ridge was a tragic hero who was treacherously murdered by the anti-treaty party of John Ross. Ross is portrayed as basically an inept leader who spends his life on a wild-goose chase to hold on to the Eastern Cherokee lands.

Imagine my surprise when I did some more research and learned that that is not at all how the Cherokee view these two men. On the contrary, Ross is seen as the hero and Ridge as a traitor, and in hindsight I see why that is.

Read this book for some info into the life of Major Ridge, but to find out how the Cherokee see the Trail of Tears, read something else.

Not all shame belongs to the white man.......2007-07-09

No one can doubt that the Native Americans were robbed of their land and wealth in the white mans rapid expansion and desire for land. What this book brings to light are the other culprits in this tragedy. It is difficult to picture a leader of the Cherokee people being a lobbyist in Washington while securing hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of contracts for him self, family and friends. This is a story of two migrations of the Cherokee people to the new Indian Territory one with little or no suffering along the way and the other the Trail of Tears.

trail of tears.......2007-06-13

The book was great. It had all the information I needed.

Counterpoint to the whitewash.......2006-10-19

Darwin might suggest that the exodus of the Cherokees from their native land to new territories was an example of a uniquely human ability to decide to survive. To remain in areas near an invading population with superior technology and ever growing numbers could easily result in annihilation. History had already proven this could be the case. What makes the Trail of Tears a segment of history that every American should be aware of is the uniquely inhuman reasons why the Indians were faced with a decision at all.

The book takes a cursory tour of history up to the time of the Trail of Tears then makes a more illustrative turn as it settles into describing the rift created within the Cherokee tribe surrounding their dilemma. John Ross and his followers preferred to stay, while Major Ridge and his son organized to leave.

This rift set in motion a number of well described events that not only tore the tribe apart in waves that echo to this day, it laid waste to many lives and much property along the way. Although the book starts with a plodding pace, it gradually builds into a complex weave of politics and a tragic drama.

The Trail of Tears certainly leaves one to question why are so proud of Andrew Jackson that he must be printed on every $20 bill and why we insist on calling the football team from Washington the "Redskins". We should recognize a derogatory attitude for what it is and have more respect for a civilization that held the original title to this land.

Woefully inomplete and biased.......2006-09-28

The "Rise" of the Cherokee nation is nowhere to be found in this book. In fact the "Fall" is well underway before chapter one, and continues to this day with the publication of tripe like this.
Any fair depiction of a clash of cultures needs to see each culture in it's context. Ehle doesn't seem to attempt this. His descriptions of Cherokee and settler life make no attempt to relate to their specific histories, but merely poke at them with a judgemental 20th century stick.
Two stars are simply because he has thrown out many names that anyone with a serious interest in the subject can use as tools for research.

A Cherokee Feast of Days: Daily Meditations

Average customer rating:

Excellent Daily Beginning
Feed your soul!
Reaches deep into the soul.
PREPARE TO BE FOREVER UPLIFTED!

A Cherokee Feast of Days: Daily Meditations
Joyce Sequichie Hifler
Manufacturer: Council Oak Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Meditation | Alternative Medicine | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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Accessories:

RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
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ASIN: 0933031688

Book Description

Joyce Sequichie Hifler offers this beloved collection of daily meditation books drawn from her own rich Cherokee heritage and that of other tribes. She presents readings for each day of the year and provides insights in both English and Cherokee, and gems of wisdom recorded in the words of native speakers. This little treasure is for readers of all faiths, and for those seeking faith.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Daily Beginning.......2001-11-06

A friend gave me this book as a gift in 1993. I have read a meditation almost every day since. I find it to be uplifting and thought provoking and at the same time centering on things that really matter. The meditations remind me that family and earth matter so much more than materialistics. My daughter also reads daily and has been searching for one as a gift.

Feed your soul!.......2000-06-23

Certainly one of the most elegant daily devotional books available today. Hifler is both poet and spiritual guide. This book is a real treat!

Reaches deep into the soul........1999-05-26

I have had this book and gave it to a friend and now I have to replace it. I depended on the daily mediations to give me a positive or clear thought to start my day. It parallels the daily mediations of christianity so closely it makes you realize there truely is only one "Great Spirit". This book has enhanced my life. Until I found this book I only had my christian beliefs of mediations. Now I have something that I can relate to through heritage. I have shared the passages in this book with many friends and it has touched their hearts as deeply as mine. Thank you Joyce Sequichie Hifler.

PREPARE TO BE FOREVER UPLIFTED!.......1998-12-02

Inspirational books always failed to inspire me until "A Cherokee Feast of Days." Joyce Sequitchie Hifler delves into my soul and finds the very best, strongest parts of ME. By including the wisdom of native elders, she gives us a perspective of "time," of each day, as a healer and as an opportunity to, simply put, "do good." Hifler is like the sunflower: her roots run deep in the red clay earth and her face smiles up to God reflecting the blessings which he has bestowed upon her and upon all of us. I have given this book to many of my friends. Prepare to have your outlook on life uplifted forever! Hifler makes me even more proud to be blessed with my grandmother's Tsalagi blood.

Average customer rating:

Entertaining and Educating
Abraham's Well
Spare, yet stunning
A combination of a legacy of Cherokee lineage, Navajo cultural exposure and African American ancestry
Delightful

Abrahams Well: A Novel
Sharon Ewell Foster
Manufacturer: Bethany House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Aint No Mountain
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ASIN: 0764228870
Release Date: 2006-11-01

Book Description

The time is 1838. Armentia pointed to a well on the land their Cherokee master owns. "It seems hard to believe now, son, but someday we'll have our own land. Land with a well just like this one.." Inspired by true events, authentic slave narratives, and other historical accounts, Abraham's Well is the profoundly moving story of the Black Cherokee-African Americans, both slave and free-who, along with native people, walked the Trail of Tears. It is the story of their forced removal from the Southeast to Indian Territory--modern day Oklahoma-and of the courage and faith of one woman as she struggles to overcome her desperate circumstances. And it is the story of an author who, in researching and writing, found her own way home.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining and Educating.......2007-07-31

Sharon Ewell Foster is a former US Defense Department instructor/writer. She puts her research and writing skills to work in this entertaining and educating novel set in 1838. Through the eyes of young Armentia, Foster tells the story of black Cherokees forced along the Trail of Tears. Armentia experiences the triple bind of being black, Cherokee, and female in an era when all three are denied basic human rights. Told in a swift and succinct style, "Abraham's Well" exposes an ugly period in American history while also exposing the victory of the human spirit that allows it to move beyond suffering to healing hope.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

Abraham's Well.......2007-06-27

Oh, my...there really is not a lot I can add to these other reviews except that IMO, this is simply a beautiful piece of literature. Probably one of the ten most memorable books I have EVER read. Not only is it masterfully written in a way that indeed takes the reader along "the Trail", but it also stays with your heart. I am homeschooling and because of this book, I am completely changing my kids' American History curriculum this Fall. This has moved me to research more true stories of the Trail of Tears, because these stories must be told.
Now this comment probably has no place in an Amazon book review, but I cannot help but wince & hold down a sort of sad nausea every time I pull a 20 bill out of my wallet & see Jackson's fat head upon it.

Anyway, even if I were to learn nothing, it was an outstanding,
"can't-put-down" read, but simply heartbreaking.

Go ahead and order... you'll want to keep this one rather than return it to the library.

Spare, yet stunning.......2007-06-13

Written in a spare, yet stunning style, ABRAHAMS WELL is a story that will stay with you forever. Sharon Ewell Foster, through the voice of the elderly Armentia, recounts the two most sinful chapters in American history. The narrator, part Cherokee, part African, transports the reader with her as a young girl on the tortuous Trail of Tears and as a woman in slavery and beyond. Now I know why Loretta Lynn, one of my personal heroes and herself of Cherokee descent, said in her autobiography that she despised Andrew Jackson.

This book made me shamefully aware of how little I knew - that Cherokee (the Principal People) with African blood were slaves, while some other Cherokee were slave owners and actually sided with the South in The Civil War. Very enlightening was how Christianity, as delivered by newly-converted Native American missionaries, merged with their belief in the Great Spirit, or "Breath Giver." During Armentia's most desperate days, she grasped at signs in nature as messages from Great Spirit, while wishing she was able to read about the new day promised in the Good Book.

Just like in ROOTS, the most painful parts of this book were when the main character's loved ones were torn away one by one, and she clung in her heart to fragile stories and memories for mere survival. The "full circle" conclusion is almost too good to be true; however, the hopeful (thank God) ending does not diminish the agony that Armentia endured throughout her long life of struggle. The photographs of the author's ancestors and her own genealogy research reinforced the book's credibility. I recommend that this historical novel be required reading for all high school students in the United States.

A combination of a legacy of Cherokee lineage, Navajo cultural exposure and African American ancestry.......2007-06-06

In ABRAHAM'S WELL, Christy Award-winning author Sharon Ewell Foster returns to her best style of work: historical fiction focusing on racial prejudice --- the same genre she used in her debut novel, PASSING BY SAMARIA. And an engrossing bit of history this is...

Told in first person narrative by Armentia, a Black Cherokee, the story depicts the lives of mixed race African Americans-Native Americans who were cheated of their land and forced to journey from North Carolina along the Trail of Tears to modern-day Oklahoma. Some of these African Americans were free and others were slaves, a little known piece of history.

Beginning with her childhood, Armentia slowly unfolds the story of the congenial relationship her family had with their owners of mixed white and Cherokee blood, Mama Emma and Papa. Racial prejudice notes are struck from the earliest pages, as Armentia confesses that she believed she was better than other Blacks "because our people were Cherokee...I guess that's just human, everybody needs to feel better than somebody."

When Abraham is sold after taking the blame for Armentia's misdeeds, her world begins to unravel. Then the missionaries come, begging them to move west of the Mississippi River, where there would be "no White men to get in your way." They firmly refuse. The reader doubtlessly knows the results even before turning the pages, but the eviction is still shocking when it comes. Believably, Armentia recounts: "We walked one thousand miles. Maybe one out of every four of us died. It was hard to find a family that didn't lose at least one. It is a miracle that most of us made it." These stark, flat sentences bring home the despair of those on the forced march.

Less believable is that the friendly, nurturing Mama Emma and Papa turn so quickly harsh in their treatment of Armentia and her family, including Armentia's beloved older brother Abraham. The contrast between the early pages, where Armentia is treated like a beloved daughter, and the later pages, where she is sold for a load of bricks, could have benefited from more transition.

Tragic event after horrible incident occur, including Armentia's multiple rapes at the hands of slave owners even as a child and the loss of many of her loved ones. Throughout her hardscrabble existence, Armentia never loses hope that someday she will, as her father always promised her, own her own land and a well.

The point of view, although mostly Armentia's, shifts occasionally to tell the story from Abraham's perspective. There are some beautiful foreshadowing passages like this that open the first chapter: "In the East, it is the movement of the Atlantic waters that brings land storms. Black, heavy clouds thrown about by the ocean sweep in and overtake the sun, darkening the skies....But here in the West, you can see storms coming from far off, rolling in gray and angry, fighting with the dust. I sit on my porch, here, and watch them."

What makes the fictional narrative vibrate with authenticity is that it is grounded in Foster's own research into her family tree, in which she discovers a combination of a legacy of Cherokee lineage, Navajo cultural exposure and African American ancestry.

This historical tale is one of Foster's best efforts, if not her best, and deserves a wide reading audience.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby

Delightful.......2007-04-18

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (3/07)

"Abraham's Well" is the life story of Armentia, a black Cherokee slave, who considers herself a member of the Deer Clan. The novel begins with her memories as a young slave girl for a Cherokee family and concludes with her in old age, finally owning her own land. As her personal journey is told, so too is the life of the black freedmen and slaves who lived with, worked for, and married into, Cherokee families. The religious side of life for the people; Armentia's beloved, older brother Abraham; and the journey along the Trail of Tears are given particular emphasis throughout the book, the Trail of Tears referring to a forced cross-country trek that took place in the United States in the early 1800s. Approximately 17,000 black, mixed, and various native groups were forced to walk more than a thousand miles to the new "Indian Territory" set aside for them, after their land was expropriated by the U.S. government.

There are some admirable differences between this and many other black slave stories, such as the attempt made to work through the thought process of a slave learning to adjust to her place in society, and the efforts of the author to speak about the abuses by people in general, not just the whites. However, only readers with knowledge and interest in spiritual matters may be able to appreciate the book's emphasis on religion. The constant references, including more than 25 pages of an outdoor sermon, did not hold my attention at all, and might also be the reason why I do not fully understand why Abraham, a short-lived character who, through the continuous use of memories to rehash a tremendous amount of information, warrants being in the title.

More importantly, however, is that I know very little about the Cherokee black people, and reading about Armentia's life without being given any historical context or background information in which to place the events, resulted in my being confused quite early in the story, and unsure of the validity of what I was reading. Some historical details were eventually presented in later chapters of the book, which helped somewhat, but the author states in the final chapter notes that she purposely wrote her story to be "more episodic than driven by dates or locations." As a newcomer to the topic, this did not work well at all for me.

In general, the writing was good and in a few parts it was delightfully succinct, such as in the short chapters involving letters written to Armentia. Written as the result of the author's own discovery of her Cherokee ancestry, it is also timely given the recent controversy over denying full Cherokee ancestry rights to the black descendants of the freedmen. "Abraham's Well" is at times very confusing, but it is also a nice, cautious novel. Thanks to the reference list Ms. Foster provides, readers may find "Abraham's Well" a good place to start their own inquiry into this unique group of blacks and natives, who at one time appeared to consider themselves as one people.

Average customer rating:

Sex, Death, And History! Can't Beat It
Great story but why all the repetition?
Ho-Hum Alternate History
Truly irresistible
Good alternate history of the War of 1812

1812: The Rivers of War
Eric Flint
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Grantville Gazette II

ASIN: 0345465687
Release Date: 2006-10-31

Book Description

Eric Flint’s acclaimed 1634: The Galileo Affair was a national bestseller from one of the most talked-about voices in his field. Now, in this extraordinary new alternate history, Flint begins a dramatic saga of the North American continent at a dire turning point, forging its identity and its future in the face of revolt from within, and attack from without.

In the War of 1812, U.S. troops are battling the British on the Canadian border, even as a fierce fight is being waged against the Creek followers of the Indian leader Tecumseh and his brother, known as The Prophet. In Europe, Napoleon Bonaparte’s war has become a losing proposition, and the British are only months away from unleashing a frightening assault on Washington itself. Fateful choices are being made in the corridors of power and on the American frontier. As Andrew Jackson, backed by Cherokee warriors, leads a fierce attack on the Creek tribes, his young republic will soon need every citizen soldier it can find.

What if–at this critical moment–bonds were forged between men of different races and tribes? What if the Cherokee clans were able to muster an integrated front, and the U.S. government faced a united Indian nation bolstered by escaping slaves, freed men of color, and even influential white allies?

Through the remarkable adventures of men who were really there–men of mixed race, mixed emotions, and a singular purpose–The Rivers of War carries us in this new direction, brilliantly transforming an extraordinary chapter of American history.

With a cast of unforgettable characters–from James Monroe and James Madison to Sam Houston, Francis Scott Key, and Cherokee chiefs John Ross and Major Ridge–The Rivers of War travels from the battle of Horseshoe Bend to the battle of New Orleans, and brings every explosive moment to life. With exquisite attention to detail, an extraordinary grasp of history, and a storyteller’s gift for the dramatic, Flint delivers a bold, thought-provoking epic of enemies and allies, traitors and revolutionaries, and illuminates who we are as a nation, how we got here, and how history itself is made–and remade.

From the Hardcover edition.

Download Description

Advance praise for The Rivers of War

“Eric Flint [drops] his readers into another time and place, where cultures collide, the action is hot and heavy, and we get to experience the best of the human spirit.”
–DAVID WEBER, New York Times bestselling author of the Honor Harrington adventures

“Eric Flint has a genius for taking his passion for history and turning it into powerful, action-packed stories that instantly grab the readers and plunge them into a time and place that might have been.”
–DAVID DRAKE, author of The Far Side of the Stars and Redliners

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Sex, Death, And History! Can't Beat It.......2007-09-15

Eric Flint, according to his afterword, apparently wrote "1812: The Rivers of War" and its sequel, "1824: The Arkansas War" (which I have not read) because somebody challenged him to write an alternate history of the United States in which the Trail of Tears never occurred. This required him to go back considerably before the Trail of Tears (which occurred in the late 1830's) so that the Cherokees could prepare themselves to become a nation in the sense that Europeans and Americans would define a nation in the mid-nineteenth century. Two of my best friends are part Cherokee, so of course I love the idea; but it could easily have been done in an utterly unreadable fashion. Instead, Flint delivers a no-holds-barred, spectacular alternate ending to the War of 1812.

The only complaint I have about this book is the title. No part of it actually takes place in 1812. Even the preface takes place in 1806 to introduce Andrew Jackson, who is far from the most important character in the book and is totally absent from the second act. Then we skip ahead to 1814 to witness the climax of Jackson's war against the Creeks, which was part of the war of 1812. One more minor complaint -- the back side of the book refers to Tecumseh fighting the Americans, but he was killed in 1813 and is only referred to in the text. The "Five Civilized Tribes" are the heart of the reason Flint wrote this book and they were not allied to Tecumseh. In fact, only half or so of the Creeks are allied to the British, but this still leads to a very bloody battle at what became known as the Horsehoe Bend of the Alabama River.

The hero of the book is Irish immigrant and universal soldier Patrick Driscoll, who thinks of the United States as his third nation, Ireland and France having been broken by the British, or "the Sassenach," as he calls them. If this book is ever made into a movie, I want to play Driscoll -- I am too short to play the other major Anglo characters, and I'm also about the right age. He is introduced at the beginning of the second act and is thereafter never absent. His views on religion and politics are about as modern as Flint could possibly make them and he is probably a stand-in for Flint himself. It's not exactly the climax of the book, but one of the two most fun scenes for Flint to write was certainly the scene that ends chapter 29, when Driscoll basically says "a pox on all your houses" because Earth has never contained a scoiety he would really be proud to be a part of.

The other, of course, is the love scene. Tiana Rogers, a sixteen-year-old Cherokee who towers over Driscoll at six feet, is gently pushed by her brothers to marry Driscoll after challenging them to find her a better husband than Sam Houston (in the time of this novel, a 21-year-old junior officer in the U. S. Army). She needs very little coaxing, finding in Driscoll her equal as a fighter and dreamer. Driscoll has been totally geared to fighting and killing the Sassenach for as long as Tiana has been alive, and she helps him turn towards the idea of letting his life be about building and loving.

Books like "The Rivers of War" are the reason I love alternate history. It's so much more hopeful than anything by Harry Turtledove. Whatever your background, if you have any interest in nineteenth-century America, you will love this book. I give it my strongest possible recommendation.

Great story but why all the repetition?.......2007-07-05

I have now read a number of Eric Flint's alternate history books and, while I enjoy the clever variations on history and meaty characters, I cannot understand why a skilled author finds it necessary -- in all his books -- to repeat the same facts over and over again, sometimes just pages apart. In 1812, for example, on page 150 a woman named Tiana thinks about another character named Nancy Ward as a "Ghighua" (in Cherokee), followed by the sentence, "The Cherokee word had several translations into English. 'War Woman' was one of them." The story then goes on to explain how Ward's exploits had earned her that name/title.

Then on page 163, Sam Houston also thinks about Nancy Ward as "The last -- and some said, the greatest -- of the Cherokee Ghighua. The title was sometimes translated into English as 'Beloved Woman' and sometimes as 'War Woman." and just two pages later the author AGAIN explains how she earned that title!

He did the same thing throughout the 1634 series.

Ho-Hum Alternate History.......2007-05-15

This is not a bad story but neither is it a great one. It is one of those which I enjoyed enough while reading but which I have no great desire to think about or remember afterwards.

The setting is 1812 and the US is at war with Britain. It also has some internal problems such as what to do about Indians who do not wish to give their land up to the whites. Sometimes the Indians act in a savage manner but, more often, it is the whites who break agreements. In this story, there is an alternative to the Trail of Tears. Instead of being forcibly displaced, the powerful Cherokee nation and allied tribes voluntarily head west thinking they will then be able to set themselves up strongly enough to resist American expansion when it gets that far.

To help them along, they have the services of Sam Houston (of Texas fame) who is a hero of the war of 1812. He puts together a patchwork of tribes and black freedmen and convinces the US administration to sign off on the plan.

This entire books seems to be a buildup for things which do not happen. I understand there is at least one sequel. Maybe this is a setup for that one. Its well enough written that I will not mind reading other books but neither am I going to rush out to do so.

Truly irresistible.......2007-05-11

The War of 1812 seems, to most Americans, as a minor war, dry and forgettable. But Mr. Eric Flint uses it as his starting point for his alternate history. He brings it to life, with such colorful characters, but also REAL people, as Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, Winfield Scott, George Cockburn, Robert Ross and others. From Chippewa to New Orleans he creates a plot that draws you in. It never slows down yet it never goes so fast that you can't keep up. The American Nation, still young and a little rough around the edges, fighting for its rights and beliefs must deal with a NEW Nation being born even as the conflict rages. Mr. Flint brings Indians, freed men of color, escaping slaves and powerful whites together in a cooking pot of power and ideals. Ideals that will be tested, shaped and forced to deal with the judgment of history, the issue of slavery and growing pains of the young United States.

Good alternate history of the War of 1812.......2007-04-14

I think the War of 1812 is one of the most interesting parts of U.S. History. It's little known; not much is written about it. Which is partly why this book was a joy to read.

For the most part, the battles in this book -- the Horseshoe Bend, the Chippewa, the raid on Washington, and New Orleans (all four of them did occur in real life) -- happened more or less as Flint describes them, and mostly end in the same way. Well, there was no valiant stand in the U.S. Capitol, but still this alternate history is subtle. It will take future volumes to see the effects of what happened at Flint's version of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend.

And the characters are so colorful. Especially Patrick "the Troll" Driscol, the angry Irish sergeant in Scott's brigade with an intense hatred of the British (hating them for what they had done in Ireland in 1798). I enjoyed Flint's take on Andrew Jackson, possibly the most fascinating American of his time. Robert Ross was done well, too. All in all it was a good book, and I look forward to reading the next installment.

Average customer rating:

A beautifully illustrated book about reconciliation
Get this book!
First Strawberries - a definite pick!

The First Strawberries (Picture Puffin)
Joseph Bruchac , and Anna Vojtech
Manufacturer: Puffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How the Stars Fell into the Sky: A Navajo Legend (Sandpiper Houghton Mifflin Books)
Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back
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The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush

ASIN: 0140564098

Book Description

From an award-winning Native American storyteller comes this captivating re-telling of a Cherokee legend, which explains how strawberries came to be. Long ago, the first man and woman quarrelled. The woman left in anger, but the Sun sent tempting berries to Earth to slow the wife's retreat. Luminous paintings perfectly complement the simple, lyrical text. Complete harmony of text and pictures: altogether lovely. -- Kirkus Reviews, pointer review Joseph Bruchac is an award-winning storyteller whose books for children include Eagle Song, Children of the Longhouse, and Arrow to the Sun (all Dial). He lives in Greenfield Center, New York. Anna Vojtech lives in Marblehead, Massachusetts.

Customer Reviews:

A beautifully illustrated book about reconciliation.......2007-07-09

This beautifully illustrated lyrical book is very special. It's story of thoughtless words, anger and forgiveness is told simply, but powerfully. It is a lesson both adults and children can hear over and over. The lush watercolor illustrations are breathtaking. I buy this book as a wedding present, and read it on the last day of classes that I teach, and think of it whenever I bite into a ripe, sweet strawberry.

Get this book!.......2000-12-03

I love this book both for it's great story and because it is a terrific resource for teachers. It's one of those books (like Where the Wild Things Are or Runaway Bunny) that just grabs kids up and speaks directly to things they are deeply connected to. In this case: inequity, anger and how to deal with those feelings.

If you are a teacher (or parent) and want a book that addresses these issues witout being overly complicated or inauthentic - run, don't walk and buy this wonderful book!

First Strawberries - a definite pick!.......2000-05-17

This Cheyenne tale is a great lesson about how words of anger hurt and about forgiveness. Also a nature pour-quoi tale! Can be shared easily with very young, important message for older boys and girls as well as adults. After reading this, eating strawberries will be just a little sweeter!

Trail of Tears (Step-Into-Reading, Step 5)

Average customer rating:

A Tragic Story
Beyond a Step Five
A Must for Every Classroom

Trail of Tears (Step-Into-Reading, Step 5)
Joseph Bruchac
Manufacturer: Random House Books for Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Moonwalk: The First Trip to the Moon (Step-Into-Reading, Step 5)
Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)
Quakes! (Step-Into-Reading, Step 5)
Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares (Step-Into-Reading, Step 4)
To the Top! Climbing the World's Highest Mountain (Step-Into-Reading, Step 5)

ASIN: 0679890521
Release Date: 1999-09-21

Book Description

In 1838, settlers moving west forced the great Cherokee Nation, and their chief John Ross, to leave their home land and travel 1,200 miles to Oklahoma. An epic story of friendship, war, hope, and betrayal.

Customer Reviews:

A Tragic Story.......2006-08-09

This is a history book of the "trail of tears." This book has a very good lesson: a lesson of hope and courage. This book also had three interesting facts. Sequoya invented an alphabet for the Cherokee language and his daughter was the first to use it. The Cherokees had to give up their land to the whites, and had to make a 1200 mile trip. It took them many months and over 4000 people died. The Whites wouldn't let them search for gold, either, even though there was gold in the water.

I liked the book. The pictures were specific and detailed and helped me understand the text better. I would recommend this book to other Cherokees who want to know more about their ancestors, and to anyone interested in learning more about Cherokee, especially I they are 8 and older.

Beyond a Step Five.......2005-06-18

The content provided in the book is informative. However, it is too advanced for a second or third grader to read independently. The child must have a background knowledge in several different areas, as well as a very strong vocabulary, before reading. The content of the book lends itself better to older children (junior high) that are learning about or have an interest in the Cherokee nation. Unfortunetly, the illustations are good for younger children which may cause older children not to read it.

A Must for Every Classroom.......2000-06-11

This is a truly outstanding, well written book. My daughter at the age of 7 read this with ease. She was able to discuss Seuoyah, John Ross, Andrew Jackson, and Thomas Jefferson with me. She had an accurate understanding of the Traii of Tears, the Indian Removal Bill, and even was able to discuss how the Cherokee Alphabet came about. The best part was she and I both enjoyed the book. This book would make a great gift for a teacher in grades 2 - 4 or any one wanting to learn more about the Trail Of Tears.

Voices from the Trail of Tears (Real Voices, Real History Series)

Average customer rating:

a very detailed history
True To Life
Another Excellent Book from Ms. Rozema

Voices from the Trail of Tears (Real Voices, Real History Series)

Manufacturer: John F. Blair Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Trail of Tears: The Rise and Fall of the Cherokee Nation
Trail of Tears
Only the Names Remain: The Cherokees and The Trail of Tears
Cherokee Legends and the Trail of Tears
Seven Clans Of The Cherokee Society

ASIN: 0895872714

Book Description

Although British and American governmental policy had been pushing Native Americans westward for much of the 18th and early 19th centuries, passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830 brought this policy to a head. This act, which provided for the exchange of American Indian lands in the East for lands west of the Mississippi River and for the removal of the Indians to those lands, resulted in the relocation of an estimated 100,000 Native Americans.

Although many tribes were involved in this process, the most publicized removal was that of the Cherokees. In Voices from the Trail of Tears, Vicki Rozema draws from letters, military records, physicians' records, and journal excerpts to provide insight into what actually happened during this period. Through these primary sources, which are presented in chronological order, we follow the feuding within the Cherokee ranks about whether to accept the white man's ultimatum, and if so, how it should be implemented. We have firsthand accounts of how the Indians from Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee were rounded up to prepare for their removal. We hear the sympathetic white missionaries pleading for the Cherokees to be allowed to stay in their homeland, and we see how some of these same missionaries dealt with the testing of their faith as they accompanied the Indians on their westward journey. We read official reports and private musings from the soldiers who were ordered to carry out the removal, many of whom ended up sympathizing with their wards. We see the conditions that the people endured as they traveled on what they called "the Trail Where They Cried." We even follow the confusion that resulted when the new arrivals in the West faced assimilation into a culture already established by those who had emigrated 20 to 30 years earlier.

In Voices from the Trail of Tears, the actual participants give us a perspective on what happened during this infamous chapter in American history.

Customer Reviews:

a very detailed history.......2007-02-11

This book does provide first-person descriptions of events at the time, which is historically revealing. However, it is very dry reading...probably unavoidable. Most interesting to me is how differently the removal of the Indians from the South was viewed by different people, almost like they were talking about a completely different experience.

True To Life.......2005-08-05

You can't get a better perspective on an event than first person accounts. This book was written in such a way. There are accounts by people who were actually there taken from medical reports and recorded information taken from first person accounts of people who were actually in the middle of "The Trail of Tears" as it was happening. An excellent read and factual event of history that just happened to be overlooked in school history books.

Another Excellent Book from Ms. Rozema.......2003-03-12

This is Ms. Rozema's third book on Cherokee History and an excellent complement to her others. Voices from the Trail of Tears is a collection of first person accounts of the infamous Cherokee Removal of 1838. Drawn from letters, journals, military reports, contemporary newspaper accounts, and even physicians' reports, it offers an in-depth and very personal account of the tragedy referred to by the Cherokees as `The Trail Where We Cried.' This book is different from previous books on the Cherokee Removal because it consists primarily of first person accounts of events leading up to, during, and immediately after the removal and while Ms. Rozema provides introductory notes to each account to explain the events and people who wrote the accounts, the eye-witness accounts are the focus of the book. This book deals more with the experience of the Cherokees held in camps during the summer of 1838 while they were waiting for removal led by Chief John Ross and where it is believed most of the deaths (due to sickness) actually occurred rather than on the trail than previous books. This book also deals more with the actual experiences of the Cherokees on the `Trail Where they Cried' where previous books deal more with the events leading up to the removal.
Voices from the Trail of Tears is an excellent choice for anyone interested in Cherokee history or the removal of the southeastern Indians. It would also be an excellent choice for teachers or researchers including those doing genealogy research. The book is thoughtfully indexed and carefully noted with unobtrusive endnotes and extensive bibliography at the end of the book.

Remember My Name (The Council for Indian Education Series)

Average customer rating:

Made Me Cry

Remember My Name (The Council for Indian Education Series)
Sara H. Banks
Manufacturer: Roberts Rinehart Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1879373386

Customer Reviews:

Made Me Cry.......2001-07-21

Your heart goes out to eleven year old Annie when you read this book. Forced to leave the only home she has ever known to live with a slave owning uncle, this half Cherokee girl is forced to deal with new faces, a new home and a world of predjudice she never suspected was there. But the greatest challenge of all is yet to come, Annie must face the exploitation and toture that the "Indian Removal of 1883" brings to her own people. Annie must find a way to honor both sides of her heritage while still being true to her own beliefs and values. This novel exposes truths about the cruelties that these Native Americans where exposed to while comending the courage and soul of one little girl.

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Cassette Tapes are Obsolete

Introduction to Cherokee
Gregg Howard
Manufacturer: Various Indian Peoples Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound

English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books

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Beginning Cherokee
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ASIN: 188465522X

Book Description

Sam Hider developed this program in the early 70s and it has become a standard for Indian language programs. Endorsed by the Cherokee Nation as an accurate beginning program. Over 20 hours of audio tape and a 64 page workbook.

Greetings, food phrases, asking directions, animal names, and many useful phrases are included. Highly recommended.

Customer Reviews:

Cassette Tapes are Obsolete.......2007-01-25

I wish this book would've included CDs instead of cassette tapes. Who has a cassette player these days?

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