Reviewed
by: ?wazithinkin
Genre:
Native American/ Literary Fiction
Approximate
word count: 60-65,000
words
Availability
Click
on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes &
Noble, or Smashwords store
Author:
“Debra
Shiveley Welch resides in Central Ohio with her husband Mark and son
Christopher, also an author.
Author
of four books and a bevy of short stories and poems, Debra is the
winner of Books
and Authors
best Native American Fiction 2011, AllBooks
Review
Editor's Choice 2010, Faithwriters Gold Seal of Approval -
Outstanding Read and Books, Authors Best Non-Fiction Book 2007 and
Excellence in Literature awards.”
To
learn more about Ms. Welch check out her website or Facebook page.
Description:
“Cedar
Woman is a powerful book filled with courage, romance and the
beliefs, ceremonies and language of the Lakota Sioux.
Travel
with her to Columbus, Ohio as she rebuilds her life, and the lives of
her family. Join her in the sweat lodge as she follows Zitka Mine to
the fifth step of the edge of the world to find her father's soul.
Join her at powwow where she meets her half side.”
Appraisal:
This
is a Native American story told in the fashion of a literary fiction
novel. I like Native American stories about their culture,
ceremonies, the way they honor mother earth. However, I am not a fan
of literary fiction. I find it over the top in description of
settings and actions. Interesting enough the Native American parts of
the story didn’t seem to have this problem for me. It was the story
in between where I saw the over description or the telling of daily
mundane routines that actually had no impact on the story.
The
book starts with Sonny walking down the street describing places he
passes and telling us where he is headed. Then the story jumps back
to 1955 and we meet Peter Spotted Eagle Catcher and soon after that
Mary One Feather Fools Bull who are Lena Cedar Woman’s parents and
learn their story. It is not until twenty years later that Lena Cedar
Woman is born. I had a bit of a problem keeping up with the time
jumps back and forth. The back story is interesting and necessary but
not told in a linear fashion.
Ms.
Welch proves she is very knowledgeable about the Lakota Sioux
practices and beliefs. She inserts some of their language as well
with phonic soundings, which are written out, and translations that
are helpful. There is also a dictionary in the back for reference and
a collection of recipes that are described and used in the story. So
there were large portions of the book I enjoyed immensely. The
ceremonies, the sweat lodge scenes, and powwow sections with the
respect shown to elders were of particular interest to me. It was at
the powwow that Lena first meets Michael and Sonny who become an
important part of her story.
So the
book moved along at a varying pace for me, parts I had to trudge
through and other parts moved swiftly. I was not the ideal reader for
this book. But if you enjoy literary fiction or Native American
themes, in particular the Lakota Sioux, this may be a book you will
enjoy.
FYI:
This
is Book 1 of The Cedar
Woman Saga, Book 2 Spirit
Woman is coming soon.
Format/Typo
Issues:
As far
as missing or wrong word usage I found an insignificant number.
Rating:
*** Three stars
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