North Dakota Books

Best Of The Best From The Great Plains Cookbook compiles its recipes from 88 cookbooks drawn from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Kansas. From a non-alcoholic Hot Buttered Rum to Mexican Ice Cream, this impressive, highly recommended compendium offers up wonderful selections for any family meal time or celebratory dining occasion. Of special interest to cookbook enthusiasts is the extensive listing of titles for the entire "Best of the Best" cookbook series from Quail Ridge Press.

This book is an excellent historic comparison of the black hills through photos. It is filled with historic information and insight. Great purchase!

This novel, it must be said, is not quite as good as Wiowode's finest, 'Beyond the Bedroom Wall.' But Wiowode's second best is anyone else's excellent. As North Dakota's poet, Wiowode uses prose in stark, image-packed lines to tell the story of two brothers, their respective roads through triumph and tragedy. Though Wiowode is a Christian (Presbyterian), he doesn't flinch as his characters grapple with homosexuality and even sibling experimentation. Alchoholism, a factor in Wiowode's own life, also plays a role, as does the uncharacteristic (for a modern novel) love of parents found almost solely in Wiowode. This is a beautifully-crafted book, a story about faith, sin, lostness, and love. Redemptive, yes. But not cheaply so. Highest recommendation.

In the past, I have recommended "When the Legends Die" by Hal Borland and "The Light in the Forest" by Conrad Richter to my young cousins and relatives who are interested in reading more about Native American cultures. However, this small novel with terrific pencil drawings by Steve Marchesi has become one of my all time favorite novels about young Native American people who struggle with their own identity and discernment of life.

The story is about a toddler who is found in a wolf's den by a Lakota medicine man, Shadow Fox. The boy's parents were killed in an avalanche and a she-wolf had found the baby and taken him in and raised him as a pup. As Wolf Brother grows up in Lakota society, he is teased and taunted because of his ongoing relationship with the pack of wolves which lives in the area. Shadow Fox and other elders approve of the relationship, knowing that the "wolf child" has been sent to the people by the spirits.

As he grows up, Wolf Brother is continually tormented and belittled by Looks-Away and other children. His friend, Spotted Pony, is always true to Wolf Brother in spite of the hardships of being a friend to one who is treated as a pariah. Occasionally, Wolf Brother goes to visit his wolf relatives who receive him each time with love and care. The wolves even bring food to the people when they are on the verge of starvation.

After Looks-Away returns from his vision quest with a disturbing vision of Wolf Brother and his wolf family attacking the village, other members of the village begin to believe that their misfortune is due to the presence of Wolf Brother. Wolf Brother heads out to his wolf family, leaving the village and humans behind him. However, he knows that he is also not a wolf. In his attempt at becoming one with the wolves, Wolf Brother touches "wakan"--the true unity of reality.

"Sometimes, especially at night, he felt as though he had become almost invisible. His edges blurred and melted, blending into everything else, until he was no longer separate, but a part of everything around him. He felt that when he walked, he left no footprints but moved without disturbing the smallest leaf or pebble. He could pass through the trees and come out whole on the other side, but in the moment of passing he became on with the tree. His skin became the bark and his arms and legs were the limbs, forever fastened to the earth and yet growing and changing with a whole life of their own."

As the story unfolds, Wolf Brother receives his vision without anticipation or expectation. He returns to the village and carries his responsiblity of sharing his vision with the people. The vision ultimately saves the people and they accept Wolf Brother in his wholeness.

This is a highly enjoyable novel with its terrific pencil drawings by Steve Marchesi. I do hope that it will be republished soon. I can only give this book my highest recommendation.

I've been looking for more novels by Doane for years now. This, to my knowledge is his last and its a pity for readers. There is an intelligence, honesty, freshness and skill to his works that was unique, identifiable and very satisfying. Story telling with craft, writing with art and emotion -why isn't this gut famous and why did he stop writing fiction?

A historical novel based on the life of an orphan train child who became the governor of North Dakota.
The author also does presentations for groups or school classes about the orphan train children. She covers a part of history that is missing from history books. Through video, slides, role-play and costumes, she presents the story of the orphan trains. Between 1853 and 1928, the orphan trains took over 200,000 children from New York to different states to be "adopted" by families. Some of the children had the good fortune to be adopted in loving families, yet others were destined to be "leftovers."

This review is with regards to the paperback version of the book. I enjoyed looking at Mc Enroe's year for 1990. Yes he is a SuperBrat at times and brutally honest, but the author, who knows McEnroe, only defended him somewhat and chastised him for his behavior. He pointed out there are people who do worse in sport, but get a lighter punishment. McEnroe uses his mouth, not his fists to do battle, and while his language can be abusive, there are worse things he could be doing. All in all, an enjoyable read. If you're a fan of Mac or not, but you enjoy tennis, I would recommend picking up a copy from a used bookstore if you can't obtain it by other means.

This is an informative, well-written compilation of maps that should be of considerable use to students of Dakota and Great Plains history. I highly recommend it.

An old fort ends up doing more than serving as a playground - it ultimately changes three lives. "The Chichi Hoohoo Bogeyman" follows three Native American girls as they encounter a white stranger and bestow upon him the titular nickname. They watch him from afar, but when they are chased by the man, their lives at home begin to change with unexplained consequences. A deftly written portrayal of the modern Native American family, enhanced with illustrations from Nadema Agard, "The Chichi Hoohoo Bogeyman" is highly recommended for community library children's fiction collections.

Mr. Freeh was my grade school teacher in a one room country school in 1947, if my memory serves me correctly. I have not read the book, but my sister is in the process. She is quite impressed with the book. I look forward to reading it. She is sending it to me as a gift. She tells me it is quite a story. I met him a few years ago at a highschool reunion in our home town. I was relieved to be able to apologize to him for my obnoxious behavior as his student. He graciously accepted my apology. He has mentioned us in this book. He was just out of the Marines when he taught this school with most grades represented. I don't think he had more college than summer school as was the custom in North Dakota at that time. A child of the prairie as I was, he did much with his life. It is an interesting one.