North America Books

Wendy Lawton's ability to paint vivid pictures with words is a rare ability and this is Wendy's best example so far. I have read 3 of the 4 books written by Ms. Lawton. Ransom's Mark is easy to read and interesting. Wendy's writing keeps adults and children alike interested in the story. After reading this book I wanted to do more research into Olive Oatman's life. Like Wendy's other books this one paints a picture of herstory(women in history) not often covered in the classroom.

Olive Oatman is thirteen years old in the fall of 1850 when her father decides the family will leave their Illinois farm and go west to California. Olive, her parents, and her six siblings join a wagon train west, but have trouble from the start. Their leader turns out to be unreliable, and changes their destination. The wagon train splits several times, until the Oatmans eventually end up on their own in dangerous Indian territory, because her father is unwilling to wait at the safety of a village for another wagon train to join. Olive fears the worst will happen, and she is right. Renegade Indians attack the Oatmans and massacre most of the family, sparing only Olive and her seven-year-old sister, Mary Ann, who they take captive. Olive struggles to keep up hope during her captivity and to adjust to her difficult new life, all the while trying her best to protect frail Mary Ann.

This was an excellent historical novel for young readers that brought to life the true story of Olive Oatman. Readers who enjoy historical fiction, particularly those who have an interest in this time period or in Indian captive stories, are sure to enjoy this book.

Title: RANSOM'S MARK
Author: Wendy Lawton
Reviewer: Peggy Phifer
Publisher: Moody Publishers
ISBN: 0-8024-3638-2 / [money amount]
Genre: Children/Youth Fiction

When Olive Oatman's pa gets the urge to move west to California, he packs his family and belongings into a covered wagon and they leave their home in Fulton, Illinois. Olive is the third oldest child of six, with baby number seven due along the way. Olive and her brothers and sisters dream of the coming adventure and excitement. But there was no way they could have imagined what the journey would really be like on the Santa Fe Trail.

Trouble begins early when the wagon-master starts to change the plans all had agreed on when they signed up. Eventually, the train splits in two, and Olive's wagon goes with a smaller group to continue on the Santa Fe Trail. Gradually, other wagons drop off at the towns along the way, until only the Oatman wagon is left to continue on. Then, a renegade band of Yavapai Indians attacks the lone wagon, and Olive and her little sister Mary Ann are captured.

Olive and her sister are eventually ransomed from the Yavapai by the beautiful daughter of the chief of a Mohave tribe, but her life is still hard. Branded with a Mohave tattoo, Olive struggles to understand. How can this be a mark of God's love?

This true story of Olive Oatman is one of the most inspiring stories of courage I've read in a long time. Wendy Lawton has treated this story with great discretion and sensitivity to make it readable for her target age-group of 8-12-year olds. Yet she has managed to bring out the stark reality of the dangers the westward pioneers faced.

Like the other three books in this series, "Courage to Run" [Harriet Tubman], "The Tinker's Daughter" [Mary Bunyan, daughter of John Bunyan], and "Almost Home," [Mary Chilton, of the Mayflower], in "Ransom's Mark" Wendy Lawton has written another classic story of "Daughters of the Faith." I highly recommend these books.

Peggy Phifer ©2003

The reading horizon just got brighter because Wendy Lawton has brought history to light again. In ýRansonýs Marký author Wendy Lawton adds to her ýDaughters of the Faithý Series by illuminating the life of Olive Oatman, pioneer of the 1850s.

Olive Oatman at thirteen embodied the strength and perseverance needed for days of the Santa Fe Trail. Driven by elusive dreams, men left it all and placed families at the mercy of the elements as well as renegade Indian tribes just to gain gold and adventure. Olive Oatman was a member of one such family. ýRansomýs Marký is a vivid portrayal of poor choices and Godýs ability to use whomever He chooses to redeem the consequences.

Lawtonýs writing is defined by careful research, strong story line, and vivid snapshots. The author complements her historical scenes with a glossary that further acquaints the reader with the vocabulary of the time. Olive Oatmanýs legacy breathes again under the influence of Wendy Lawtonýs pen.

One cannot refuse this writing. Handing the reader a strong but rich cup of coffee, Lawton encourages you to linger for another long sip. Savor ýRansomýs Mark,ý another unforgettable drink from the cup of history and ýDaughters of the Faithý Series.

This story is filled with details about pioneers, Indians, and the geography of the land and yet it doesn't overbalance the tale of young Olive. This is so well written the reader doesn't realize all the information the writer is pouring into her head. I was so caught up in the story that I found myself crying through the last pages. It is rare that I find a book I like so much. It is going on my gift list for all birthdays and holidays this upcoming year. I have lots of young friends to share this with.

This book goes a long way in explaining why there was so much written about the Wild West and why so much embellishment took place.Throughout history there has been all kinds of spins put on the people involved and what really occurred.Why would anyone expect anything different during the expansion of the West,particularly after the Civil War? In dramatic times of history,be it the Wild West,WW2,Crime in Chicago etc.people are craving for an understanding of events as well entertainment,and that is what we are given by the writers and the media.
Personally,I enjoy both the factual as well as the fictional
aspect of these times.
One character who often appears in books is Ned Buntline.He was a real person by the name of Edward Zane Carroll Judson,and this book does a pretty good job of telling us who he was and some of the things he did.Somebody must have written a book on him;it would be a good read.

This book was a welcome source of information on the Carson & Miller families whose genealogy I have been researching. Michael Wallace did an excellent job of getting his historical facts straight and offered some additional resources for my search for family history.

The easy style presented an engrossing story of a family moving through history from the 1850's to the 1930's and adjusting (not always easily) to the changing moores of society.

My father was a cousin of the Miller Bros. and told us children stories of his childhood in Oklahoma and attending the shows at the 101. My sister & I recently visited the old 101 ranch site and were sad to see that little is left. The Miller house in Winfield, Kansas is still standing in beautiful condition and is a private residence.

Michael Wallace is an excellent storyteller. The book gave life to my genealogy and made me feel in touch with the characters and the times. Anyone with an interest in western history would enjoy this story of a dynamic family who helped shape our images of the old west.

One terrific book -- a majestic recreation of the figures that helped define the old west and western entertainment.

Readers lacking a sense of irony may be dismayed to discover that the Real Wild West was only loosely hitched to reality. Spurred by the imaginations of Charles Miller and his three sons, our perception of what is the west sports the distinct brand of the 101. Take heart, though, because on the Miller Brothers' 101, the west was most certainly wild.

Possibly outlaws and certainly mavericks, the Millers rounded up some legendary talent to work their ranch and perform in their touring shows. The 101 herd of entertainers included Geronimo, Will Rogers, champion cowgirl Lucille Mulhall, Annie Oakley rival Princess Wenona, and such film legends as Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Ken Maynard, Yakima Canutt and Hoot Gibson. Black cowboy, Bill Pickett, famed for inventing the rodeo event steer wrestling spent a long career at the 101, and Buffalo Bill Cody spent his final year with the outfit.

While tooling a longstanding image of the west with their Wild West productions, the Millers also saddled up to motion pictures, oil production and an outstanding crop and livestock operation. Their story is a rodeo itself, made all the more interesting by the hints that white hats did not cover the heads of all of the 101 cowboys and cowgirls.

When the last little doggie was wrangled on the 101, the Miller Brothers' legacy did not ride off into the sunset, but continues to stampede through the dreams of would-be cowpokes everywhere. I'm not a regular patron of movie theatres, but I cannot wait until this saga makes it to the big screen!

If you like history and the stories of the old west, buy this book. I really enjoyed it.

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down until I was through. Congratulations on an excellent delivery. Waiting for Kokopelli's Dream.

A friend of mine suggested this book to me, I told me it would be worth the effort taken to find it. I couldn't agree more. The life story of Manny Twofeathers told in his words is a inspiration.

Manny is by no means a polished author, but the plain language and the raw presentation help to make this a much more compelling and effective book.

With some of the graphic descriptions of the sacrifices and ceremony involved in the Sundances,

I would suggest this book to anyone who is looking for some inspiration as they make there way through a long and troubled journey.

I found myself identifying with the authors sense of wandering and how he found his true spirit within the sundance. The path he chose was not easy nor seen as sensable. Yet through his commitment and spiritual awarness, the author was able to achive the greater sense of self we all desire.

Road to Sundance is very well written and enlightening. I thank Manny Twofeathers for telling us of his journey. anyone who has any interest in Indian traditions or is looking for their spiritual path should read this. Ambyr

As one who knows Manny and is a Sundancer I recommend this book to anyone who truely wants some understanding of this most beautiful and powerful prayer. Manny's descriptions of how he got to this road and the road he traveled are straightforward and descriptive without loosing the respect for the ceremony. He describes the heart it takes to follow the Sundance Road.

An invaluable glimpse into the lives of the people affected by "free trade." Concise and eloquent: the perfect book to hand to someone who believes that more trade is necessarily better trade.

Shafted is a powerful and punchy read! I recommend this book to all those concerned about the future of our economy and the effects of free trade on working people in America. The testimonies reveal the devastating effects of free trade on workers, family farmers and farmworkers. These testimonies also reveal, however, that people refuse to sit back and allow biased economic policies to destroy their livelihoods and their families. By fighting to expose the myth of "free trade," the working people in Shafted are demanding a shift in the values of America - from the unjust and exploitative values of corporate America to fundamental values of the global community - human rights, justice and dignity of people everywhere.

I've always been a domestic policy wonk, and for a long time kept my head buried in the international sand. This book made me wake up and realize that the line between domestic and international is no more, and that it's time to get serious about a cohesive, solid global movement to protect the environment, workers, and basic human dignity. Not a movement based on ignorance, slogans, and bandanaded rebels, but one based on solid information and real-world relevance. Shafted could prove to be a huge step in that kind of a movement. I hope so.

This may be the best introduction available both to the problems of "free trade" and to what a congressional hearing might look like if Congress were focused on the needs of people rather than the needs of campaign contributors.

"Shafted" is an easy-to-read and powerful window into the human side of the effects of free trade. It's one thing to read statistics and another to hear stories directly from those affected. The book is based on a congressional briefing in Washington D.C. where a delegation of America's working poor was able to tell members of Congress and the American public how free trade has impacted their lives. "Shafted" is separated into four parts: Farmers, Workers, Farmworkers, and Analysts. What is great about the book is that it includes stories and analyses from people of different backgrounds, including racial, ethnic, and work backgrounds. I especially liked the contributions in the Analysts section (the analysts coming from the Public Citizen organization, Cornell University, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, and California Senate Select Committee on International Trade). I found them accessible and to the point, lacking loads of economic and political jargon. Throughout the book you'll also find short excerpts from important historic documents such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil Political Rights, American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man.

This is an important book that addresses a growing menace in our society and in the international arena. It does not provide a suggested plan of action, however it does include resources to further educate yourself and to get involved.

"Shafted" is a quick and powerful read that'll open your eyes to another side of America that we hardly get the chance to hear from. And it shows how people are bravely standing up for what they believe it. An invaluable book!

Black Elk Speaks

I ordered the book for my friend Kayla. When I found out that she was writing a paper on American Indians, I insisted she read what I feel is one of the most amazing insights into a facet of the mind they, the American Indians know well; that of the Medicine Man, their Shaman. Black Elk Speaks opened my mind to a world I knew of only in reading other books on sages that have entered realities unknown to most of us, sages from other parts of the world. Our culture generally discourages any practice that helps an individual get beyond the mental confines of the world we know. In this book, we read about a people, in this case one man, that makes it his and their life-style or "Way" where the exception in the norm.

Robert Yanasak

These are the original records of a series of interviews about spiritual awakening that resulted in the classic book "Black Elk Speaks." When Black Elk describes his vision, it is the most beautiful, the most profound assessment of human experience that I have ever encountered. Black Elk speaks in the language and symbols of his culture, so a reader who has knowledge of his way of life will better understand what he was trying to convey.

I felt this book was a constant page turner. If your interested in native american literature this is a wonderful book to have in your collection. Find a quiet place burn some sage and cedar and begin your journey with the sixth grandfather.

This book is the most powerful book I have ever read. Black Elk exudes a spiritual connection that is unparalleled. He also was a man of service. He speaks with a poetic sense of the world that has been killed by science, rationalism and money lust. If we could recover the spiritual sense, this indigenous way of being, that this man had the world would be rich. This book is better than the book "Black Elk Speaks" by Neihardt, because Demallie publishes the interviews verbatim (Neihardt's influence is limited), he provides many footnotes and writes a 100 page introduction and biography on Black Elk using material not contained in the interviews. Demallie also discusses issues that arise from what Black Elk says.

In reading this book on Black Elk Speaks I was overwhelmed. It seemed like the book was meant to land into my hands. When I began to read this novel, I understood. My feelings about vision quests, and soaring with the creators helpers has been an enlightenment to me for being here. I see things that I read in Black Elk Speaks and I understand. I understand what it is like to want to save the people and to have this heaviness come over you when they don't understand you. I have heard your message and I understand.

I don't need to tell the story, enough has been well done of that.
But, I want to say I truly enjoyed reading Ms Styles' second book. It was as much fun as "Crossing Burning Bridges" but in a different way.
The research she did opened my eyes to another era of events in our country. Some rather mean ones. But in all the book was warm and I LOVED every minute of it. Only again, I didn't want to keep reading because I knew it would finally end. Can't wait for her next book.

In the mountains and skies beats a heart of one warrior. A Lakota warrior left to live without his sacred lands and family. This is his story of despair, hope, love, and eventual discovery of the true warrior/man left inside of him.

During the 1880s...

The Lakota warrior, Snake Catcher, is honor bound by a dying request from his brother, Hail Maker to return something to Paradise Valley Ranch. It is through his travels and subsequently meeting Susan Paradise, whose parents have left her the ranch that this story begins to unfold with drama, realisms, and heart-warming romance. Won't you travel through this warrior's story as Snake Catcher tells the history of his people, while falling under the spell of Susan?

Snakes in Paha Sapa is by authoress Cyndie M. Styles. This is a subject near and dear to this reader's heart: the plight of the People. Here is a novel steeped in true-life events with fictional romance blended in making it a wonderful and heartfelt reading experience. Styles truly wields a pen coated in a profusions of great writing and wonderful foresight. This new author's voice is outstanding! This is the type of historical romance that the reading audience in general can enjoy. It is devoid of profane language and sex scenes, while giving the readers background on the lives of the Lakota people.

Susan has an open and unselfish heart, yet she is like a velvet glove concealing an iron fist. Susan treats Snake Catcher with the respect and dignitary befitting any human being, whether they are white, black, or an Indian. Her friendly personality will endear her immediately to the readers. When Susan looks at Snake Catcher she see a man with a big heart, willing to learn and grow, but he is also afraid of the White man, and what they have done to him and his people. Can Susan's gentle soul change Snake Catcher's opinions? Can two diversely different individuals find happiness in the harsh lands of the White man?

Snakes in Paha Sapa is writing from the heart by author Cyndie M. Styles. It is romantic, thought provoking, lovingly detailed, and extremely well written. This reviewer found this novel to be profoundly refreshing and engaging to read! The ending of this story marvelously completes this tale of love between a Lakota warrior and a White woman, and how their lives play out.

Reviewed by © Janalee Ruschhaupt, 2006
Courtesy of Love Romances www.loveromances.com

More than a Western...more than a romance. This story of the native Americans' struggle for their rights living in this land is fully outlined in this book. It takes you to a simpler time but also a time that is harder to survive in. This story is very adventurous and has tons of "on the edge of your seat" reading. There are many subtle humorous moments as well. This is a heart-warming story of all the residents at the ranch and how each of them have their own stories of struggles. This story begins with true Lakota honor. I was indeed entertained and learned much about the Lakota culture.

If you're like me, you might need a little bit of background on the title of Cyndie M. Styles' second novel, Snakes in Paha Sapa. Paha Sapa is the Lakota name for the Black Hills (located in South Dakota and Wyoming), which probably clues you in on the identity of the referenced snakes - they are of the white snake variety that spread westward across America in great numbers during the middle and late 19th century. The novel follows the rather extraordinary life of a Lakota warrior whose fight to reclaim the sacred lands of his people takes on new dimensions as his worldview is shifted by a remarkable white woman rancher.

Snake-Catcher was a great warrior, second only to his older brother. When that brother is ambushed and killed - and great numbers of Lakota tribesmen slaughtered - at the hands of white men, Snake-Catcher's world changes forever. Confined to a reservation, he watches helplessly as the American government reneges on its promises and allows prospectors to settle in Paha Sapa in pursuit of the gold discovered there. Having lost his entire family and his people's cherished lands, he has nothing left but the promise he made to his dying brother - to take a book belonging to that beloved brother to a lady named Susan Paradise in Sundance. When he is finally able to get permission to leave the reservation temporarily, he heads westward to Paradise Valley Ranch as fast as he can. Not surprisingly, he encounters trouble along the way, but the circumstances end up giving him a most enlightening perspective on white society in the wake of his arrival at Susan's ranch. He learns things he never knew about his brother, and he finds unexpected allies in Susan and her band of ranch hands and helpers (a mix of white, Indian, and Mexican cultures). Susan vows to join his campaign to reclaim Paha Sapa for his people, a legal campaign aided by another Lakota educated among the whites.

Susan has her own problems as an independent woman running her own ranch, and Snake-Catcher joins her battles just as she joined his. As you might expect, romance enters the picture eventually, which proves unsettling to both the Lakota warrior as well as the white woman, but theirs is a formidable teamship seemingly ordained by fate to work together for the good of others. Over the course of the novel, many years pass, ushering in a number of brand new elements to the lives of all those at Paradise Valley Ranch. It gives the novel something of an epic quality. Several times, I expected a plot point to be worked out in the end, only to see it resolved much earlier to make way for further turning points in the story. It all comes together beautifully to tell a most endearing tale of human drama.

Snakes in Paha Sapa is a most impressive second novel. In terms of subject matter, it is much different from Styles' earlier Crossing Burning Bridges, yet it retains the author's wonderfully flowing writing style, truly proves her standing as a natural storyteller, and amplifies the bedrock of very real emotions she manages to instill in virtually all of her characters. This is also a very educational novel for those of us who have never really explored the plight of Native Americans deprived of their land by a treacherous and sometimes exceedingly harsh American government. With its formidable mix of historical fiction, Western, and romance, Snakes in Paha Sapa makes for a wonderful, genre-crossing read.

This was the first western fiction book I have read, and I was hooked right from the start--not the "Cowoys and Indians" story I assumed it would be. I found myself reading long past bedtime, and I came to know and love the characters to the extent that I missed them by story's end. I look forward to reading more from Ms. Styles in the future.

Even better than Walks the Fire (which was great), Soaring Eagle is a spellbinding story of God's grace and human need. You have to stay with this one until the end. Everything comes together as pieces of a puzzle. Beautiful!

When I left off with Whitson's first book in this series "Walks the Fire" I was hoping book 2 would be as good. I was not disappointed. It was even more exciting! Jessie King is dead, LisBeth her daughter has just lost her husband in the Indian war, and now she seeks some meaning to life. In mourning, she finds she is too bitter to accept the faith of her mother. Soaring Eagle is fighting a battle of the cultures. He is an Indian who is forced to act like a white man. He refuses their God. Jim Callaway is a career soldier who had seen and done such horrendous things that he deserts the army, running, and ends up in Lincoln, Nebraska near LisBeth and smithy, Joseph. David Braddock is introduced in this book and as rich as he is, he cannot convince LisBeth to end her mourning and court him. So many changes in the town's people occur, the most outstanding being when the daughter of the town gossip accepts the call to an Indian mission school. There she meets Soaring Eagle and Carrie, a little white girl who is the only one who can reach into the heart and soul of Soaring Eagle. Soaring Eagle wears the gold cross which Jessie, his dead white stepmother wore, and a locket with the pictures of his mother and an unidentified woman...his sister whom he has never seen? LizBeth has nightmares about an Indian riding the plains with HER husband's locket around his neck. The interaction of LizBeth and Soaring Eagle is spell-binding and puts the reader heading straight into book 3, Red Bird.

I LOVED Walks The Fire, and so I rushed out to get Soaring Eagle, and I'm really glad I did. I liked it ever better than the first book in the series! I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of the third book, Red Bird, and can't wait to get my hands on it either. Whitson is one of the best, if not the best, Christian Historical Fiction authors out there!

I never expected Soaring Eagle to be better than Walks the Fire, but it was! I was totally caught up in the physical and spiritual journey of Soaring Eagle. His struggle to admit his connection to not only white people, but also to Christians, was enthralling. To add even more drama, Whitson has Soaring Eagle interact with Lisbeth's husband in a secondary plotline that will keep you spellbound. Normally I am not an emotional person, and I was actually sobbing out loud by the time that I read the last word of Soaring Eagle. I am a prolific reader of Christian fiction, and Whitson far outclasses her more well-known counterpart Lori Wick. The Prairie Winds and Keepsake Legacies series are likewise far above anything that I have read by Oke, Wick, Glover, or Peart (and I have read them all). My only complaint is that Whitson is not writing them fast enough!

First of all, if you haven't read "Walks The Fire", you really need to read that first or you will be lost with "Soaring Eagle".

Soaring Eagle, the adopted son of Jesse "Walks The Fire" King and half sister of Jesse's daughter Lisbeth, discovers that in a battle with the White man he has killed his sister's husband. This story follows Soaring Eagle and Lisbeth in their journey to forgiveness; Soaring Eagle and Lisbeth each discover the faith of Walks The Fire, and Lisbeth learns to love again.

Once I began this book I absolutely HAD to finish it, reading it in meetings, at work, even in the bathroom. This one has everything -- tragedy, action, romance -- you'll love it!

I never thought I would ever find such a book that I would ever not put down..This book kept me involved like I never been involved before. I loved this book from beginning to end. Also the artwork from Ms. Boyd's mother Silversong is just breathtaking to me. I laughed and cried and cried some more. I have owned my copy for 3 years now. I also have read this book 4 times since I have owned it. This book is part of my favorite possessions and will cherish it forever. Also when my daughters are old enough I will read it to them or have them read it themselves for the simple fact is the strength, pain, love, and sense of woman and family in this book are just absolutely breathtaking. I really recommend this book to anyone with a heart and the heart of a woman...I like to thank Ms. Boyd for writing her family's story. I never will forget it and although this may not be my family story, I will pass this onto my girls and onto their girls so they can see that women can have the strength to go through anything and that love conquers all and that the SPIRIT MOVES through all of us.....

This book is a clear work of literature where the reality of growing up Indian in 6 Generations is laid out before the world. It is a hard life but one where the women make a difference in the lives of their children and grandchildren. Their choices were often made for them until the past 2 generations. It is a powerful and moving story the should be read by all.

This book does have an epic quality about it... Also, it is the type of book that calls to and connects with the spiritual side of all of us regardless of our individual culture, race or gender. Ms. Boyd's gift is bringing a beautiful narrative quality to the experiences shared by her Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother as well as her own. As the challenges and hardships are recounted it seems incredible that the harshness experienced was so recent, relatively speaking. In a time before domestic-violence laws (as recently as 20 - 30 years ago) options were few and overcoming such oppressive treatment seemed to be as much an act of faith as of will. This is a story that's important to all, not just to these lovely Lawson women.

I am buying several copies to distribute to the women in my life. This is the best book I have ever read and I just happened upon it. It has changed my life, I am a better person for reading it. I love it, cant say enough about it, Loree Byrd is so talented, I would read anything by her.

Loree Boyd has done more than merely written a great book. She has demonstrated the pride, strength and respect so characteristic of Metis/Native people in Canada. As a Metis/Ojibway person myself, I found this story, based on Loree's family history, to be moving and inspirational. I laughed, I cried, and I smiled thoughout reading this book. Loree's personal story extends beyond the words of this book; touching the lives of many Metis and Native families throughout Canada. Knowing and recognizing the similarities of my own Metis/Native family history made reading "Spirit Moves" all the more bittersweat. This book should be read in every household in Canada- Metis, Native, and white! Mii-gwetch Loree for your courage, your pride and your story! In Spirit, James Fortier

I purchased this cookbook so I could cook something for a Native American presentation in my sociology college course. This book is great because it has lots of pictures and info about where the recipe came from or something else interesting about it. I haven't cooked anything from it yet, but I look foward to using the recipes for everyday cooking in adition to my presentation.

This is a "must have" cookbook if you'd like to prepare authentic Native American food. The ingredients are easy to find in any well stocked grocery store, and the recipes are not difficult. No "weird" ethnic foods here- just good meals made with what's available. The historical background for the foods of different tribes is an interesting read. The photographs and drawings are absolutely beautiful- those alone are good reasons to purchase this book!

i loved the book it gives you many different ideas to make things out of the ordinary

The photography is unbelievable and the recipes work! The book gives us a palatable way to enjoy the true native american way of cooking. I would highly reccomend this book to everyone that loves to experience the enjoyment of cooking new recepies and the even greater enjoyment of eating what they have re-created. A great book for all ages and ethnic backrounds. Good food and lots of it!

Great recipes...I orignally bought a copy of this book in 1994 and have tried virtually every recipe in the book. I subsequently purchased a copy in 2006 as a gift for a family member. I asked my family to consider a new tradition in 2006; replacing the standard Christmas dinner with a "Native Harvest" the outcome was brilliant. Consequently my entire family agreed to embrace this concept and pass it along to the children. We found inspiration in the recipes from this truly amazing cook book and an opportunity to honor our ancesters and Native American culture as a whole.

This tome covers corn "ear" to toe. I love the sassy tone and contrarian viewpoints.

I must admit, I am actually a beet person (well, root vegetables generally) and bought this book to get ammo to goof on my corn enthusiast friends. But how the worm has turned! Corn and human history are inextricably linked, a bonding of nurture and social evolution. This book lays down the facts.

I guess in retrospect my "hubris" about beets was misguided and wrong. I now think the lesson I learned, whether it pertains to vegetables, politics, music or whatever, is that YOU SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE DIFFERENT OPINIONS. It's too easy to do, and is an easy way to miss out on fundamental truths.

In that sense, this book transcends it's core audience of corn folk (cornies?) and teaches a much deeper lesson if you are not really interested in corn - that well disciplined research into unfamiliar topics can instruct and delight the receptive reader.

Read it, enjoy and reflect.

Food historian Betty Fussell's survey of corn history blends folklore, anthropology, botany and social and art history to provide a lively blend of anecdotes and facts about world corn, from its influence on war and ritual uses in the Inca and Aztec worlds to its use as a key ingredient in different cultures' cuisines. The Story Of Corn isn't a cookbook; it's a specialized food history which will appeal across many different lines, from students of anthropology and sociology to culinary enthusiasts and history buffs.

Everything you want to know about corn is found in this book. And I mean everything. We see corn growing in fields everyday but do we actually stop and think about it? Do we pull over to the side of the road and LOOK at it? It's amazing how corn has been around longer than anyone will know. This book covers an overwhelming amount of detail. If you don't find it interesting you're just not a corn person. In fact, the only thing it doesn't answer is why I threw up over a bad cob one time. I don't throw up.

I love corn. Whether it's cobbed, creamed, breaded, or popped. This book is non-stop corn!