R E K. (bigstone) - , reviewed on 8/25/2013 + 1452 more book reviews

May Dodd is a fictional heroine who has been put into an asylum because she chose to live with a man she loved without marriage. Employed by her father, he was viewed by her family as beneath their status. Her life changes when in the middle of the night men swoop down on her, kidnap her and her two children, and put May into the asylum for her behavior. When the government offers her freedom if she signs up for a program to become wives of Cheyenne Indians, she leaps at the chance. It is apparently true that this suggestion came from the tribe to help assimilate them into white culture but it was never accepted. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the author's take on "what if."

I did find the means by which May is freed hard to believe when she forges a note from her father for her release. Yes, May is depicted as a larger than life individualist who leads the group of women participating in the program. Her human failings seem to be few but her sense of fairness and commitment are admired by all she meets. Why not? After all this is fiction.

The attitude of people about Indians, warped by tall tales of their more gruesome activities, is demonstrated by settlers and military men alike. It is generally assumed that all Indians are alike without respect to tribal differences. The author does a marvelous job of depicting prairie scenery and goes in depth about life within the Cheyenne tribe, differences between genders and the nomadic life they led. It's a most interesting read and I found the ending quite appropriate for a novel written about this period in our history.

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