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There have been so many thoughtful posts regarding this book. Thanks for the links provided that help with some of the background etc.
I really enjoyed this book. This is a genre that, quite frankly, a few years ago didn’t interest me in the least. But I started reading several Native Canadian authors a couple of years ago and have come to really appreciate the stories and the cultural and spiritual perspectives. It also sheds much light on the current state of relations.
The one thing I didn’t like so much, and this is minor, was the character arcs for Fools Crow (White Man’s Dog) and Fast Horse. I predicted early in the novel that one would experience steady growth toward maturity and leadership, while the other a steady decline into a more self-centred existence and a resultant loss of respect from others. I also agree wholeheartedly with Issybird:
The visionary section at the end was perhaps a little too accurate for my tastes, but my major issue with it was that Fools Crow was passive, just a seer of visions. His earlier quests involved him taking action, forging a path. With this one, he was just a witness. I thought it was rushed and perhaps just a means to wrap up the story and not as organic as his other quests.
Absolutely! My thoughts regarding this were exacerbated by having recently read The Orenda by Joseph Boyden. By narrating in first person from three perspectives (Huron Leader, Iroquoise captive and Jesuit Priest) Boyden gets a lot deeper into the characters and their motives. It’s a brilliant book and in terms of addressing the good and evil paradox in all, it’s much more satisfying.
However, with that said I really loved the way that Welch used dreams to drive the plot forward. And I actually liked how Fools Crow was more action driven early and became more a passive seer later on. I think that more accurately reflects the life of a leader with the propensities of a prophet.
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