A good read that stuck with me for a while. Although this is a fictious account of a Brides for Indians program that was suggested but not carried out, I thought Fergus did a good job imagining what could have happened. The story stayed true to history, not glossing over the way the US treated Native Americans. While I found it a little hard to believe that the main character could adapt so easily, she and the other characters were very likeable in their attempt to acclimate to the Cheyenne life. In many ways, it is like "Little Big Man"--honest, humorous, frank, and also sad. But I think it also stands on its own as a novel.

EDIT: preparing to make this a bookray

From the publisher and Amazon:
"One Thousand White Women is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. The Cheyenne give Grant 1,000 horses and receive 1,000 brides, many recruited from prisons and insane asylums.
May's personal journals, loaded with humor and intelligent reflection, describe the adventures of some very colorful white brides (including one black one), their marriages to Cheyenne warriors, and the natural abundance of life on the prairie before the final press of the white man's civilization. Fergus is gifted in his ability to portray the perceptions and emotions of women. He writes with tremendous insight and sensitivity about the individual community and the political and religious issues of the time, many of which are still relevant today. This book is artistically rendered with meticulous attention to small details that bring to life the daily concerns of a group of hardy souls at a pivotal time in U.S. history."

Guidelines:
I try to be flexible, but these are a few general guidelines to go by:
1.) When you receive the book, please journal that you've received it and then journal again once you've read it to tell everyone what you thought. Finally, journal again (or update your previous entry) once you've sent the book to the next person in the ray.
2.) Before sending the book to the next person, be sure to check the list in case I've needed to make adjustments to the order.
3.) Please keep the book no longer than 4 or 5 weeks before sending it on to the next person.
4.) The last person on the bookray should release the book in some Bookcrossing manner--wild release, controlled release, continuing the bookray, whatever.

Participants:

1.) Kaetzchen-GA
2.) Everett-Reader (US only)
3.) maggiesma (US only)
4.) nancyluvsbooks (US only)
5.) Nolatari (US, pos. Canada)
6.) CynthiaA (NA; Eur.)
7.) buffra (Int'l)
8.) amberC (Australia only) RECIEVED

sent today to Kaetzchen-GA.

I'm late posting I have this! Sorry, but I'm reading, enjoying it and will send it on its way when I'm done! :)

Arrived today. I am in the middle of two other books right now, but will start it as soon as I finish one of them. Thanks!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I hesitated how much to write ***spoiler warning*** but the reviews on Amazon pretty much tell the whole story.

I "inhaled" this story over a couple of days and just relished the characters and really enjoyed the creativity of the premise of the novel. Yes, it was full of stereotypes (let's see, a priest who molests boys, redheaded Irish girls just oozing with every wild Irish stereotype you can imagine, a fallen Southern Belle who was a full on characture) but I felt that fit in with the book and could be interpeted as symobolism or representations of "types" of people of the times. In many ways, Helen (the bird lover), the black warrior princess and Mary Dodd were all fantastical characters, they didn't really seem to be likely given the time and place. Their presence in the story, while perhaps unlikely, created opportunties for the author to work in subjects like black slavery and in the case of Helen, the power of totems and symbolism.

I genuinely appreciated that neither the calvary nor the Indians were portrayed as all good or all bad (the noble savages did some pretty bad things, by our standards; some of the calvary mourned the loss of a free people). The people's both sides represented were very human and fallible.

I have read some historical fiction as well as nonfiction that touched on many of the events ocurring during the time when the Cheyenne and Souix were removed from their free lands (Black Elk Speaks, Centennial and others) and the events in the book were certainly "in line" with actual historical events.

There never was a brides for horses program, but if there had been you can be sure that the US government at the time would have only delivered about 41 of the 1,000 before deciding on a policy change. The events, including the land grab of the Black Hills, really did happen, and the calvary were in the position of protecting the white settlers, minors, missionaries etc even if the the Indians they slaughtered were within their treaty rights.

Thank you so much for sharing this book ring. I will be sending it later this week to the next person on the list.

This came in yesterdays mail and I can't wait to get started. I am currently reading another book, but will go back and forth with both. I will journal again after I read this and then pass it on.

I enjoyed the opportunity to read this book very much. The idea was a bit hard to believe, but there were times when I got so involved that I was really hoping for the best for these women. The method used to complete the story was well done and left me feeling much happier than I would have been without the additional entries.

Shipping monday to nancyluvsbooks

I received this book in the mail today from Maggiesma. I will read and send it on in the book ray. Thanks so much!

Great book! I sent it on to Nolatari in the mail today. Happy New Year and Happy Reading!

Book arrived, but with some wear and tear. [Appears that a postal worker, or someone, was careless, and a 2-3 inch gouge is now present through the center of the front cover and on through the book until the 100th page or so. The book is still readable, but we'll have to be careful with it from now on.]

Looking foward to beginning this intriguing story right away!

Arrived today. I'm just finishing another bookray so will get to this one pronto!

Ok, I was underwhelmed by this book. The premise for the story fascinated me and I felt there was a lot of potential.

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't what I was hoping. I felt that the book too easily accepted those historical stereotypes without challenging them. And I felt that both native peoples and white people were stereotyped in the book. "Religious" people were stereotyped. Irish people, Swedish people, Halfbreeds. Etc. It was a book full of stereotypes. I guess I had hoped for a more introspective view of the history between whites and the First Nations.

And with respect to the plot itself, I honestly felt that having May Dodd's deepest love given to white man was disappointing. In fact the whole Captain Bourke thing just bugged me. It distracted the reader away from the real story. I didn't want to read about a love affair between an unfortunate and desperate woman and a handsome army captain. I wanted to read about an unfortunate and desperate woman finding redemption, and forgiveness and acceptance and yes -- love -- in her new community. And I felt that having Captain Bourke in his role of lover meant that May was never able to fully achieve those other things.

I had also hoped for some deeper evaluation of native culture, wisdom and spirituality. Certainly, there was surface level discussion about how white culture and native culture were different and how both had advantages and disadvantages. But the book didn't really delve deep into the issue. I would have liked more background info on certain things -- like how the Cheyenne social structure came into being.

To its credit, the book didn't -- and shouldn't -- change history. What happened in the Black Hills in the 1820's is a shameful part of western history. And I don't mean just American history. We Canadians cannot be smug about our treatment of our First Nations peoples.

I don't know what I was expecting. Maybe an apology of some sort. Or maybe, at least, regret. I suppose there was regret, but I got the impression that it, too, was fictional.

This book will be sent on as soon as I get buffra's address.

Caught it!

Thanks.

I got swamped with life and running around and family stuff and didn't get to read this. I've sent it on.

Thanks though.

One of 5 bookrings received today from 5 different countries.

The back cover has been damaged. A sharp , pointing object has gone through the packaging and last 20 pages. It is still readable. Poor book has had some rough handling in it's travels.

I really enjoyed this book. It may not be factual, but I think it tells a lot about the times and events it portrays. I was hoping for a happy ending, but wasn't surprised at it ending the way it did.

I will pass this along soon.

RELEASE NOTES:

Taking to the meet-up

Picked up this book at the Darwin meet-up.

I have read Sarah's Quilt and These is my words - am hoping this will be of the same calibre

Not sure what I was expecting - but this was certainly not in the caliber of 'These is my words.' Was an ok read and I am glad I read it - but it had so much more potential than it ended up with.

Am going to wild release this book this morning.