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awebofstories's review
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Rating: One of my all-time faves!
I do not give short story collections 5 stars. I feel that there are too many variables that have to be hit for a collection to reach that high...until now.
Folks, why doesn't everyone know about Beth Piatote? She is an amazing writer. Through these stories, Piatote explores the lives of (mostly) modern Native people as they navigate their heritage, the modern world, and relationships. The prose is just beautiful and Piatote takes some real risks here. The final selection in this collection, AntÃkoni, is a play retelling the Greek Antigone and explores repatriation and the debts that Native people owe to themselves. I was wary when I started it, but now I am dying to see a production of it.
There is another reason why this book worked so incredibly well for me--it is about where I live. All but one of the stories are set in the Pacific Northwest, many happen in my home state of Oregon, and one takes place (in part) in my own hometown. While I make a point of reading Indigenous literature, this is the first work I've read that tells the stories of people from my own world.
This book may be hard--but not impossible--to find. But it is worth every ounce of effort to track it down. I am so glad that I picked my copy up on a whim at a local bookstore--this one will stay with me forever.
I do not give short story collections 5 stars. I feel that there are too many variables that have to be hit for a collection to reach that high...until now.
Folks, why doesn't everyone know about Beth Piatote? She is an amazing writer. Through these stories, Piatote explores the lives of (mostly) modern Native people as they navigate their heritage, the modern world, and relationships. The prose is just beautiful and Piatote takes some real risks here. The final selection in this collection, AntÃkoni, is a play retelling the Greek Antigone and explores repatriation and the debts that Native people owe to themselves. I was wary when I started it, but now I am dying to see a production of it.
There is another reason why this book worked so incredibly well for me--it is about where I live. All but one of the stories are set in the Pacific Northwest, many happen in my home state of Oregon, and one takes place (in part) in my own hometown. While I make a point of reading Indigenous literature, this is the first work I've read that tells the stories of people from my own world.
This book may be hard--but not impossible--to find. But it is worth every ounce of effort to track it down. I am so glad that I picked my copy up on a whim at a local bookstore--this one will stay with me forever.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation
kimveach's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
These were beautiful stories. I understood some, but not others. I had to look up many references, but I learned a lot. I'd love to see the author or take a class based on this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Classism, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, War, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Addiction, Gun violence, Sexual content, Grief, Police brutality, and Abandonment
memorable's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Colonisation, Genocide, Alcoholism, Blood, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Cannibalism and Infidelity
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