Saturday, March 22, 2014

Book Review - A Sky Without Stars

ABOUT THE BOOK:

In 1951, Frankie Chasing Bear is a Lakota caught between cultures. She wants to raise her son Harold to revere his Lakota heritage, but she knows he will need to become as a white man to succeed. After his father's killed in a barroom brawl, Harold and Frankie move to Arizona, where she begins a Lakota Star pattern quilt for Harold with tribal wisdom sung, sewn and prayed into it.

She distrusts Christians, as her own parents were forced to convert at an Indian School, until she meets BIA agent Nick Vandergriff, a half-Lakota who's also caught between cultures. Nick must convince Frankie that white men and Christians aren't all bad as he tries to win her heart in order to put the stars back into her sky.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Linda S. Clare is an award-winning coauthor of three books, including Lost Boys and the Moms Who Love Them (with Melody Carlson and Heather Kopp), Revealed: Spiritual Reality in a Makeover World, and Making Peace with a Dangerous God (with Kristen Johnson Ingram). She is also the author of The Fence My Father Built. She has taught college-level creative writing classes for seven years, and edits and mentors writers. She also is a frequent writing conference presenter and church retreat leader. She and her husband of thirty-one years have four grown children, including a set of twins. They live in Eugene, Oregon, with their five wayward cats: Oliver, Xena the Warrior Kitty, Paladine, Melchior, and Mamma Mia!

Learn more about Linda at: http://www.lindasclare.com

MY REVIEW:

This was an interesting story told from the point of view of a widowed Lakota woman, Frankie, and her son, Harold. It is set in 1950's Phoenix area and I found this very interesting since I am from this area. I knew where the author was talking about and that always makes it more personal.

There is a lot of distrust between the Native Americans and the government because of how they are changing everything, especially for the Native children. Frankie wants to make a better life for Harold and she is also working on a quilt for him. When she meets Nick, who is a half-breed, she is very distrustful of him - also, because he is a Christian, this adds to her distrust. It's interesting to see their relationship grow as each learns to understand the other.

There is a lot of historical information about the Lakota and Navajo Indians, plus Arizona in the 1950's which I found really interesting. This is another book as a part of the "Quilts of Love Series" and it's just as good as the other ones that I've read. It's a great series that I recommend you check out! The book was a very good read, all in all, and I recommend it! I give it 4 out of 5 stars. 

*This book was provided to me for my honest review by LitFuse Publicity Group


Blessings - Julie

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