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Chrissie's Reviews > Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
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Audiobook was available at Downpour for only USD5.95. Excellent narration by Grover Gardner.
DEVASTATING. Very difficult reading. Dense. I am very glad it was written and that I have read it. The language used is perfect. I don't know how to properly convey to what extent this book upset me. Everyone should read it. Maybe you think you know what has happened to Native Americans, but you do not know the half of it. In 30 years, 1860-1890, the people were destroyed, and along with them fauna, flora and a whole different way of looking at life. Progress? Yeah, sure...... Depressing, so depressing.
DEVASTATING. Very difficult reading. Dense. I am very glad it was written and that I have read it. The language used is perfect. I don't know how to properly convey to what extent this book upset me. Everyone should read it. Maybe you think you know what has happened to Native Americans, but you do not know the half of it. In 30 years, 1860-1890, the people were destroyed, and along with them fauna, flora and a whole different way of looking at life. Progress? Yeah, sure...... Depressing, so depressing.
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Reading Progress
December 5, 2012
– Shelved as:
history
December 5, 2012
– Shelved
December 5, 2012
– Shelved as:
bio
December 5, 2012
– Shelved as:
native-am
December 5, 2012
– Shelved as:
usa
August 15, 2013
– Shelved as:
downpour
August 15, 2013
– Shelved as:
own-unlistened
August 20, 2013
–
Started Reading
August 22, 2013
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-22 of 22 (22 new)
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Chrissie
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rated it 4 stars
Dec 05, 2012 04:37AM
I can take sadness.....but is it facts related in a dry manner or is it engaging?
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This sounds like a very sad book to read.
This is one of my favorite all-time books. But it has been such a long time since I read it, I can't really give you many specifics.
I read this several years ago and it's on my keeper shelf. Loved it, but it made me cry.
Well, now I have it and will be listening to it soon. OK, here is what cynical Chrissie was thinking. Are people rating this book so highly because of their anger at what has been done to Native Americans? Is the writing and the book itself really worth so many stars? It is like, do you rate the theme or the book? It is like biographies where one might be tempted to rate the person rather than the book. I often feel that holocaust books get extra stars based on the theme, rather than the writing. What do you guys think?
I read this book many years ago and so my rating was based on my recollection. It was powerfully moving to me at the time (I first read it in high school), especially since much of this history was new to me at the time. It would be interesting to re-read it now. I would have a better perspective on accuracy and quality of writing, but I believe it was well-researched. Also, at the time, it was pretty much the only book out there that dealt with this subject matter. Sometimes a "first" book is also elevated simply because the subject hadn't been addressed in a manner that reached so many readers.
Thanks for explaining what you know abut the book, Suzanne.
Yes, chock-full of facts, battles and many, many individuals.
Suzanne, I am enjoying it a lot. I appreciate all the details and it certainly does seem well researched. I found the chapter on Indian Commissioner Ely S. Parker to be extremely captivating. It is very sad; the details give substance to what is today finally acknowledged.
I'm glad you are liking it. Since I read the book so many years ago, I wasn't able to give a detailed recommendation...but the fact that it has stuck with me all of these years meant that it was a book that was close to my heart.
Becky, it rips your heart apart when you hear the details. I also think the translations/interpretations of the Indians' words is well done.
I cannot read it, Chrissie. I basically know the story, but, like I cannot bring myself to watch the ending of the movie "Dances with Wolves" ever again, I cannot go there.
Cherie, you do not know the whole story. One needs to know all the details to get the full impact. What they have gone through and what people have done has to be known and remembered.Of course, I am not about to push such a devastating book on anyone. It ripped me apart. This is as bad, if not worse, than holocaust books. How do you compare?!
This is a book that we read when I was in school for a history class. Haunts me to this day.
Yes, it is extremely upsetting, but a very important read. This IS what happened; it makes one ashamed to be of the human species. I was in a totally dark mood afterwards. I was going to read A Century of Wisdom: Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, the World's Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor next but wasn't sure it would improve my mood as much as We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance, which is turning out to be a great survival story. Some people DO sacrifice their own needs for others. Some people do keep their word. Some people don't betray others. I needed to read a non-fiction book that would convince me of that.
:0) I am happier at least.
I read this when I was 18. Can you imagine?! Very, very powerful and sad and infuriating.
Lisa, thank you! It is ever so depressing, but a necessary book and well written.
Chrissie wrote: "Lisa, thank you! It is ever so depressing, but a necessary book and well written."Agree 100%. It was a real eyeopener for me. I'm so glad people are still reading it.
I’m listening on Audible, just started Chapter 6. It’s SO sad to this point, I’m going to read 6 happy books after this one! So we’ll written and researched!~Marty 🚴
