Atria Books
Crow Mary
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The New York Times bestselling author of the book club classics The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything returns with a sweeping and "richly detailed story of a woman caught between two cultures" (Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author) inspired by the real life of Crow Mary--an Indigenous woman in 19th-century North America.
In 1872, sixteen-year-old Goes First, a Crow Native woman, marries Abe Farwell, a white fur trader. He gives her the name Mary, and they set off on the long trip to his trading post in Saskatchewan, Canada. Along the way, she finds a fast friend in a Métis named Jeannie; makes a lifelong enemy in a wolfer named Stiller; and despite learning a dark secret of Farwell's past, falls in love with her husband.
The winter trading season passes peacefully. Then, on the eve of their return to Montana, a group of drunken whiskey traders slaughters forty Nakota--despite Farwell's efforts to stop them. Mary, hiding from the hail of bullets, sees the murderers, including Stiller, take five Nakota women back to their fort. She begs Farwell to save them, and when he refuses, Mary takes two guns, creeps into the fort, and saves the women from certain death. Thus, she sets off a whirlwind of colliding cultures that brings out the worst and best in the cast of unforgettable characters and pushes the love between Farwell and Crow Mary to the breaking point.
From "a tremendously gifted storyteller" (Jim Fergus, author of The Vengeance of Mothers), Crow Mary is a "tender, compelling, and profoundly educational and satisfying read" (Sadeqa Johnson, author of The Yellow Wife) that sweeps across decades, showcasing the beauty of the natural world, while at the same time probing the intimacies of a marriage and one woman's heart.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9781476748481
EAN:
9781476748481
Binding:
Paperback
Pages:
384
Authors:
Kathleen Grissom
Publisher:
Atria Books
Published Date: 2024-12-03
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This is one of my top 5 books. This book had me thinking I was part of the this story. I will read more of the author’s books.story.
My heart was shredded multiple times during this book.Not only when Goes first lost Big Cloud- that was DEVASTATING. I couldn’t even imagine being that young, falling in love and when he is earning his right to marry you, he dies tragically. How absolutely devastating.I was a bit traumatized when I heard of the age difference between Abel and Goes First. I understand things were different back then but it was still a hard thing for me to read about.I did however love that they ended up falling in love. That part of the story made me so happy. I was absolutely crushed when he fell into alcoholism. It really crushed me that he never got out of it and he wasted the majority of what was a beautiful marriage and missed his children’s lives over alcohol. It made me so sad that none of the people responsible for The Cypress Hills massacre were ever held accountable. They indeed should have went after the men right away and handled it. It was very upsetting how Abel ended up being towards Mary, then every time he got sick and even on his deathbed he begged for Mary to be there with him. She was an amazing women.
I loved this book so much. So many emotions throughout it. I enjoyed getting to know each of the characters and their relationships with each other. Added plus of knowing it is based on actual events. I highly recommend this book.
At first it seemed a little slow plus this was not my usual genre, but as I read on I really got into the story. I enjoyed this book.
One of the most interesting books I’ve read in a long time. I must say after finishing this story, I better understand the plight of native Americans in this country in the 1800’s.
