What's in a Name? Book Review of Crow Mary

 

Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom

Description

Crow Mary by Kathleen Grissom is historical fiction set in the 1870s and based on a woman who actually lived and was known for her heroism—she rescued five women during a massacre in Canada in which 40 Nakoda people were murdered. She also testified during the trials of some of the accused, which at that time was unheard of–an indigenous woman testifying in a court of law.

Goes First is still a teenager when her father marries her off to White fur trader Abe Farwell. Farwell takes Goes First to a preacher to get married and the preacher baptizes her and renames her Mary. To differentiate her from other Marys, she is nicknamed Crow Mary, as she is a Crow woman.

Goes First is confused by many of the practices of the White people—they sleep in closed in spaces, unable to see the sky and without fresh air. More than anything else, she is appalled by the practice of selling alcohol to indigenous people, who become completely out of control and addicted when they drink. For his part, Farwell does his best to understand Mary’s take on the world, but considering the cultural understandings and legal system, Goes First is never on the same footing as Farwell.

The massacre and the decisions on how to proceed for justice after put a strain on Goes First and Farwell’s marriage. Will they be able to come back together?

Crow Mary was a book club pick, and not one I would have chosen on my own. It is a challenging read emotionally, as it is set in a difficult time in American history, when there was a great disregard for human lives and the environment. We have not yet fully reckoned with the crimes committed.

Would I Teach This Book?

Would I teach Crow Mary? That is a particularly difficult question to answer. It is important to read about this time period and this history and to discuss it. Literature is a great way to begin a discussion and to think about how historical events impacted individual people. However, in considering books for teaching, it is less subject matter and more quality of writing that is important. That is not to say that subject matter is not important, but that having things to discuss about the writing is of greater importance. Even in a gender studies course, I would be looking for more experimentation or expertise.

That is not to say that Crow Mary is poorly written–it’s not. It is clear that it was well-researched and there was great thought and sensitivity to how the character may have thought and felt. There were no cringy parts that were clearly pandering to current day sensibilities, that feel inauthentic, with the author trying to make misogyny and racism palatable by having a character who has strong sensibilities outside of their time, as many historical fiction books have. There is just nothing that stands out about the writing, no moments that make it feel remarkable.

The story and subject matter, as well as the research and endorsement of by Goes First’s relative and the Crow people that the author consulted make it a great book club read.

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Ants Under the Magnifying Glass: Book Review of Under the Dome

 

Under the Dome [UNDER THE DOME] [Paperback] by Stephen King

Gratitude

Thank you to Montgomery County Public Libraries for making Under the Dome by Stephen King available to the public for free.

Description

Okay, let’s start by talking about the elephant in the room—Under the Dome is an elephantine book. At 1,074 pages it is by far the longest book I have ever read. In fact, I started it last year and then had to return it to the library because I had to leave town for the summer. I signed it back out again this year and finally finished!

In Under the Dome, an invisible force field covers the town of Chester’s Mill so that nothing can get in or out. Not just people but air and water, too. While this is rough for everyone, it is an especially bad surprise for Dale Barbara, or as most people call him, Barbie, as has been been warned to leave town after a group of local toughs targeted him. Now he is trapped in Chester’s Mill and his chief aggressor is the son of the unofficial mayor. Unofficial, but Jim Rennie effectively pulls all the strings in the town.

Under these circumstances it’s not just Barbie who doesn’t stand a chance, but the whole town who will be even more under Jim Rennie’s thumb with no one to rescue them.

Very quickly lines are drawn between team Rennie and team Barbie. As the truth about Rennie comes out and he strengthens his police force, it’s unclear if team Barbie can save the people of Chester’s Mill.

Jim Rennie is one of scariest if not the scariest villain King has created. At least in terms of human villains, that is. Rennie easily justifies all of his decisions as Gd’s will. He has no regard for human life or sympathy for others.

Would I Teach This Book? 

Would I teach Under the Dome? I thoroughly enjoyed reading Under the Dome, though it was a time commitment. Due to the time commitment, though, it would not be the ideal novel to teach. It is not worthy of its own course, as much as I enjoyed it.

There are other King books that do similar things, such as Sleeping Beauties, which has the added appeal of being cowritten work. If you have time commitment phobia for the books you read, you might try Sleeping Beauties first.


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