| From Publishers Weekly Female relationships， kinship and the diverse meanings of "Indian" in modern， white-dominated society are the themes at the heart of this generous first novel. The plot centers on three generations of Cherokee women. Gracie Evers is overweight， has peroxided hair and longs for nothing more than assimilation into the Caucasian culture of rural Oklahoma; the same is true of her sister and sometime boarder Rozellen. Gracie has trouble handling her daughter Lucie， a throwback to the fiery personality of her mother Hellen， and often abuses the girl for having an "Indian" nature. When Gracie marries an alcoholic and violent white man， Lucie is sent to live with her great-aunt Lizzie， a taciturn Indian who helps the child gain the freedom to be who she truly is. Told largely in flashbacks by Lucie， who has returned home following her hated mother's stroke， the novel is elegantly written in spare prose replete with meaningful details and realistic dialogue. Bell， herself a Cherokee， deeply understands the culture she writes about and conveys that understanding unobtrusively， yet with great emotional power. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. From Library Journal In this moving first novel， Bell (a mixed-blood Cherokee) confronts the "lost generation" of Indian women， personified by Grace， who tries unsuccessfully to enter the mainstream of the white world. Her daughter Lucie's horrendous childhood of struggle and abuse is relieved only by a two-year stay with a great-aunt， who instills in her a sense of pride. Despite the odds， she is now a successful college professor. Returning to Oklahoma for Grace's final illness， Lucie spends some painful solitary hours examining the shame she has felt for her mother， who lacked both the skills needed to thrive in the white world and pride in her Cherokee heritage. She finds a link to Grace as she rummages through her things is able to engage in the generations-old tradition of proudly seeking the face of her mother when she sees the moon. For larger Native American and women's studies collections.- Debbie Bogenschutz， Cincinnati Technical Coll.Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information， Inc. See all Editorial Reviews |
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