Customer Reviews

The Crying for a Vision

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
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This powerful novel makes you feel like you are in a different culture. I'm no Lakota, and cannot speak to the authenticity of culture portrayed by this Lutheran pastor. All the characters, including the "villain", are multi-dimensional. It made me think about the meaning of success, relationships, loyalty, and societal change, among other things. Maybe the Lutheran/Lakota thing is why this novel (right word?) has not been more successful. I'm glad for the new edition, with a lengthy addition about Wangerin attending a Sun Dance. My son, a reader of integrity, liked it too, said it was now on his Top 5 List, if he had one.

The Amazon listing recommends this for ages 9-12. That's a bad idea. As a former 5th grade teacher, I can tell you that few middle graders will enjoy this book. Adults, do not be chased off by this inexplicable recommendation. Not that there's anything really R-rated or anything in it, but this book is a terrific choice for adults or mature older teens.

Only Walter Wangerin, Jr. could've written a novel of such vast scope. This beautiful (and often frightening) tale of the lives of the Lakota tribe is woven with such mysticism, power and amazing imagery that it stands as one of Wangerin's most effective works to date. I've always been a huge fan of the author, but this book sat on my shelves for over a year. Not being at all knowledgeable about Indian lore and beliefs, I quite possibly assumed that I might not be as interested in this book as in other more "accessible" works by Wangerin. But at the end of the book, I truly felt...well...honored...that I had been allowed to have spent that time learning about such a culture..even in a work of fiction. There is so much dignity, beauty, and transcendent truth about the Lakota people in these pages, that I was overwhelmed. And Wangerin's lengthy and extraordinary "afterward" section where he details his own experiences attending a "Fire Dance" over a period of a few days is as moving as the novel itself. From a reader who has had nothing but the highest praise for many of Wangerin's other works, "The Crying For A Vision" stands as one of his masterworks.

This book weaves a wonderful web of a Lakota oral tradition along side a capivating hero. It was so absorbing that I felt as if I faced the characters obstacles along side him.