Customer Reviews

Keechie

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"Keechie," by Phil Whitley, is absolutely a wonderful story, and I can't help but feel that it is, in a sense, a true story. I sense that the characters are based on the author's own family, not just his wife and daughter, but even his parents and grandparents. The author is obviously "young Brian," and he really brings the characters to life with the story. The reader comes to really care about them all. The book is full of important yet touching scenes. In fact, at the point where Brian and Keechie watched the sunset and Brian put his arm around Keechie, and she laid her head on Brian's shoulder, my eyes misted over. That type of human interaction is what makes this story so darn good! Its not about Herculean effort (though you get some of that too), it is about the nuances of the daily life of people who really care about each other, all perfectly captured.

With this story, you get a history lesson in regard to the migration of the ancient Americans, as well as how the US government treated the indigenous peoples. You also learn about the culture and mysticism of the Creek Indians of northern Georgia.

There is a great and wonderful innocence that permeates this story. The story is told with a passion for the way people ought to be treating each other (not how we do sometimes in real life). People in this story rise above their ingrained and societal prejudices to see the humanity of each individual.

And, of course, that is one of the many lessons to take away from this story.

This is a story that can be fully enjoyed by anyone from about age 8 or 9, and I highly recommend it.

Keechie, by Phil Whitley

A teenager hunts for arrowheads and artifacts in the Georgian foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and finds, Keechie, a sole Native American woman. The sixty year-old woman, survives using the 'old ways' by avoiding modern society in a hillside cave and living from the land. Gradually, they learn to trust each other and the young man brings Keechie to meet his parents. The young man learns of herbal medicine, respect for the earth and all its creatures, and shares Keechie's spiritual experiences.

Later, the young man attends college and helps Keechie find distant relatives who left their homeland due to broken treaties and often by force several generations ago. Keechie's husbandry of the original strain of maize brings delight to her relatives who remember and treasure the higher quality and better tasting fruit of the original plants.

In the second part of Keechie, time advances and the reader learns that the young man is grown, married, and has children. Terrorists attack the United States and simultaneously a strange virus spreads across the land, killing thousands. The combination devastates the social and economic fabric of the country causing widespread lawlessness, looting, death, and destruction. The family seeks the safety provided by Keechie's cave and survives by living off the land using the old ways taught by Keechie before her death.

Phil Whitley's brilliantly written novel, Keechie, blends ancient lore and mysticism with basic survival skills. The author's major character, a simple yet enchanting Native American woman, warms the heart, but also reminds us of our potential vulnerability. He provides a stern warning to a society whose over-dependence on technology endangers an entire population. Analyzing the consequences of natural disasters in recent history validates his concern that so many people know nothing of surviving in emergency conditions.

Review by: David S. Rosenberg, author

Keechie is a very well written book exploring human relationships in an unusual style. An older Indian woman living a life of relative isolation meets a modern times young boy and develops the type of friendship that will last a lifetime.

Keechie explores survival and gives the reader an opportunity to explore their own thinking about humanity. It is also a fun read with a very interesting story line.

I recommend this book to anyone wanting quality literature in their home library. JR

Keechie by Phil Whitley is a remarkable book of historical fiction that will keep you turning the pages of this book. Very few fictional writers have the ability to mix Natïve American folklore, mysticism and survival skills into a very easy to read book that will definitely warm your heart and make you smile as you read this extraordinary book. Phil Whitley is a master storyteller and one that I am sure will be writing more books in the future. Keechie is one of those books that is destined to be a classic and you owe it to yourself to obtain a copy. I can promise you that you will be glad that you did. Kudos to Phil Whitley for a job well done!


Tom Ward, author
The Enemy Within
Outposts of Hell or Portals to Heaven

I finished reading this book today, enjoying it right down to the last page. The story deals with the relationship between an old woman of mostly Indian heritage and a young man who stumbles upon her out in the woods, where she has lived alone in a cave for decades, subsisting on what the forest provides and what corn she grows (an important plot element later in the book!) and on her knowledge of native plants and animals. I was so enchanted, both by the plot and by the author's use of Keechie's dialect throughout the book, that I finished the whole book in about four hours. My only complaint is that it ended far too soon. Hey Phil, how about a sequel telling how Brian and his family survive, what they learn and how they manage? I even have a proposed name for book two: "Yoholo."

Phil Whitley's Keechie is a tale of kindred spirits between young Brian and Keechie, an elderly half-breed lady. Brian and Keechie would realize why her spirit guide has brought them together, and how each one of them helped the other to realize their dreams that seemed unattainable in any way. Throughly enjoyed this historical fiction, well written and told, a tale that should make any reader smile and share the magic between the two main characters of this book. A Must Read! Story telling at its best!
Keechie is a great story, and author Phil Whitley has done a superb job of marrying fact with fiction. The final twist is unexpected and powerful!
Tim Donaldson editor4(at)Newbookreviews.org

Phil Whitley's Keechie is a tale of kindred spirits between young Brian and Keechie, an elderly half-breed lady. Brian and Keechie would realize why her spirit guide has brought them together, and how each one of them helped the other to realize their dreams that seemed unattainable in any way. I Throughly enjoyed this historical fiction, well written and told, a tale that should make any reader smile and share the magic between the two main characters of this book. A Must Read! Story telling at its best!
Keechie is a great story, and author Phil Whitley has done a superb job of marrying fact with fiction. The final twist is unexpected and powerful!
Tim Donaldson editor4(at)Newbookreviews.org

I read the book and i liked alot the voice that uses the author . the author explains perfectly how keechie talked so you , reader could get a perfect picture of keechie. And when i read keechie the book i could think of how native american families lived.
David.

I was amazed how my 11 year old son read the book from cover to cover in just a few days.

Ethnic and racial identity has been a most important issue since first Europeans arrived into the Americas; expert adult settlers which came from a continent in constant interracial, noble vs plebeian, rich vs poor, religion, any difference vs any other difference aggression, knew of no distinct way to deal with the natives.

But, Ahhh!, the author presents here a refreshing view, one through the eyes of a young boy (Brain), who sees the world with a particular respect and attention, with no obscure contaminated interest; a view which has become an important part of the world we live today.

The author offers several lessons, on an interesting convincing, authentic way, through the narrative of a young clean soul.
Such lessons are directed to essential basic values so much needed in present times, an indispensable asset price to where the world is directing to. Values such as, cleanliness of mind, friendship, interracial interaction, trust, education, an interesting meaning of money, thankfulness, loyalty; all given on an innocent distinctive style.
The novel involves, mystery, adventure, love, on a soft tender pure presentation.
The novel is a must for youngsters 8 and up, and an excellent read for adults, specially those with children.
Leo Villarreal.

'Keechie' is a series of stories that tell about two cultures coming together under most extraordinary circumstances. A young boy growing up during the 1940's and 1950's meets a woman of mixed Creek Indian and Black heritage (Keechie) who had been forced, not by her own choice, into a hermit's way of life. As the stories unfold, Keechie's knowledge of past cultures and practices are transferred to the young boy. This wonderful woman who had been locked in her own and very private cell of history gains new knowledge of the present from her new young friend. Cultures merge as each one benefits from the other. And, by the way, so does the reader benefit as well.

'Keechie' demonstrates the author's depth of knowledge and breadth of understanding of Native American culture as he expertly intertwines his own memories, knowledge of local lore and historical fact with his outstanding ability for expository writing. Writing dialect is difficult, but Phil Whitley makes it seem simple. 'Keechie' is classified as Historical Fiction, but it is very evident that there is more truth in this book than there is fiction.

'Keechie' is a book that transcends the gap between local lore, superstition, present realities and old memories. This book is a great read for both adults and young people. Anyone who misses a chance to read 'Keechie' misses out on a truly great reading experience.