Miko Kings: An Indian Baseball Story (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Miko Kings is set in Indian Territory's queen city, Ada Oklahoma, during baseball fever of 1907, but moves back and forth in time from 1969, during the Vietnam War, to present-day Ada. The story centers on the lives of Hope Little Leader, a Choctaw pitcher for the Miko Kings, and Ezol Day, a postal clerk in Indian Territory who travels forward in time to tell stories to the present-day narrator. With Day's help, the narrator draws the reader into Indian boarding schools, such as the historical Hampton Normal School for Blacks and Indians in Virginia, where the novel's love story between Justina Maurepas--a character modeled after an influential Black educator--and Hope Little Leader, begins. Though a lively and humorous work of fiction, the narrative draws heavily on LeAnne's careful historical research. The author weaves original and fictive documents into the text, such as newspaper clippings, photographs, typewritten letters, drawings, and handwritten journal entries. "LeAnne's Miko Kings is an incredible act of recovery: baseball, a sport jealousy guarded by mainstream Anglo culture, is also rooted in Native American history and territory...[Howe's] compelling stories and narratives...expose the political games of the 20th century that Native Americans learned to play for resistance and survival."--Rigoberto Gonzalez

About the Author

LeAnne Howe, a citizen of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, was the screenwriter for Indian Country Diaries: Spiral of Fire, a 90-minute PBS documentary released in November 2006. Howe's first novel, Shell Shaker (Aunt Lute Books, 2001), received an American Book Award in 2002. Howe is Associate Professor and Interim Director of American Indian Studies at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: Aunt Lute Books (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879960788
• ISBN-13: 978-1879960787
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #355,564 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful metaphor for the Native American experience, January 11, 2008

By	Steve McGaughey - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm afraid the book's topics of baseball and Native American culture may cause some people to overlook it, which is too bad because this is a beautifully written, original work that is so much more than its story elements. Physics, spirituality, personal and cultural transformation and redemption are all here, told in a way I haven't seen before by a gifted writer. It will appeal to women, baseball fans, those who appreciate Native American culture and history and anyone who enjoys good writing and a good story told in a truly unique way. It is at its heart, I think, a metaphor for the Indians' epxerience in America, with a style that reminds me of writers like Leslie Silko or Larry McMurtry. Howe has two qualities one doesn't often find as a combination in a writer - the ability to write in a seemingly effortless yet memorable way and to tell a story in a truly original way. The storyline includes shifting narratives told in non-chronoligical order and even includes diaries and newspaper clippings that are used to accomplish a brilliant bit of storytelling. She treats her readers as intelligent people who can follow along even on an unconventional path. Halfway through I was wondering `will she be able to tie all of these threads together?' And of course she did beautifully with a harsh yet touching, real but spiritual ending that still has me thinking about what it means months later.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Metaphysics and Native American Baseball, January 10, 2008

By	B. Mann (Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Miko Kings is a treasure for all readers. LeAnne Howe weaves a spellbinding story of Native American baseball in the rough and tumble early days of Oklahoma statehood. However, Miko Kings is far more than a story of baseball, opposing cultures, generational splits, and time condensation. It is story of acceptance among clashing cultures, understanding between Native American generations, and a look at baseball as a philosophy of life. Howe's efforts constitute a bold contribution to Native American writing. Miko Kings and Shell Shaker offer a singular shining light for all Native Americans to ponder their past, present, and future.

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than baseball, September 23, 2008

By	Jessica Conley (Ada, OK USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I don't care for baseball, so at first I was unsure if I would enjoy Miko Kings, but my curiosity got the best of me and I had to read it just to see what LeAnne Howe had created. I was quite surprised by the level of intricate storytelling that I found. Miko Kings is not a simple story about baseball, there is time travel, Choctaw etymology, and a history lesson all rolled up inside. LeAnne Howe took all the facts and information she could find about the history of Ada, baseball, and the Dawes Commission, wove them all together with Choctaw language, and created a shockingly vivid story with very full characters. Miko Kings was a fascinating journey and LeAnne Howe is a fantastic writer!