Customer Reviews

Red Earth: A Vietnam Warrior's Journey (Earthworks Series)

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Red Earth provides healing for those people who have experienced war firsthand, and for those people who have felt the impact of war indirectly through their friends and loved ones. Stories are intended to heal and provide guidance--a purpose that has been mostly forgotten by modern society. Indigenous people realize the importance of the story, and this book emphasizes this importance. Philip Red Eagle's book is a welcome and needed addition to the broad spectrum of Vietnam War literature.

There's been a lot written about Vietnam vets and post traumatic stress, but I've never read any author who portrays the pain and anguish as well as Red Eagle. Then he portrays the healing. But to understand it you must enter a different skin. The skin of a people not held to standard conventions; where time has a different meaning and visions and dreams are an important part of life. I have never read an author who managed to accomplish this, but Red Eagle does. Even Alexie, an author I greatly admire, still leaves the reader on the outside looking in. But with Red Eagle you are truly taken inside.

I am an avid reader who usually consumes one book after another. However, when I finished this book I couldn't start another one for a couple of days. It has that kind of effect on you.

I have taught this book alongside classic works of Native American (such as Leslie Silko's "Ceremony"), alongside exceptional works of Native philosophy (e.g. Vine Deloria's "Red Earth / White Lies") and alongside some of the most popular contemporary Native writing (Sherman Alexie, among others). Red Eagle's "Red Earth" holds its own in all these contexts, and has been the favorite of many students in my classes.

"Red Earth" is a magical pair of stories dealing with the trauma not only of Vietnam, but American colonialism.

Philip Red Eagle is an amazing writer! There have been many exceptional books written about PTSD and the reality of the warzone. What makes this book different is the mind, body and spirit approach that Philip Red Eagle expresses so well. He not only takes you there with him,but shows you a way home through the pain, distrust and loss and to the strength of your heart and spirit. For anyone who wants to help a vet who is struggling to regain his or her spirit, this is the book you've been looking for! This is a way home.