Customer Reviews

Red Willow's Quest

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

What is a lyrical adventure? One that captures the feelings, the tension, the imagery, the pace, the challenge, the passion, the splendor, the quest for survival in days gone by, and makes the reader feel that they are right there in the moment with the characters. The saga of a lovely indian maiden maturing into the role of medicine woman of her tribe is fascinating. My great grandmother was of the Cherokee tribe. She served her people similarly with her knowledge of plants, herbs, and natures healing secrets. Someday I will write her story. But for now I savor Ms. Skarie's representation of life in the early 1800's. She mentions in her foreword someone experiencing a past life as a Native American woman. Maybe Shirley MacClaine is on to something! Past lives? Dreams? Reincarnation? Is it possible that we have all lived before? If so that would mean we are all on a great spiritual or mystical adventure. But, back to this book. Accompanied by her dog, Wind-Chaser and a warrior, Red Willow triumphs over opposition, adversity and danger. Life then was alternately harsh, cruel and beautiful. The book attempts to accurately portray the past, using the language and biting terms of that era. Some passages are painfully honest, but that was 1800. Compare it to today's society, and see how far we have come in our efforts as a nation, as people, as individuals who respect and do not intentionally harm each other. Poignant and well-written.

Red Willow's Quest took me on a captivating journey into the not-so-distant past of the American Plains Indians. It is billed as an action, romance, adventure about a Shoshoni maiden, who sets out into the rugged terrain of the Rocky Mountains in quest of guiding visions to become a medicine woman. Yet, I found it to be much more, an inspiring work compelling the reader to partake of life's opportunities (by questing for a deeper vision and guidance) to live life to the fullest. The spiritual adventure the author has created or perhaps remembered is an authentically detailed story transporting the reader into the daily lives of the Shoshoni Indians, around 1807. Besides being captivating, and uplifting, I find this book an inspiration for anyone seeking a "happier tomorrow" by following their inner guidance and discovering their special purpose in life. Red Willow's Quest taught me that there is a guiding, loving hand behind all life. But read it for the entertainment, all the rest is just a bonus!

Wonderful book I couldn't put it down until I finished. It really made me understand whats really important in life..........Thank you

The world of the Plains Indians has always been a powerful draw for me. When the movie Dances with Wolves came out, I went to see it three times. So, when I found out Heidi Skarie's book, Red Willow's Quest, was set in the early 1800's in the Rocky Mountains I was eager to visit that world again. Red Willow's Quest is the story of a young Shoshoni woman beginning her spiritual journey to become a medicine woman. The descriptive narration reads much like the passages of her diary giving the reader an intimate look inside Red willow's mind, heart, and soul. Red willow struggles to step free of the confining boundaries society had, and still does, set for a woman. Everything, including the rugged landscape becomes an obstacle, attempting to stop her from achieving her goal. Red Willow's greatest obstacle, however, was her awakening feelings of love for a Koottenai warrior. That love interfered with the path she thought her life should take. Thank you, Heidi, for a chance to go back to that time and learn about a heroine whose spiritual culture graced every facet of life.

This book offers a vivid glimpse into history and deep insights into life that are relevant today. The author does not flinch at the violence and rigors of the old west, yet the book is uplifting throughout thanks to Red Willow's ability to rise to her higher purpose. She is a strong heroine with a golden heart. It's refreshing to find a book in which mysticism is more than just a prop and love is more than just a feeling. A good read.

RED WILLOW'S QUEST takes its readers into the world of the Plains Indians of the early 1800's. Red Willow tells her story as she sets out on her spiritual journey. The descriptive narrative leads the reader through the many obstacles Red Willow must face to become a medicine woman.

Heidi Skarie does a beautiful job of conveying a culture whose spirituality graced every facet of life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this lyrical, bittersweet tale of spiritual survival and human triumph. If you love the Earth and appreciate fresh insights about the forces that animate it, treat yourself to this book.

Dances With Wolves tells the story of a white man's first encounter with Native Americans. In a stomach-knotting scene, Red Willow's Quest relates the opposite side of the coin when a Native American woman first encounters those paragons of virtue and culture--the white men who settled the West.

Red Willow is a terrific heroine, a study in paradox. She is larger than life with feet of clay, fearless in the face of nagging fears, and conservative even while she flauts convention. She surpases her human limitations when she dwells in the high worlds of Spirit. At once larger than life, Red Willow is genuinely human. She is what is best in all of us.

This enjoyable and highly readable book has a dream-like quality to it--at times brilliant and at times just short of the mark. It was as if the author had seen these lands only in dreams and some of the visceral and tactile quality I was looking for was missing. As a student of dreams, however, I feel that in spite of any historical inaccuracies, her representation of meeting her vision had a real "been there" feel to it. And it is that connection to the Inner World that sets this book apart. I look forward to the next chapter in Vision Woman's story.

Author of Shipmates

A wonderful story that keeps the reader guessing what will be the outcome. Carefully researched and realistically told. I enjoyed Red Willow's Quest from beginning to end. The story includes active, adventure and romance. The characters are vividly drawn and plot uplifting despite the many hardships Red Willow must go through on her quest to become a medicine woman. I would recommend this book to teens and up. The book is a primer in learning to follow your dreams and listen to your heart.

This is one of my favorite historical fictions, except for a few glaring flaws. If not for said flaws I would give it five stars, but there are certain things I can't overlook.

- First and most importantly, there is no need for and really nothing added to the story by her insistence upon using the word "squaw" to describe Indian women. This is (to my knowledge) a trashy term invented and used by the whites, not Indians. It has clearly offended at least one reviewer here, and I'm sure others would have a similar reaction. Why she took such a completely avoidable risk of damaging the author-reader trust is beyond me; at the very least it does nothing to aid her credibility as a writer, especially considering that this was her first novel. This is when you REALLY want to make good impressions if your goal is loyal readers!

- I don't know if I just happend to get a bad copy, but the entire book is riddled through with ridiculously jarring grammatical and storytelling errors. Characters' names sometimes inexplicably change within the space of a page; she consistently has amnesia regarding the difference between a semicolon and a comma; and numerous spelling errors all serve to detract from what is otherwise a very enjoyable read. I realize no one is perfect and I am inclined to blame the editor instead of Skarie, but someone clearly dropped the ball. Wherever the fault lies, it is very distracting and unfortunately reflects badly upon her writing. The first time I read it, in high school, I was too engrossed in the story to notice. When I reread it in college a few years later - eager to fall in love with the characters again - the mistakes were so abrasive I had to fight an urge to fling the book across the room. I didn't (I prize the book too much) but it was a close call.

- My inner historian tells me she played pretty fast and loose with historical and cultural facts to suit her plot. This is okay to a certain extent. It is, after all, historical FICTION, and the story is strong enough that I'm willing to give her some artistic leeway here. Besides, there is just no way to write a completely accurate and error free book, as the historical side is unavoidably left to the author's interpretation. As long as you're reading for entertainment value and do your own research if you have questions, I think she can be given a pass.

- In my opinion, she lays the mysticism/spiritualism on a bit too thick. It's like a good seasoning: a pinch here and there adds flavor and life, but if an author is too heavy-handed it throws the balance of the story off. Skarie almost crosses that line, for my taste anyway. The result is a story that feels more like a very colorful (albeit lovely) dream than believable reality. I much prefer Rosanne Bittner's Mystic trilogy - Mystic Dreamers, Mystic Warriors, Mystic Visions - which in spite of the titles does a much better job of balancing this element. (For that matter, her stories are better overall: better writing, better research, longer lasting characters. But more on this later.)

- Skarie's handling of the unavoidable smallpox epidemic seems a bit lacking to me - in part because this section of the book (or at least my copy) is LITTERED with the aforementioned annoying errors. They were so distracting that I had to grit my teeth and force myself through what should have been a heart-shattering moment for Red Willow and her village. (Not to draw too many comparisons, but again, Bittner does it better.)

- Her conclusion, while sweet and ultimately satisfying as far as her story arc goes, isn't quite enough for me. It feels as though Skarie meant to write a follow-up to their lives (and I would have been delighted if she had!) but just never got around to it. I prefer books with a relatively solid end, and this wasn't it.

Okay - now for the good stuff! I am willing to overlook whatever faults this book might have because I just LOVE Red Willow and Masheka that much. She is an instantly likeable heroine, and as for Masheka, I fall in love with him anew every time I read this book. Culturally accurate or not, it is their bond that keeps me coming back over and over again. Ultimately they are the reason this one will never leave my shelf, and why I plan on buying a backup copy for when mine wears out (or God forbid is ripped up or spilled on). He is so loving with her, so protective, tender, and...MANLY, for lack of a better term, that I just melt; I can't help but. He is one of my top ten fictional men, maybe even top five. I would follow him to the ends of the earth without a backward glance - and give him as many children as he wanted along the way! ;)

I have complete sympathy for the dedication, endurance, and plain GUTS it takes to put yourself out there as a published author. Given that, I think that Skarie can be very, very proud of her first novel. I wish it would come back in print. It has rooted in my heart so thoroughly, in fact, that I somehow named my plush Paint horse Straight Arrow and my stuffed wolf Wind Chaser. This was not a conscious decision; I simply can't imagine calling them anything else after having experienced these wonderful characters. Read this book - get it from the library if you have to. It is worth the effort in spite of its shortcomings.

If you love it as much as I do and want more stories like it, I would HIGHLY recommend virtually anything by Rosanne Bittner, as mentioned...particularly her Mystic trilogy and Song of the Wolf. Her Rising Eagle and Buffalo Dreamer and Bear Paw and Medicine Wolf, respectively, are perhaps even more moving and unforgettable than these two. Be warned, though: she requires a strong constitution. There is a very brutal (but paradoxically understandable) rape scene. No detail is too grisly for her to record, but to me this just adds to her skill as an author. It is clear she spends years researching her material. Nevertheless, I often turn to this book when I want engaging historical fiction but need a break from her mental pictures. Also high on my list: Fools Crow by James Welch; Laughing Boy by Oliver La Farge; Where the Broken Heart Still Beats by Carolyn Meyer; and my all-time favorite, Waterlily by Ella Cara Deloria.