Shell Shaker (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Why was Red Shoes, the most formidable Choctaw warrior of the eighteenth century, assassinated by his own people? Why does his death haunt Auda Billy, an Oklahoma Choctaw woman, accused in 1991 of murdering Choctaw Chief Redford McAlester? Moving between the known details of Red Shoes’ life and the riddle of McAlester’s death, this novel traces the history of the Billy women whose destiny it is to solve both murders--with the help of a powerful spirit known as the Shell Shaker.

About the Author

Howe is a fiction writer, playwright, and poet whose writings on Choctaw women are drawn from both personal experience and research. Her short fiction has appeared in the anthologies Spider Woman's Granddaughters, Earth Song, Sky Spirit, and Through the Eye of the Deer. 1991 recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities grant to perform the research for Shell Shaker.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: Aunt Lute Books; 1 edition (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1879960613
• ISBN-13: 978-1879960619
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #309,115 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing!, November 24, 2003

By A Customer

LeAnne Howe is one of the most talented writers I have read to date. Her characters are amazing, her voice is distinct and powerful, her stories are fantastic. I've been a fan of LeAnne for years and her work just keeps getting better and better!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A tie between two generations, December 2, 2002

By	Jessenia Murillo (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

LeAnne Howe's "Shell Shaker" is a novel that ties the present and the past generations together to show the importance of a community. Two political leaders, one from the 18th century and the other from the 20th century originally intend to do well for their communities but are later overtaken by greed. Both political leaders, Redford McAlester and Red Shoes, divide their communities by making war. With the help of the spirits the members of the communities must individually make sacrifices for the benefit of the whole community in order to obtain a balance between the tribes. The emotions of the characters in this novel range from romance to violence and murder. I enjoyed this novel because the characters have such an extensive list of emotions which caused me to identify with them as well as sympathize for them, therefore making each character seem real.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shell Shaker Shakes It Up!, August 9, 2002

By	carla mcdonald (Stevensville, Montana) - See all my reviews

I just finished reading LeAnne Howe's novel, Shell Shaker, and was pleased to learn that it has won an American Book Award for 2002. The book concerns Choctaw society and takes place over three centuries. Howe does an excellent job of melding it all together, producing a story that holds your interest, and grips your imagination. The bridge between ancient Choctaw
history, and today's Choctaw culture is flawless. Shakbatina, Anoleta, Divine Sarah, Auda Billy and her family; all the strong, proud, funny, and scary women of this book teach us to endure and laugh at that endurance, knowing that, in the end everything really IS everything. The men are equally as interesting, flawed or heroic, this is definitely not a 'girly' book.
This book is a combination of mysticism, and mystery,
humor and tragedy, and keeps you guessing as to the outcome.
The research behind the novel is painstaking, and brings a realism that makes you care about the characters, even the bad guys. Redford McAlester didn't start out bad, nor did Red Shoes, but greed and power can turn souls.
Hope to see more of Ms. Howe's work in the future!