Sun Dancer [Paperback]

David London (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1998

Clem Blue Chest, broken by the loss of his daughter, is uplifted by a vision he receives on a highway one summer night in 1990. Further guided by what is revealed to him in an unusual sun dance, Clem leads his reservation neighbors to regain their most sacred ground, the Black Hills of South Dakota. Confronting missionaries, ranchers, and federal agents, he pushes on into the sacred territory once guaranteed in perpetuity to his people. His quest culminates in a dramatic standoff on Mount Rushmore.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Taking an actual historical event--the 1971 occupation of Mount Rushmore by 20 members of the American Indian Movement (AIM)--and moving it to the present day, David London has created a bleak and mystical first novel. The AIM members were protesting the U.S. Government's violations of the 1868 Laramie Treaty, which granted the Black Hills of South Dakota to the Sioux, but their brave, foolhardy protest was quickly suppressed by the federal government. In the novel, the incident has a bloodier denouement. London is a skillful blender of history and invention, and the leaders of the Sioux protesters are extremely well-drawn. He also understands that the AIM leaders are motivated less by the belief that they can right historical wrongs than by a complex mix of personal bitterness, ethnic pride, and long-simmering desires for revenge. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

Modern-day Sioux Indians take back their ancient land in London's sturdy first novel. Narrator Joey Moves Camp has doubts about the old ways, although he speaks Lakota and pierced his flesh and did the sun dance before leaving for his tour in Vietnam. When Joey's mother dies, Joey watches his half-brother, Clement Blue Chest, begin a spiritual transformation from bitter, self-pitying drunk to tribal holy man. Joey clarifies his own beliefs as well, as he helps Clem lead their neighbors to reclaim the "sacred" Black Hills by force, including an occupation of Mt. Rushmore, and to reveal their history of betrayal and injustice to the American people. London writes with authority and vividness of various Lakota Sioux ceremonies and rituals. He's not shy about taking sides, but if his portrayals of the novel's villains?FBI agents, meddling missionaries and racist cattlemen?tend toward caricature, his look at the assortment of characters, factions and philosophies on the local reservation is convincingly nuanced. Despite occasional preachiness, this is an intelligent, sure-handed debut, told with passion and skill. Author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bison Books (August 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803279787
• ISBN-13: 978-0803279780
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #547,409 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting, realistic adventure, February 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sun Dancer (Paperback)

I have spent a good deal of time in South Dakota, on and off the res., working more with Lakota than whites. I thought London's book did a fantastic job of capturing the moods, attitudes, tragedy, frustrations and magic of that amazing locale. I liked the characters; they felt right and I wanted to follow their story, which had lots of nuance and no condescension. A really good read!

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, April 10, 2000

By 

Jena Kelly (Oregon) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sun Dancer (Paperback)

I had come across a very strong review of Sun Dancer in the Portlandia Book Review (Portland, Oregon) in which the reviewer compared Sun Dancer favorably to Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer, which he also liked. So, I decided to give it a try. Wow! This is a fast-moving book, yet thoughtful and spiritual. It's full of beauty, pain, humor and pathos--no mere action-adventure. There is also a crushing love story in here, yet I wouldn't categorize Sun Dancer as a romance. It seems to defy genre.

Perhaps what I loved most about this book is how real it felt. You actually forget you're reading. You're there. And the voice of the narrator is mesmerizing.

Without effort, you absorb a great deal of Lakota culture while ripping through the story. (And what a beautiful culture it is!) Never, though, do you feel like you're reading ethnology, for you're too busy caring about these sympathetic characters and wondering what happens next, and will they succeed at regaining their Black Hills.

At the heart of this book, it seems to me, are profound spiritual questions, and equally serious questions about justice.

I loved it. Many scenes in Sun Dancer have stayed with me a long time--as have the haunting characters. London has a way of burning things into your eye and into your mind. The book was definitely fun to read, but it may also change the way you see things.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Overlooked Gem, March 6, 2000

By 

Karen Barss (Boston, MA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sun Dancer (Paperback)

I came across Sun Dancer only by accident, and was completely taken with it from page one. The plight of the Lakota Sioux has been on many people's minds over the past several years, and this book lets the reader revisit some of the complex issues surrounding the history of the Sioux within the context of a captivating, well-written novel.

As an author myself, I was particularly impressed by the fine craftsmanship of Mr. London's prose, and thoroughly enjoyed the cast of quirky, but entirely believable characters who serve to manifest the various facets of contemporary life on the reservation. I was further impressed to learn that Mr. London is not a Native American himself, but spent several summers living and working with the Lakota.

This book is clearly an inspired tribute to a group of Americans that the author has great respect for; it is keenly observed, and a wonderful first novel that deserves nothing but praise.