Daughters of Copper Woman (Paperback)

by Anne Cameron (Author) "The stories that inspired this book were taught to me by the generous and wonderful elder women of the Nuuchah-nulth Nation, who are my friends..." (more)
Key Phrases: snot boy, feather whispered, female wolf, Copper Woman, Queen Mother, Mah Teg Yelah (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Since its first publication in 1981, Daughters of Copper Woman has become an underground classic, selling over 200,000 copies. Now comes a new edition that includes many pieces cut from the original as well as fresh material added by the author. Here finally, after twenty-two years of gathering dust, is the complete version of the groundbreaking bestseller. In this, her best-loved work, Anne Cameron has created a timeless retelling of northwest coast Native myths that together create a sublime image of the social and spiritual power of woman. Cameron weaves together the lives of legendary and imaginary characters, creating a work of fiction with an intensity of style matched by the power of its subject. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author
Anne Cameron was born in Nanaimo, BC. She began writing at an early age, starting with theatre scripts and screenplays. In 1979, her film Dreamspeaker, directed by Claude Jutra, won seven Canadian Film Awards, including best script. After being published as a novel, Dreamspeaker went on to win the Gibson Award for Literature. She has published more than 30 books, including the underground classic Daughters of Copper Woman, its sequel, Dzelarhons, novels, stories, poems and legends - for adults and children. Her most recent novels are Family Resemblances, Hardscratch Row, and a new, revised edition of Daughters of Copper Woman. She lives in Tahsis, BC --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 150 pages
• Publisher: Press Gang Publishers (December 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0889740224
• ISBN-13: 978-0889740228
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #873,330 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Daughters of Copper Woman, December 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Daughters of Copper Woman (Paperback)

My first reaction to this book was that it was one of the most beautifully written books I have read, one that cries out to be read aloud. Anne Cameron's sentences read like poetry rather than prose, very lyrical and rhythmical. There's no way its content could be fiction; she must have talked with the women memorizers who remember the oral legends for the Vancouver Nootka Native American tribes. Copper Woman is both the mother of the tribe from whom they are all descended and the respected Old Woman that is within each woman helping her to endure, to remember the old secrets and teachings, and to relearn any lost secrets. Copper Woman is there when the "keestadores" turned the Nootka world upside down and is there yet today as the Woman's Society shares its knowledge and soft power with all the women of the world.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Enchanting and painful history, October 11, 2001

By	R. Ferwerda (Utrecht, Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Daughters of Copper Woman (Paperback)

The story that is being told here, goes directly to the heart. The whole book breathes a feeling of ancient indian mythology and knowledge. It is enchanting to read about this vast amount of indian knowledge and about the completeness of their view on the world, which is so different from 'western' approaches. It is also painful to read about the losses as a result of wars and as a result of their being unique and not adapted. But it is an important lesson to see how they deal with this loss, and how they can place themselves in a changing and evolving world, where civilizations rise, flourish and decline and where everyone has its place in time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite all time book., February 25, 1997

By A Customer

This book contains stories from the native people of Vancouver Island, retold by Anne Cameron much as they had been told to her. You will find it is a collection of stories, many about Copperwoman. Though she is more diety than human, her joy and pain are terribly real. Woven throughout the stories are bits and pieces of the present day. As you read you find yourself weaving in and out from past to present and then back to the past again. As I progressed through the book I felt a deep sense of connection with women of all time.