In his latest book, "Buffalo for the Broken Heart," Dan O'Brien lets the reader accompany him as he switches from raising cattle to raising buffalo. In spite of worrying about how to pay for the stock, getting along with neighbors, the weather and other trials, O'Brien radiates confidence. His descriptions of the buffalo are authentic. I, too, have been captivated by these huge creatures having seen them closeup at the Custer State Park Roundup. O'Brien's prose is a joy to read. And educational too, whether he is describing how he built a fence on his property, survived a severe winter, or provides insight about his Great Plains neighbors and their emotional attachment to land and livestock. A biologist and English teacher, he writes from the heart.

O'Brien writes a well-crafted, non-glamorized story about trying to make a living off the formerly open, now fenced in, South Dakota range. O'Brien's step-by-step resurrection of his 3,000 acre ranch from a money-losing, environmentally unsound cow factory to a range-restoring, natural buffalo breeding, harvesting and meat marketing operation. Interspersed with the buffalo raising saga are wildlife vignettes, descriptions of hunting with falcons, interactions with neighbors and town folks and snatches of the history of O'Brien's ranch from the Sioux through several families of failed farmers/ranchers over the past hundred years.

One unusual aspect for this kind of book, arguably an "environmental" tract, is the description and associated stresses of the business and economic details of making a living in ranching in the 1990s. It's also an encouraging story of how a middle age man, living alone since his wife left and relying on a hired hand, redeems and reinvents his life under extremely difficult circumstances.

Recommended for anyone interested in ecological/sustainable agriculture issues, rural American life, entrepreneurial business tales or midlife turnarounds.

O'Brien's quest for meaning in life, as defined by his relationship with the land and the animals that call it home, continues here. In his previous novel, Equinox, he explored the dichotomy in his life between the pull of the wild, and the demands of a stable relationship that required more than he was able to give. In Buffalo for the Broken Heart, we find him feeling lost and ruddlerless, both in his personal and financial life, as he struggles to get past a failed marriage and looming financial disaster.

As O'Brien gradually comes to the conclusion that buffalo are the logical answer to his dilemma, it becomes clear that they are stand for a balance and wholeness he has been trying to restore to his land and his inner landscape as well. The story, as it unfolds, is full of the personal details of Great Plains life, and the honest self-exploration that make O'Brien's books a pleasure to read. As so often happens, his inner doubts and fears are reflected in the events and lives around him. The weather is unpredictable, farm costs rise, friends go bankrupt, he is beset by worries over the buffalos he has purchased, the list goes on and on until by the end of the novel, O'Brien comes to tenuous terms with his land and his new means of making a living. The buffalo are not the final answer, but it is clear that they have helped him find another piece of the puzzle he is working so hard to solve.

This is an excellent book, well written and very inciteful. I think few people realize the significance of the so-called "pagan" rituals that were banned by our government. Many Native American tribes were deeply spiritual and their everyday actions and acceptance of people with differing beliefs were more Christ-like than were those of many Christians. The average American doesn't realize just how much the Native American youth suffered in missionary schools in the name of religion.

Eagle Vision portrays the deep spirituality of the Lakota peoples, especially through their vision quest, sweat lodge, and sundance. It also contrasts this with the harsh treatment of Native American children at the hands of the priests in missionary schools. How sad that Christians could not have been open enough to really understand the deep spirituality and love of the Great Spirit which these peoples lived. I highly recommend this and the other books written by Ed McGaa, especially Mother Earth Spirituality and Native Wisdom. I honestly believe that our Earth will survive if we listen to and follow the wisdom of Native American spirituality. Ed McGaa's books teach us this path

Eagle Man has brought us another wonderful book to make us think about our place upon the Mother Earth. He is able to continue teaching us the path we should all be walking and at the same time tell a wonderful story of how own life. Eagle Man is a writer who is not afraid to discuss Native wisdom with a society that has closed it's ears to the truth for too long. This should be a must read for everyone. Be sure to continue your educaton of the Native way by reading Mother Earth Spirituality.

A truly great story offering an insight into the deplorable conditions imposed on the original Americans and their religion by the dominant society. We follow Kyle Charging Shield on his return from air combat in Vietnam and his return to his peoples' traditional religion. Meet many truly great Holy men and have their ceremonies explained. This is truly a great learning book that is at the same time fun to read.

I am getting ready for a South Dakota vacation by reading some books about and set in the region. This novel is about farmers during the dust bowl years leading up to the depression. It gives good insight into their tough life. The characters are well drawn and interesting. At first you don't like George, the main character. But by the end you can't help but sympathize with him. His daughter, Lucy, is the most interesting character. His wife and his wife's parents are the other main characters. Well worth the read.

For years, it seemed, I'd hear bits & pieces about a book entitled "The Bones of Plenty": how great it was, how its story, about bleak farming life on the harsh plains of North Dakota during the Great Depression, rivaled even Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath". But I knew, of course, that connoisseurs of fine literature, in possession of their full faculties, would respond to such a claim with a vitriolic & sarcastic "okay, sure". Well, I, oddly enough, discovered this weighty piece of work, penned by Lois Hudson, published 1962, not for casual reading but as research material. Its story's geography and flavor, you see, was to quench my thirst for much-needed data for my own next novel.

I scanned editorial reviews of Hudson's "Bones" on the Internet, and saw, to my surprise, that a few critics did indeed rank it with "Grapes". I, of course, remained skeptical. Now, having read "The Bones of Plenty", I must agree: It is rugged & truthful, hopeless & brutal. It is magnificent in every way.

Is "Bones" the absolute equal of "Grapes"? Perhaps not, perhaps due to its safe distance of time from the Depression Era; an era that Steinbeck's words, in real time, painted so artfully. Perhaps since North Dakota doesn't hold the Hollywood charm for film as did Steinbeck's golden California, and, just maybe, because readers suspected Hudson no doubt drew inspiration from Steinbeck, & not vice-versa, "The Bones" could not quite climb that "Grapeful" platitude. Who knows? But it DOES rank. READ IT! It is amongst the rarest & best works of fine literature. And, dare I admit this? IT HAS BROKEN INTO MY TOP 10! As an avid reader myself of classics, I was at first stunned by how The Bones so quickly took its rightful place alongside The Old Man, Eden, Mockingbird, Fountainhead, Deliverance, King's Men, Lonesome Dove, etc., on my very exclusive list; hallowed ground, stingily reserved.

So I re-read Modern Library's 100 Greatest 20th Century Novels and similar published rankings, certain I'd find my "Bones" comfortably amongst the elite. But nothing. "Bones" made not one list! Hmmm...where & why were "The Bones" buried? Why Hudson - a great writer's ghostwriter - lack of notoriety? Was Hudson's beautiful "Bones" buried in the early-60's avalanche of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird? Joseph Heller's Catch 22?: great books both, and both, like The Bones of Plenty, notched in my personal Top 20. Perhaps we'll never know. I suspect North Dakota's writers receive about as much respect & fanfare as does the humble state from which they come.

So my hat's off to Lois P. Hudson; a woman whose politics, I've gathered, could not be more distant from my own conservative views. (I was not pleased by her recent comments on GWB!) But, politics aside, it is my testimony to say that readers of fine works are a little less blessed for not having unearthed & wept over Lois' "Bones". I suggest they grab a shovel. The literary world owes her a belated thanks for this glorious book. Thank you, Lois. Greg Ryan

As a farmer of 20 years myself, Lois Hudson has touched a nerve with her novel. The roller-coaster of emotions and vivid descriptions she gives of agriculture in the Dakotas are suprisingly true to this day. The sense of pride for an honest way of life, the anger springing from the lack of control over events, people, weather and markets,and the ultimate indifference to the farmers existence displayed by urban populace stings like salt in a wound. I only wish that more Americans would read and experience this wonderful novel. Perhaps they would better understand the small minority that works to feed them.

I really enjoyed this book. I looked forward to reading it every chance I got. It was so interesting and easy to read that it seemed to take just hours to complete it. Right away the book starts with a courageous Lakota woman who manages to give birth to the main character, Waterlily, by herself. From there, you learn of an interesting group of people who have a love and respect for their kin in a way that I have never heard of.

As a child obsessed with the Sioux tribes, I begged my grandmother to buy me this book. I was not sorry.
In addition to being one of the best stories I've ever read, this was a fantastic look at the old ways of the Dakota.
This is a great book, and not just for people who are already interested in the subject, although that certainly can't hurt.
Oh, just read the book already.

This is one of my favorite books. I received it as a gift from a friend whose mother was full-blooded Sioux, and I have since given it to several women friends. It is beautiful and moving in it's depiction of the everyday life of a young woman as she comes of age, marries and lives among her people observing intricate kinship relationships. The prose is somewhat slow moving, but to me, it evolks the rhythm of a far away place and time. There is life, death, celebration and sadness. I, too, find myself remembering it often.

I've read this book several times, and am amazed each time. Utley is a terrific writer and historian, as he provides the reader with a complex and vivid "picture" of Sitting Bull and his times. Drawing on a variety of sources, both Indian and white, we come to understand Sitting Bull's struggle for his people through witnessing his childhood, relationships with his fellow Lakota (both Hunkpappa and other tribes), conflict with the whites, travels with Buffalo Bill (his sympathy for poor whites he encountered in the eastern cities is esp. telling), and his murder at the hands of Indian police and a paranoid Indian agent. One of the best biographies I've read.

One of the best written biographies I have ever read, and certainly one of the best ever written about any of the central figures of the Indian wars of the late 19th century. I plan on picking up a copy of Mr. Utley's biography of Custer, as well.

This book is a moving, and sympathetic portrait of a man who fought an impossible war against the forces of manifest destiny that were set against his people. I felt I really got to know Sitting Bull as a man, and as a leader. His spirit of resistance is unquestionably admirable. This is a must read for anyone who wishes to understand just how much was lost by the Lakota, and the Indian people, in the rush of white's towards the "frontier". The spirit of the Lakota leader is on par with any of the great "white" heroes of western european history. Sitting Bull is perhaps, along with Crazy Horse and Chief Joseph, one of the greatest leaders, and Americans, that this country ever produced. Mr. Utley's portrait of him paints his life's picture with pretty vivid colors, and textures. The tragic circumstances of his last years, and his death, are heartbreaking.

Definitely worth the read if you love the American West, and the American Indian people.

Robert Utley, a noted historian, has written an excellent biography on this famous Lakota titled The Lance and the Shield: The Life and Times of Sitting Bull. Utley's monograph depicts Sitting Bull as an influential Lakota, true to his people and his culture. Before The Lance and the Shield, Stanley Vestal's book, Sitting Bull: Champion of the Sioux, was the premiere work. However, as Utley expresses, Vestal's work is often more literary than historical. Given today's trends in historiography, students needed a new text, one with thorough documentation and a more clear writing style. Utley has created an exceptional text that equals his previous writing successes.

Utley uses two metaphorical approaches to chronicle Sitting Bull's life--the Lance and the Shield and the Four Cardinal Virtues. Utley suggests that Sitting Bull's life can be easily viewed in two different roles, a defensive one (shield) and an offensive one (lance); careful and concise description shows how Sitting Bull continually sought to defend and protect his people, militarily and politically. The Lakotas value Four Cardinal Virtues above all others: bravery, fortitude, generosity, and wisdom. Sitting Bull personified these ideals through his dealings with family, friends, and even enemies. Because Sitting Bull lived such a virtuous life, he achieved great influential power among his people and even among other Plains nations.

Utley's bias clearly lies with the Lakota people. However, his writing style is clear and factual, so usually the reader does not get the impression of overwhelming bias toward the Native Americans, after all, we hear of their faults and shortcomings too. Utley says that this more realistic image of Sitting Bull reveals his greatness because of what he represented, the spirit of the Lakota people. (Rebecca McMurrin)

OK, I admit that I was already a Kathleen Taylor fan. Had I not been, FOREIGN BODY would have made me one.
This is a tour de force for Ms. Taylor. Her descriptive skills are at their best as Tory Bauer, her protagonist, doesn't even go outside her own café in Delphi, South Dakota to get involved with another mess. The question is: Is it a suicide or is it murder? Tory and her best friend wannabe-lover, wealthy-librarian Neil Pascoe, try to sort the pieces of a puzzle involving the local Luthern minister, a visiting teen-age choir, and a local scalawag.
As Ms. Taylor fits the pieces together, she builds her characters so completely that, when one finishes the book, he feels as though he is actually acquainted with the town and it's cleverly drawn citizenry.
The Tory Bauer series was already one of the best in the contemporary mystery genre. FOREIGN BODY only builds Ms. Taylor's reputation as a master storyteller and skilled writer.
When is Kathleen Taylor going to get her much-deserved Edgar Allen Poe Award?

Kathleen Taylor mixes a dry wit and enthusiasm for the potential drama of small-town living in the sixth installment of the Tory Bauer mysteries. There were several typos in the edition I read, but it didn't detract from the joy of reading Taylor's latest. This series has become one of my favorites.

The characters are appealing and have a way of finding their way into and out of jams while simultaneously dishing up a slice of Midwestern living that even the most cynical of city folk will be able to enjoy.

I am hoping that this is the latest of many Tory Bauer mysteries yet to come. She has many more stories to tell.

I HAVE KNOWN KATHLEEN FOR OVER 30 YEARS( WE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL) AND I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD KNOW AN AUTHOR AS GOOD AS HER. HER BOOKS ARE FUNNY AND KEEP YOU READING UNTIL THE END. A FRIEND FROM SCHOOL MAILED ME THE WHOLE SERIES AND IT TOOK ME 3 DAYS TO FINISH THEM ALL, BUT THE LAST ONE. I HAVE NOT RECEIVED IT YET. ALL I CAN SAY IS "YOU GO GIRL!!!!" KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!!

After sending his famous message to Benteen, "Big Village, Come Quick, Bring Packs," Custer and his men vanish from U. S. Army history. What happened thereafter was witnessed mainly by Custer's foes in the battle. Although huge numbers of Indian accounts have been collected in the roughly 125 years since Little Bighorn, historians have generally thrown up their hands at the gross contradictions, inconsistencies, confabulations and impossibilities found in the Indian accounts.

What Michno has done is to go through the published and unpublished accounts available, and fit them into a framework of time and space that actually turns out to make a fairly consistent picture of Custer's last battle. As several other reviewers have noted, there is a large piece missing from Michno's material, namely the accounts of the Indian scouts riding with the 7th Cavalry. It is very puzzling that this resource was ignored. However, that is the only real problem I found with the book. Michno uses the Indian accounts to explode a fairly large number of myths about the battle and its participants, particuarly Gall, Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull. He also winds up with the only really convincing version I have read of the disposition and movements of Custer's men during the various stages leading up to the classic hilltop "Last Stand."

In the past 50 years academic historians have largely retreated completely from any desire to find out or recount what "actually" happened in any historical event. Instead, the event is used only as the thinnest of pretexts to grind various ideological axes. Custer's defeat was being used in this way almost the second Libby Custer died, more than 70 years ago. So it's doubly refreshing to find a history book where the facts are still the focus of concern.

This book is not, and is not intended to be, a complete account of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. It is best read as a companion to other standard works on the battle, such as Gray's.

Michno's work is a good effort to place the participants of the Little Big Horn on the battle field within a realistic time frame. The time-motion idea, used by Michno in Lakota Noon, was used by John Gray in Custer's Last Campaign, (another useful book on the battle). The work is an interesting read.

Michno makes a valiant effort to de-bunk a number of long-standing myths about the Little Big Horn battle; his theories are well developed and credible. They may or may not be correct, but his ideas are as valid as any forwarded yet.

There were three minor problems with this text. First, the work could have (and should have) drawn upon the testimony of the Crow participants in the battle, particularly Curley. Curley's claim that some troops (probably Companies E and F) actually made it to the mouth of Medicine Tail Coulee is is direct conflict with Michno's beliefs and he should have made an effort to acknowledge or refute this claim. Second, all of the recent writers about the Little Big Horn, including Fox, Michno, and a host of others, seem to be unable to agree as to what to call the various ravines, coulees, ridges, etc. Some unified effort needs to be made to standardize names, e.g., Luce Ridge by Michno should be the same as Luce Ridge by the Park Service. Third, all the recent writers seem to enjoy taking mean-spirited pot shots at each other's ideas. I realize that a healty discussion is important and its necessary to acknowledge differences and inconsistencies, but it should be done in a civilized and professional manner.

This fine book stands with the few really well thought out accounts of the Battle of the Little Big Horn. The Herculean task of trying to make sense of all the Indian testimony is done very well here. Michno's discussions at the end of each section helps point out what is plausible and what is not. Michno does not simply swallow as absolutely true all the Indian testimony (Indians could exaggerate and distort as well as Marcus Reno and Benteen could). The importance of this book is twofold in my opinion. It discredits (and rightly so) much of what Richard A. Fox claims in his archaeological study of battlefield shell casings, and it claims the fighting at Last Stand Hill went on a lot longer than the testimony at Reno's court of inquiry admitted. Obviously this has huge implications for Reno and Benteen, who, if true, were hardly blameless for the debacle, to put it kindly. See Lary Sklenar's analysis in "To Hell with Honor" to explore this aspect of the controversy. Just what did they see at Weir Point if Michno's theory is correct? One can only wonder. Highly recommended.

I was somewhat disappointed in this book. I have read all of the books in the series, and this probably is the weakest one. I did not like the way that the story shifts from Blessing to the Ranch and back again. I would have liked more material about the romance between Augusta and Kane. Maybe this will happen in the next book in the series!

This series has been one of my favorite reads, but how can Lauraine Snelling mix up so many characters? She calls Kaaren Knutson 'Kaaren Bjorklund', Agnes' baby, Olaf (mentioned in the first book) is forgotten, Penny Sjorenson is introduced as both Penny Sjorenson and Penny Baard, and the list just goes on! The book's storyline is wonderful, but the mistakes are so distracting. Mrs. Snelling, your books are excellent, but please, for goodness' sake, get a decent editor!!

I read this book in the series first. I found it with the new arrivals in the library. I couldn't put it down. When I discovered it was the LAST in a series, I went to find the first book. Ms. Snelling writes in a way that compells you to continue to the next chapter to see what will transpire. It's nice to find a book written this well that is historical fiction!!!. I enjoy reading about the pioneer era in this county. These historical details are a nice addition to the plot of the "lost" heroine Augusta. However,I would suggust reading the books in order.

I'd call the book okay, but not much more. There is basically an interesting story plot, but the characters mostly seem artificial and wooden (couldn't use frozen could I?) If it weren't a local guy, I would have passed on it

McCollum has written a good story that keeps you in suspense until the very end. It's a little far-fetched perhaps, but who would have believed cloning a sheep was possible 20 years ago either. I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to combine a little sciene with suspense.

Thomas McCollum's Palmer Lake is a disturbing novel offering a glimpse of where the near future just might lead. A wealthy man commits suicide, and his body is cryogenically preserved - but when some question of whether or not he was murdered arises, advances in cryogenic technology imply that he just might be revived to name his killer! Palmer Lake is truly compelling saga of lies, deceit, money, and power.

This book told the dramatic events leading up to and including the purchase of Sue, the Tyrannosaurus rex fossil found in South Dakota in 1990. The book details how the fossil was found, excavated, then confiscated by the government in the years preceding its auction. The drama unfolds as the auction proceeds in the book, and the glimpses into the lives of persons and groups who hunt and buy fossils is fascinating. Intrigue, suspense, and courtroom drama--it has it all. I hope they make a movie out of this book.

When one envisions fossil hunting, especially of dinosaurs, it is often seen as a simple search, proceeded by a discovery, and finally a claim to fame for unearthing a valuable piece of our world's history. One would usually not even consider the conflicts and political questions raised in the discovery of new fossils. However, Steve Fiffer's Tyrannosaurus Sue: The Extraordinary Saga of the Largest, Most Fought over T. Rex Ever Found exposes the modern day reality of the trials and tribulations facing those looking to excavate fossils. The book centers on the story of Peter Larson and his merry band of paleontologists as they take on the evil forces of the U.S. government and a greedy landowner in a dispute over the ownership of the theropod fossil Tyrannosaurus sue. The account of the battle for Sue, from the initial and improbable discovery of the fossil to the final outcome, shows the common reader there is more to the collecting and studying of fossils than meets the eye. With the different aspects involved, from science to politics to even conspiracy, Fiffer's book is a must read for everyone from professionals in the scientific field to those interested in politics or to just an inquiring mind in search of a wild and amazing story. Fiffer is successful in portraying the opinions of all involved. The testimony and insight of the various players in this legal tug-of-war provide the reader a complete picture of what is going on. The point of view seems to favor Peter Larson, but all are given a chance to voice their view and Fiffer avoids portraying any of the parties involved as the "villain". This style allows the reader to form his own opinion regarding the matter being fought over. He also raises many questions regarding modern day fossil collection and study. The fate of Sue shows that a new era has arrived in paleontology, one that is based on money and politics rather than science. Some of the questions he raises include the rights given to commercial fossil collectors vs. academic paleontologists, the effects on scientist of the selling fossils for profit, and the clarity of federal law regarding and regulating the collection of fossils. These issues are ones that, for the sake of future scientific advancement, need solutions. This novel is able to capture the reader's mind from the outset. Fiffer's clear style of writing allows the reader to understand exactly what is occurring. While closely following the events that ensue from Sue's discovery to her arrival at her final home at the Field Museum of Natural History, the reader is also educated in some of the basics of paleontology, from the stories of great scientists of the past to the most elementary of the work involved in studying fossils, the reader is able to witness a great drama unfold while simultaneously being educated in the realm of science. The story of Sue is both thought provoking and entertaining.

I have really enjoyed reading this book. I'm a Dinosaur nut and this book is about my favorite Dino the T-Rex so it was an obvious attraction to me to read. What I read only proved to me that our Government is pathetic to say the least. To do what they did to Peter Larson was a crime. Not only do they steal the find of the century but they lay bogus charges on him that ultimatly sent him to jail and nearly ruined his life! How can the US Government do what they did? They have been doing it to people for years and Mr Larson was only one more person who has suffered at the hands of our government. It's terrible when Dinosaur hunters cant even dig up bones for fear that they might be prosecuted for stealing so called Government property. When I first read this book I was thinking I was going to be reading about the find of the century but what I found out was that the US Government is nothing but a bunch of theif's who took the low road to try and ruin a good man who was doing his job. The story of Sue and the events that surrounded her is very very good and a must read for Dino lovers of all ages and it will show just how ruthless our Government can be.