Paul Piana and Todd Skinner are well known in the world of climbing. But some folks don't know that Paul first climbed in the Needles, in the early seventies. His descriptions of the routes are sometimes sketchy, but this is nonetheless the classic book on climbing in the Black Hills. He includes some maps of the various areas, and a good introductory section on the history of climnbing in the area. Some interesting biographical notes, including Herb and Jan Conn, some Yosemite greats and others.

If your heading West to do some flyishing, do yourself a favor get this very detailed book and spend a few days fishing in total solitude. Browns, Rainbows and Brook trout, the hills have all of them and this book will tell you how and where to catch them. A great find!

I have read this book several times, and have given to every important person in my life. If you want to know the landscape of western South Dakota in all its sundry emotions, walk across it. If you don't have the time for that, read this book. It doesn't get any more intimate than this.

Since her mother's death, twelve-year-old Rachel has grievedsilently - there's simply no time to mourn on the harsh late nineteenth century plains. When a brutal drought shows no signs of letting up, Rachel's father does the only thing he can think of - he sends Rachel and her little brother John to stay with their mother's sister in Savannah, Georgia. When he finally comes to bring them home, he announces that he plans to marry the local schoolteacher. Rachel refuses to accept her future stepmother, setting into motion a chain of events that nearly ends in tragedy. Now it is up to Rachel to earn her father's forgiveness and let go of her grief. I highly reccomend this poignant novel. Although it is set a little over a hundred years ago, the feelings in it are as real now as they were then.

A saga-like tale of Norwegian immigrants to America, specifically to Dakota territory, travelling in covered wagons, living in sod huts dug into the ground, isolation, blizzards, planting & plagues of locusts, this book will make you feel you were there.

This story is also about the marriage between Per & Beret Hansa, a difficult relationship: He wanted to emigrate and she did not but went along with him, unfortunately it is all too much for her and she loses her mind. I think this book presents a very realistic picture of marital relations of that time.

The ending was somewhat bizarre and made me laugh out loud though I'm not sure it was supposed to be funny. I intend to read the sequel and will probably reread this one again one day, it's a great immigrant/pioneer classic.

For years, my father repeatedly urged me to read this book about the pioneer life of Norwegian immigrants. Although my father is from Texas and has no Norwegian roots, he read this book in high school and it apparently made quite an impact upon him. Moreover, my great-grandmother on my mother's side immigrated from Norway around 1900 and this gives me some insight into her experience. The author does an outstanding job of conveying the mental as well as the physical struggles that pioneer families faced in the 1870's. I never contemplated that the isolation of pioneer life could be so difficult. The book was a quick read after the first 50 or so pages, and I am now moving on to Peder Victorious. I am glad I finally followed my father's advice.

Having grown up on the prairie, I have always found the tales of pioneer life absolutely intriguing. Both sides of my family come from pioneer roots and stories such as "Giants in the Earth" never fail to move me.

This novel was particularly wonderful. I wasn't sure what to expect when I began to read "Giants in the Earth." Having never read Rolvaag I was a little nervous, but it has turned out to be an experience that has helped to guide my course of studies over the past year.

The character development is extraordinary. One can't help but feel an intimate attraction to the characters and Rolvaag's dramatic portrayal of their lifestyle can't help but inspire empathy in readers.

The characters each inspire different emotions - Per Hansa: Pride; Beret - Frustration!

I would strongly recommend this book to anyone looking for an absolutely unbiased portrayal of pioneer life. It will inspire you.

This Book is a great book because, it is depended on a true story about the person wrote the book, Laura Ingalls Wilder. So far I have read almost the whole set of these great books and I think that the books were exciting and also fantastic. In this book The Long Winter it was hard for the family to survive a very long winter around 8 months that had hard snow with barely any supplies because of the blizzards. The blizzard made the Ingalls have a hard time because the snow made the train with the supplies to take to their town imppossible to make it there so, they had to use Mary's college money to pay for food and warmth because, in the store they raised the price on everything. My favorite part was when the two men went into the storm and got wheat for the store in the big storm. What got me mad was shopkeeper paid for the wheat but charged so much over the price. But the 2 men stood up and said something so he lowered the price of the wheat and sold the wheat to the costumers for the original price that those 2 men got from the man who sold it to them.

We have just finished reading this fifth book in the Laura series with our five year old daughter - she has loved all of them. I can recall reading this as a child, and the impression of the hunger, hardship, and courage of the Ingalls family stayed with me. I thought it might be a little dark for my daughter, but she really enjoyed it. We heartily recommend the entire series, even for children who are not able to read it independently yet - she started the series two months ago when she turned five, and we have read it virtually every night since (Little House in the Big Woods, on the Prairie, Banks of Plum Creek, etc.). It really is an interesting way to introduce American history, settling of the West, etc., into a child's life, especially a girl's. My younger daugther, 3, enjoys it too, but has a shorter attention span. The two of them play "Laura & Mary" all the time, and have demonstrated via their imaginary play that not just the spirit but the detail of the stories have made an impression. I don't think we have "ruined" it for them by reading it to them before they could read it on their own - I think they will return to these stories later.

THE LONG WINTER by Laura Ingalls Wilder is a non-fiction story which tells about her interesting pioneer life.The book describes Laura's life in the prairies during a winter in the late 1870's. It tells how she and her family survive the long hard winter that year. It talks about how hard it was to find enough food for everyone.The chidren had to keep up with their school lessons at home because the blizzards were so strong that they had to stay inside.I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to about what it was like in other times in history. In conclusion this is a great book to learn what it was like to be a pioneer in the 1870's.

This book weaves a myriad of folk motifs into the fabric of reality, creating a vibrant tale about the connections among generation, about how the actions of our ancestors can affect out contemporary lives-and how the presence resonates in us.

The story creates a foundation in the 1860s-when a Dakota warrior-Ghost Horse, lost his love-Red Dress. Since then, their spirits have sought to be reunited, and it is the playing out of this drama that shapes the sometimes violent fate of those who have come after them. The story jumps to the 1980s,where Charlene Thunder, a teenage descendant of Red Dress, is in love with Harley Wind Soldier, a traditional dancer of Ghost Horse's lineage. When Harley's soulmate, Pumpkin, dies, Charlene suspects her grandmother, the infamous Anna Thunder- who is both revered and feared by the Dakota community.

Charlene and Harley strive to make peace with the ghosts of their pasts while contending with the living. Other significant characters include Jeanette McVay, an American college student studying the tribe; Crystal Thunder-who must escape to Chicago to find her past; Herod Sall War-a member of the community who provides spiritual guidance; and Margaret Many Wounds-Harley's grandmother who he sees walking on the moon.

The story combines the mythic and supernatural aspect of the Dakota heritage with the contemporary Dakota tribe to serve as a very entertaining and interesting text!

Susan Power's "The Grass Dancer" is marvelously enjoyable. It tells of people on a Sioux reservation whose lives intersect and intertwine, briefly, or over a lifetime, and how their relationships effect one another. We meet these people much as we most often do in real life, starting with the present and working backwards. The story slowly unravels the mystery of why the characters behave the way they do. Each chapter is told from the perspective of one character and charts the incidents which develop their personality. Ghosts of ancestors visit the present day characters and bring a sense of identity and purpose to them. It is a wonderful tale of the continuity and validity of the tribal culture and the interconnectivity between all the characters - past, present, and future. Using realism and mysticism, traditional Sioux and contemporary cultural elements, and above all, fluid, picturesque language, Ms. Powers has written a book which is wonderful on first reading and will develop more meaning with each successive one. I highly recommend it.

If you are looking for a book that is engaging and compelling, Susan Power's "The Grass Dancer" is it. Indeed, this book is at once exciting, poignant, and meaningful. I have to say that, among the numerous books that I have read since high school, this one ranks (at least) in the top 20. When I put down the book, I felt as though I had just awoken from a beautiful dream.
Power recreates the world of magic and spirituality in a tapestry of beautiful language and webs of stories. "The Grass Dancer" is about the traditions of the Dakota Indian people-both past and present-and the narrative switches from one narrator to another, giving us multiple perspectives into the lives of these characters. The chapters go back in time, so that events unfold in front of our eyes, making the present situation of these characters understandable. Each character seems to be finding a way to be complete, and at the end of almost each chapter, each one of them sprouts strong and resilient, like grass that is hard to pull out. Power brings us in a journey through time and space, illustrating the power of imagination, such as the possibility of walking on the moon.
Grass serves as a symbol of power, particularly Indian power. Dancing becomes a way in which an Indian keeps his or her hopes up, making it a dance that is imbued with a kind of survival energy. Power's message in this book can be summed up in this sentence, where she writes, "...look at the magic. There is still magic in the world."
This book is infused with humor to keep you interested, and spirituality to keep you inspired. The presence of love among characters is so moving that it will stir your emotions. All in all, Power hits every aspect of an Indian's life: the dichotomy between Indian and white culture, the problems that arise out of dual heritage, disease, spirits, magic, ancestral powers, religion, and love. I would re-read this book, whether it be for inspiration, or simply for pleasure. Perhaps you would find the same joy by reading this incredible story.

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.

I bought this book purely on a whim. As it turns out I wish I could "whimsically" find more works by Mr. London. His grasp of the plains indians and their life conditions from past to present is far better than the "big four" of indian fiction... i.e. Tony Hillerman, etc. (and I love Hillerman's works). The historical accuracy of events is eclisped only by his graphic portrayal of the on-going struggle of the modern day indians trying so desperately to regain lands and "promises" that our government so blatantly tricked them out of. Moving back and forth between fact and fiction so smoothly kept my interest piqued several nights into early a.m. Strong characters and physical descriptions kept me spellbound. It's a fantastic read!

I picked up this book expecting just a good story - and ended up unable to put the book down until I finished. The concommitant devotion and pain that the characters share; the complexity of their relationships with one another and their predicament; the author's straightfoward style coupled with a hawk's eye for detail; and his acute sense of the pathos of the historical and cultural territory that this book covers all make this book one of the best I've read for a long time.

I think the issue of whether a writer is "qualified" to write about another culture is a thorny one. Certainly there's the whole "it's a thing, you just don't understand" is valid in certain respects. However, I can't help but think that the act and process of trying to understand (and write about) a culture or experience that is "other" is admirable and is what, ultimately, enables people to rise above their own small worlds and begin to make sense of that raging ether we call the human condition. I applaud London's sensitive and educated attempt - as well as what I would say is his successful result. That is, if you can claim to distill the ability to capture and empathize with pain, exhilaration, the will to survive, etc - all of that - something as simple as "successful." Perhaps a work such as Sundancer is better labled with a word such as "humilty" rather than "successful."

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.