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I‘ve been thinking about how to do this book justice but I‘m not sure I have the words. Challenging and difficult to follow, the writing is meant to be a stream of consciousness from a young Sacajawea. This format is effective: the visceral, brutal, yet beautiful and powerful words brought out deep emotions in me. Dread, curiosity, desire, love, repulsion, and reverence for her people and land. I didn‘t so much read this as experience it.

The story we learn of Sacajewea glorifies her but leaves out all the horrifying truths about how she came to be on the expedition. As a girl, she's taken and sold to a white man, pregnant with his baby by twelve. Earling's writing is sparse and evocative but may be off-putting for some. I loved how it changed and shifted as Sacajewea was exposed to new people and ideas and languages, though. The writing really brought the story to life.

I've been jumping between a lot of books recently (this isn't even all of them) but I'm primarily focusing on The Lost Journals of Sacajewea and The Fox Maidens today #WeekendReads

Sacajewea is such a familiar character to Americans, as a helpmeet to the Lewis and Clark expedition. Here, the story of her likely true experience is told. She is firmly rooted within her culture, stolen away from her people amidst violence, then serially raped and treated as an object/tool. It is written in what I assume would be the style of her language, which makes it challenging. I appreciated it more than liked it. #tob24

The writing style made this book a chore which is truly unfortunate because the story of Sacajawea told underneath it all is heartbreaking and brutal. #tob24

#tob24

It isn't a normal thing for me to bail, but as time ticked away on this library hold and I found myself unable to connect, and kept having to restart from the beginning each time I tried because I was confused about what was happening, I decided to return it in the hopes the next person would have better luck. 😁

I don't think I'll attempt to revisit this one later. It hurts my head just thinking about it.

I‘m pausing this #ToB longlister for now. I will return to it if it makes the short list, but I‘m struggling with it.

It‘s a tough read, not only for its content, but also stylistically. It is lyrically rather beautiful in places, but a lot of it is written in language where you have to deduce meanings.

Also, a few reviews have said you need to know Sacajewea‘s story for context, and also Lewis and Clark, and I don‘t know either story at all.

This is a more accurate history of this young girl.
Her insight for her respect of the land and the spirits of the land are outstanding and the blindness of the men she is forced to travel with is spot on.