Official Review: Whispers Among The Prairie
Posted: 28 Nov 2018, 14:36
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Whispers Among The Prairie" by Michelle Roberts.]
2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Whispers Among the Prairie is a historical fiction novel by Michelle Roberts. This well-researched book stays true to the era it is set in. Tensions are high in the American West during the 1860s. The Cheyenne simply want to hunt, and roam their lands freely, as they always have. However, to the White Man, they are simply brutes that need to be removed. Amidst the conflict, the Southern Cheyenne tribe finds itself divided. On one side, is Chief Black Kettle, his adopted daughter Morning Dove, and others who are trying to come to an understanding with the whites. On the other side, is the likes of Red Panther and Black Beaver, who would rather die than live as prisoners in their own land.
A spirit has informed Morning Dove that there are tough times ahead. Furthermore, it tells Morning Dove that she will be a bridge between her people and the whites. But, things get complicated when Clinton McKay, a veteran of the Civil War, re-enlists in the cavalry. When he and Morning Dove meet, sparks fly. With these two on two opposite sides of the war, can those sparks turn into a fire? Read Whispers Among the Prairie to find out.
I enjoyed reading this book. I connected with most of the characters almost instantly. The conflict between the Indians and the White Man was sad but thrilling to read about. I got emotional several times throughout the book. I would advise sensitive readers to proceed with caution.
Family, love, forgiveness, and loss are the main themes in the book. Morning Dove’s close relationship with her adoptive parents, Black Kettle and Medicine Woman Later, as well as with her brother, Black Beaver, was heartwarming to read about. In contrast, it was heartbreaking to witness the Cheyenne tribe's bond slowly weaken, and eventually, break.
It’s worth noting that Whispers Among the Prairie is Roberts’s debut novel. She, unfortunately, made a couple of the mistakes many first-time authors make. For one, verbosity. Many of her descriptions were unnecessarily detailed and broke the book’s rhythm. Characters frequently gave up too much information while speaking, resulting in awkward dialogue. Additionally, constant head-hopping was, at times, disorienting. It would have been better if she had stuck to a single POV per chapter/section.
Structurally, the book could also do with a little more work. The first part of the book focuses on Morning Dove’s life before she meets Clinton. The middle section does the same for Clinton. Both parts were drawn out and made the book drag. As a result, Morning Dove and Clinton only meet towards the end. Their relationship felt rushed because of this. The first two parts of the book could have been shortened to give their relationship enough time to develop.
Moreover, Roberts could have included an appendix listing the native names of the Cheyenne, along with the English translations of those names. Currently, the book makes it seem as though the Cheyenne used the translated versions of their names, such as Morning Dove, Black Beaver, Runs with Antelopes etc., to address one another. As most Cheyenne did not speak English, this would have not been the case. In my opinion, an appendix would help prevent confusion and show respect to the Cheyenne's language and culture.
I rate Whispers Among the Prairie 2 out of 4 stars. In addition to the errors detailed above, the book also contained other editing errors. Most of the errors were in the form of missing commas, missing apostrophes, and misspelled words. Despite the errors, the book still had a compelling storyline. I recommend it to lovers of historical fiction and romance.
******
Whispers Among The Prairie
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Ever_Reading's review? Post a comment saying so!
2 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Whispers Among the Prairie is a historical fiction novel by Michelle Roberts. This well-researched book stays true to the era it is set in. Tensions are high in the American West during the 1860s. The Cheyenne simply want to hunt, and roam their lands freely, as they always have. However, to the White Man, they are simply brutes that need to be removed. Amidst the conflict, the Southern Cheyenne tribe finds itself divided. On one side, is Chief Black Kettle, his adopted daughter Morning Dove, and others who are trying to come to an understanding with the whites. On the other side, is the likes of Red Panther and Black Beaver, who would rather die than live as prisoners in their own land.
A spirit has informed Morning Dove that there are tough times ahead. Furthermore, it tells Morning Dove that she will be a bridge between her people and the whites. But, things get complicated when Clinton McKay, a veteran of the Civil War, re-enlists in the cavalry. When he and Morning Dove meet, sparks fly. With these two on two opposite sides of the war, can those sparks turn into a fire? Read Whispers Among the Prairie to find out.
I enjoyed reading this book. I connected with most of the characters almost instantly. The conflict between the Indians and the White Man was sad but thrilling to read about. I got emotional several times throughout the book. I would advise sensitive readers to proceed with caution.
Family, love, forgiveness, and loss are the main themes in the book. Morning Dove’s close relationship with her adoptive parents, Black Kettle and Medicine Woman Later, as well as with her brother, Black Beaver, was heartwarming to read about. In contrast, it was heartbreaking to witness the Cheyenne tribe's bond slowly weaken, and eventually, break.
It’s worth noting that Whispers Among the Prairie is Roberts’s debut novel. She, unfortunately, made a couple of the mistakes many first-time authors make. For one, verbosity. Many of her descriptions were unnecessarily detailed and broke the book’s rhythm. Characters frequently gave up too much information while speaking, resulting in awkward dialogue. Additionally, constant head-hopping was, at times, disorienting. It would have been better if she had stuck to a single POV per chapter/section.
Structurally, the book could also do with a little more work. The first part of the book focuses on Morning Dove’s life before she meets Clinton. The middle section does the same for Clinton. Both parts were drawn out and made the book drag. As a result, Morning Dove and Clinton only meet towards the end. Their relationship felt rushed because of this. The first two parts of the book could have been shortened to give their relationship enough time to develop.
Moreover, Roberts could have included an appendix listing the native names of the Cheyenne, along with the English translations of those names. Currently, the book makes it seem as though the Cheyenne used the translated versions of their names, such as Morning Dove, Black Beaver, Runs with Antelopes etc., to address one another. As most Cheyenne did not speak English, this would have not been the case. In my opinion, an appendix would help prevent confusion and show respect to the Cheyenne's language and culture.
I rate Whispers Among the Prairie 2 out of 4 stars. In addition to the errors detailed above, the book also contained other editing errors. Most of the errors were in the form of missing commas, missing apostrophes, and misspelled words. Despite the errors, the book still had a compelling storyline. I recommend it to lovers of historical fiction and romance.
******
Whispers Among The Prairie
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Like Ever_Reading's review? Post a comment saying so!
