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177th out of 3,222 books
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14,001 voters
Sacajawea
Clad in a doeskin, alone and unafraid, she stood straight and proud before the onrushing forces of America's destiny: Sacajawea, child of a Shoshoni chief, lone woman on Lewis and Clark's historic trek -- beautiful spear of a dying nation.
She knew many men, walked many miles. From the whispering prairies, across the Great Divide to the crystal capped Rockies and on to the...more
She knew many men, walked many miles. From the whispering prairies, across the Great Divide to the crystal capped Rockies and on to the...more
Paperback, 1424 pages
Published
July 1st 1984
by Avon
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Sep 08, 2011
Karla (Mossy Love Grotto)
marked it as did-not-finish
Lots of research, but simply too damn long and suffered from "author wants to put in every single thing she discovered and dramatize every little thing." It sometimes happens with these huge doorstoppers. But nice cover art by Tom Hall, as always.
For the record, I made it to page 300, but it took a few weeks to even get that far. A sad rate for the time period I read it, when I was knocking off a 500 page book every 3 days (and no skimming, either). If I had to describe this book in 3 words, it...more
For the record, I made it to page 300, but it took a few weeks to even get that far. A sad rate for the time period I read it, when I was knocking off a 500 page book every 3 days (and no skimming, either). If I had to describe this book in 3 words, it...more
Aug 20, 2008
Diane Nielson
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone willing to ride an emotional rollercoaster.
Recommended to Diane by:
my mom.
Shelves:
diane-s-favorites
Simply put, this is the most amazing story I know and the book is incredibly written. i read this very long book about 14 years ago, and I remember my mother reading it about 10 years prior to that. I still have the actual book that she and I read. It's very special to me, not just for the connection to my mother, but because the story of Sacajawea is so well depicted within it's covers. I remember laughing on one page, then sobbing to the point of having to put the book down on the next. It's d...more
May 14, 2013
Melissa Anderson
added it
I was completely enthralled with this book during the month it took me to read it and now that I have finished it, I feel like I am saying good-bye to a true and valued friend. Anna Lee Waldo has created a scholarly masterpiece that deserves to be read by future generations, not just by North Americans seeking to learn more about their countries, but by people all over the world. Sacagawea's story of perservance, hope and belief in herself are autocom cdp an inspiration for everyone. Although th...more
ISBN 0380842939 - As a kid, I planned to be Sacajawea when I grew up; books about her remain high on my list of interests. This book is fiction: this matters because I think it impacts how you read it. It is also huge, not quite 1400 pages: the text is 1326 pages - notes and bibliography take it to 1408. Those last 82 pages lend some credibility to the thought that the book is NOT fiction, a negative to me, as are the utterly useless maps that are too small to read. Almost worth every hour it ta...more
It has been some time since I've read this book that I'm writing this, but I just want to say amazing. In my top 10 favorites list for sure.
I have always been sort of interested in Sacajawea, but there's not MANY facts about her out there. This novel, however, really brought her to life more than anything else to me. Now I am more absorbed in her past as I was before.
I will be re-reading this book. It was a fantastic read, and it really inspired me.
All from Sacajawea's fictional point of view, i...more
I have always been sort of interested in Sacajawea, but there's not MANY facts about her out there. This novel, however, really brought her to life more than anything else to me. Now I am more absorbed in her past as I was before.
I will be re-reading this book. It was a fantastic read, and it really inspired me.
All from Sacajawea's fictional point of view, i...more
This book is not for the faint of heart or those who want a quick read. At 1328 pages for just the story and an additional 61 pages of notes this is a titan of a read. But every page is well worth it.
It starts out when Sacajawea is a young girl and covers her capture and enslavement by the Mandan tribe. While with the Mandans she is subjected to rape at around age 11 (the book makes it somewhat hard to pinpoint her age at times), learns the art of glass making, and then is eventually sold off to...more
It starts out when Sacajawea is a young girl and covers her capture and enslavement by the Mandan tribe. While with the Mandans she is subjected to rape at around age 11 (the book makes it somewhat hard to pinpoint her age at times), learns the art of glass making, and then is eventually sold off to...more
I couldn't take myself away from this book. Again, I sat with my laptop looking for more pictures, maps, timelines, letters, anything I could find. This novel was an excellent bridge for me to pull together the country's infancy, westward expansion, the Mexican-American War, and the Trail of Tears. Although I have been to much of the area covered by the Lewis and Clark expedition, I would like to revisit now that I have the images described in this book to consider.
I guess it isn't technically fair that I rate this book as I didn't finish it. I didn't even get to the part where Sacajawea joins Lewis and Clark, which was the whole reason I wanted to read this book in the first place. But I simply couldn't get caught up in the story as Anna Lee Waldo wrote it. I never found myself really caring for Sacajawea or what was happening to her. I'm still on the look out for a good book about this woman, but this thick novel is not it.
Awesome! Reading this book gave reality to the struggles of a real woman in history. Although the book is very long, it was surprising how quickly I zipped through it. A definite good read for anyone interested in history or specifically about the Lewis & Clark expedition or the life of Sacajawea. The book does a great job at characterizing her and makes her come to life just as if you were actually there as a witness.
Although technically this is a work of fiction, it closely follows the logbooks/diaries of the Lewis and Clark expedition.
It is a long and detailed book, well-researched and hard to put down.
I think that any history buff would enjoy this book beyond any expectation, and I think that anyone (like myself) who is not necessarily a history buff will be amazed by the world that Anna Lee Waldo opens to us. Each turn of the page was a new adventure.
I've read this book a number of times, and every time...more
It is a long and detailed book, well-researched and hard to put down.
I think that any history buff would enjoy this book beyond any expectation, and I think that anyone (like myself) who is not necessarily a history buff will be amazed by the world that Anna Lee Waldo opens to us. Each turn of the page was a new adventure.
I've read this book a number of times, and every time...more
Oh, I enjoyed this SO much! I read it as a teen, buying the very fat paperback at a drugstore. I spent the whole summer completely enthralled. I still remember how she carried her little baby son Batiste on this amazing journey. It made SUCH an impression on me. I think it's a GREAT read for teen girls, giving them a sense of empowerment.
I never forgot this, so much so that a few years ago, when the U.S. Mint announced they would be putting a woman on the new "gold" dollar coin, but they had no...more
I never forgot this, so much so that a few years ago, when the U.S. Mint announced they would be putting a woman on the new "gold" dollar coin, but they had no...more
I have never read a book over a thousand pages long, but I could not put this one down.
Waldo not only introduces Sacajawea as the Indian woman who goes with Lewis and Clark expedition, but as the girl who almost dies herself going back to where they left her grandma, finding her dead and making sure the dead womans body is off the ground away from the hungry wolves. A girl who is captured by a different tribe of Indians that is foreign to her. A girl who grows into a strong woman and then a wis...more
Waldo not only introduces Sacajawea as the Indian woman who goes with Lewis and Clark expedition, but as the girl who almost dies herself going back to where they left her grandma, finding her dead and making sure the dead womans body is off the ground away from the hungry wolves. A girl who is captured by a different tribe of Indians that is foreign to her. A girl who grows into a strong woman and then a wis...more
I read this book when I was in 4th and 5th grade. I realize this book was written for adults, but I was obsessed with learning more about Sacajawea at that age. My dad said it would be okay for me to read it, so I did. It took me close to a year to complete the whole thing--but I eventually wrote a 5th grade book report on it when we were assigned to read a historical fiction piece. My teacher rewarded us with a piece of licorice for every 40 pages we read. As you can imagine, with a book over 1...more
I read this in 1984. At that time I thought it was excellent. I wonder what I would think now. So many books I read years ago, don't rate the stars I gave them at the time. This one is a big one over 1400 pages. Maybe one day I will tackle it again. It is a story as I remember it, that is a fictionalized account of Louis and Clark's Indian guide. It follows them on the journey and for a time afterwards. You are left with no resolution as to what eventually happened to her as the documentation is...more
I think too many of my reviews start with "I love this...", but seriously, I read this in Jr High and I LOVED IT! Actually, I remember loving about 3/4s of the 1300 or so pages. The author offers a few hundred pages of an alternate ending that kind of messed with my mind as I had been sucked in, and believed every word...then my trust in the author was whisked away as she said, "Or, it could have happened this way...". Still, the book is a remarkable feat of historical biography with enough conj...more
Waldo created a momentous novel of epic proportion. That it took ten years to complete is understandable. The historical aspect of the trials and tribulations suffered by the First Nations at the hands of the early pioneers was well researched and authentic. Sacajawea, feminist, wisewoman and healer is not a character you can dismiss or forget. Waldo's depiction of the abused child, battered wife and grief-stricken mother is a tragic tale of courage. The end of the novel tore at my heart, my old...more
This is one of the most amazing books I've ever read. Even at 1300+ pages, i felt so sad to see the characters go, and Sacajewea became so real to me, and her life is epic, it needed 1300 pages to get everything told!
I would recommend this to anyone passionate about history, native culture, women's rights....there's just so much in it. Some parts are hard to read-- especially some of the early cruelty that she suffered. But she rose above it all and lived a very full and quite frankly amazing li...more
I would recommend this to anyone passionate about history, native culture, women's rights....there's just so much in it. Some parts are hard to read-- especially some of the early cruelty that she suffered. But she rose above it all and lived a very full and quite frankly amazing li...more
I read this book years ago - a few times - and, having just remembered it, plan to read it again very soon. It is, quite easily, one of the best books I've ever read. I'm not sure why it's not more well known, to be honest.
I saw it billed in quite a few places as a "historical romance," which I don't particularly feel is completely accurate or completely fair. There is love and longing, certainly - but what life would be complete without these powerful emotions?
It is a powerful historical novel...more
I saw it billed in quite a few places as a "historical romance," which I don't particularly feel is completely accurate or completely fair. There is love and longing, certainly - but what life would be complete without these powerful emotions?
It is a powerful historical novel...more
This is a very, very long book, and at various times I wondered if it should have been radically edited. But at each point the details, the loving care in which the life of this totally extraordinary woman was recreated, justified the rich descriptions and imaginative reconstructions. The story has many elements of tragedy, but it is also a many faceted love story and a sound historical record of real value.
Waldo decides to open her chapters with quotations (sometimes very long) from historical...more
Waldo decides to open her chapters with quotations (sometimes very long) from historical...more
Fabulous historical fiction! Waldo spent many years reasearching to write this book and includes copious notes, which solidify the actual history and give the reader a sense of why the fictional parts weave the way they do. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, I was taught about Lewis and Clark in school, but it came nowhere near the depth and breadth of Waldo's research.
Sacajawea's story runs deep: as an Indian, a woman, an intrepid traveler, a lover of peace. As I approached the last of the 1328 p...more
Sacajawea's story runs deep: as an Indian, a woman, an intrepid traveler, a lover of peace. As I approached the last of the 1328 p...more
ספר יפייפה, היה קצת ארוך יתר על המידה ומעייף, עד כדי כך האמת, שכמעט וקראתי קריאת ניצחון כשסיימתי אותו. אבל הוא היה נהדר ועקב בצורה מהימנה אחרי מהלך חיים שלם של אישה, דבר שלא היה ניתן לעשות בספר קצר מבלי שזה יהיה ניכר בקפיצות בזמן.
סקאג'וויאה היא דמות חזקה, שמתחזקת ככל שהסיפור מתקדם, כאישה בחברה שמכבדת רק גברים.
את הספר קראתי כחלק משיגעון ספרי האינדיאנים שגבר עליי, שבמהלכו קראתי גם את 'ווירג'ין ארת'' (פיליפה גרגורי) ואת 'בתה של יונקת הדבש' וגם את תחילת 'משנתו של דון חואן'. הספרים גרמו לי לכעוס על מ...more
סקאג'וויאה היא דמות חזקה, שמתחזקת ככל שהסיפור מתקדם, כאישה בחברה שמכבדת רק גברים.
את הספר קראתי כחלק משיגעון ספרי האינדיאנים שגבר עליי, שבמהלכו קראתי גם את 'ווירג'ין ארת'' (פיליפה גרגורי) ואת 'בתה של יונקת הדבש' וגם את תחילת 'משנתו של דון חואן'. הספרים גרמו לי לכעוס על מ...more
This is my favorite book of all time. It's the story of the Lewis and Clark Expedition from Sacajawea's point of view. Historically there are two theories about what happened to her after the expedition. One claims she died several years later, the other says she lived to a ripe old age and died in the late 1800s. This story takes the second claim and imagines what her life would have been. Excellent read for any historical fiction fan.
When I was a little girl I first read about Sacajawea in an Idaho history text book. I became fascinated with her story and through the years read several versions of her history. I read this book many years ago, and as I recall, it was a fascinating look at a legendary life. Even though it was written along the lines of historical fiction, it was apparent that the author had done in depth research to write the book.
This was the first historical fiction novel I ever read. I remember being enthralled, shocked and just taken in by the story. I think I was about 11 (probably too young considering some of the subject matter) but my mother gave it to me so I figured the racier scenes were okay. It is a tome but a book worth reading. I'm putting it on my re-read list since it has been at least 25 years and probably more since I read it first.
This book is the energizer book of Sacajawea - it kept going and going and going. I bought it to familiarize myself with the Lewis & Clark expedition, because I was planning a vacation to Oregon. I certainly felt like it set the tone for me to appreciate my time by the Columbia River. I also enjoyed the time immediately after the expedition when Sacajawea was in touch with those she'd traveled with. Then she takes off on another journey and that's when the book began to drag for me - and it...more
I read this mammoth novel (1400 pages including notes and bibliography) several years ago. It really delves into the story of Sacajawea from her youth to old age. Not much is really known about what happened to her in her later years. Many think she died young but this book and its author support the theory that she did indeed live to old age. Brilliantly researched and highly recommended!
From an old journal entry of mine; "I so love sinking my teeth into a long book...and reading everything there is to know. I enjoyed it thoroughly. My mind longs in a way for such a simple life having all you may need on your back. A good knife, a warm robe...
I bought this paperback at a yard sale for .25 cents. I hope to have it hardbound someday or learn to do it myself."
I bought this paperback at a yard sale for .25 cents. I hope to have it hardbound someday or learn to do it myself."
If you're up to reading this book get settled in and just accept that you're about to begin a very fruitful journey. Thoroughly researched and annotated, Waldo's SACAJAWEA is a historical epic worthy of being studied in high school history classes. But don't let that color your expectations, because this novel is also a sweeping tableaux of emotions and humanity.
... long time ago... learned a great deal about Lewis and Clark expedition... learned to despised Charbonneau and his smell and imagined his teeth rotten from chewing tobacco... strength of her character... learned about the Shoshoni tribes... a little graphic on how she was molested, etc. I didn't like those parts... it's been a while since I last read it.
I absolutely love this book. I have read it three times, and that's saying something. I learned a great deal about the Lewis and Clark expedition and the time period of the early American frontier. It's a wonderful story of an heroic Indian woman, and the details of the culture of many Indian tribes. This is a great summer read that I highly recommend.
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Anna Lee Waldo wrote the best-selling historical novel, SACAJAWEA. Her interest in the subject began as a child when she collected spear points on the shores of Whitefish Lake in Montana and listened to stories of Blackfeet and Crow grandmothers.
It took her ten years to write about the first woman to go with a military contingent, with a baby in a cradleboard, half way across the North American co...more
More about Anna Lee Waldo...
It took her ten years to write about the first woman to go with a military contingent, with a baby in a cradleboard, half way across the North American co...more
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“Do what comes into your life and do it well... Be polite without groveling. If you are ever afraid of anything, do not deny it, but behave as if you feared nothing.”
—
6 people liked it
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Sep 08, 2011 12:54pm
I can't remember how long it took me to read it, but I loved it.
Feb 18, 2013 08:02pm