SECOND TIME THROUGH, September 12, 2009:

Because I had thoroughly enjoyed reading this for one of my grad school classes, I decided to read it again to see if it was something that I wanted my students to read in high school. Well, I'm glad I did so, because I won't be the one who will face a parent asking what kind of stuff I'm having their kid read. Not because the book wasn't as good as I remembered, but because the sexual content in the book was more explicit than I remembered (considering the other books I read in that grad school class, however, this one was saintly). Besides that setback, the experience was still great. Welch creates a world that, on the surface, could seem wholly alien. I have never read another book which portrays a culture foreign to my own in such vivid, visceral form. That is probably his greatest contribution in this book, his recreation of a time, setting, and people that the reader can find themselves perfectly connected with, even though they may have never experienced that culture before. Together with this insightful exploration of the Pikuni people, Welch also writes--with all of the talent of a popular novelist--intense scenes of excitement, poignant scenes of romance, and fitting scenes of historical fiction. In other words, he does it all, and he does it well. What takes it to a new level beyond just "good" is that while the language, rituals, and lifestyles of this culture he introduces are all so completely foreign, the reason it works is that it is still the story of a community. It is the story of a family. And no matter where you come from, you are a part of a community; you are a member of a family. And no matter how different your culture may vary from another, you can always sympathize with the struggles inherent in community and family conflicts.

As far as its contribution to historical events, Fools Crow does not vilify (completely) the white man, as one might expect being written from the point of view of the Blackfoot Indians and as written by a descendant of those very people. There are no good versus evil dichotomies. Instead, it is the tragic realization that the two cultures, in spite of well meaning individuals, are simply not compatible, and that the end of the Pikuni people, as they know it, is inevitable. Tragic, yes, but while the entire book seems to drive home this premise, Welch chooses to end on a positive note. He provides no solution to an impossible situation, but at the same time, he still pushes forward, refusing to give in. That sort of persistence, I am certain, will be rewarded.

Some of my few qualms with the book would be, first of all, that the sexual content (as mentioned previously) is just a tad too graphic. It must be there, because it plays a role in the culture and the events that occur. There is no doubt that it gives the appropriate edge to some of the friction that goes on in the book. However, I think that Welch could have accomplished the same and been able to step back with his language just a tad, and still made it work. The other thing that I thought really jarred the narrative was towards the end of the book. As Welch approaches the climax, he really digs into his poetic background, which has been prevalent throughout, but in a way that really contributed to the story. However, just as things are climaxing, Welch takes the protagonist through a dream ... vision ... something, and while the message there was powerful and needed, the journey through it took far too long--basically throwing a wrench in the gears of the story, grinding it to a halt, and forcing Welch to pick up the steam again from scratch to finish off the novel. This is done passably enough, but also could have been done without the interruption.

Altogether,Fools Crow is the story of a people, their traditions, and their struggles. Ultimately, it addresses, today, their legacy. In nearly all of these aspects, it succeeds.


PREVIOUS REVIEW January 1, 2007:

What a treat. I read this for a grad school class on Native American literature, and whereas pretty much all the rest of the books were either incredibly amateur and/or repugnant, this one is a jewel. That is not to say that it does not have a few scenes that make it inappropriate for youth, but none of them (at least according to my memory) were indulgent, only matter-of-factual. Anyways, the Native American viewpoint found in Fools Crow is so unique and seemingly authentic that it brings just the type of perspective that I found fascinating and educational. But it isn't just perspective tricks and unique language that make this a worthwhile read. The characters are strong and interesting, and the story is exciting, tragic, and intense all throughout.