Elsie's Business

by Frances Washburn

Beaten, raped, and left for dead at the side of a road on the Standing Rock Reservation, young Elsie Roberts disappears into her self to revisit the haunts of her childhood and, perhaps, the depths of her experience to uncover the deepest mystery of all. In Elsie’s Business , Elsie’s search through her own memories ultimately intersects with the search of a stranger who is seeking Elsie’s story. A picture emerges of a poor child, half black and half Native, whose mother has barely eked out a living for the two of them by tanning deerskins and cleaning houses. Rebuilding her life in a different town as a housekeeper, tanner, and beader of moccasins and bags, much like her mother, the taciturn Elsie finds modest comfort and connections among the white people who employ and befriend her. But her peace is fleeting, for someone from her past, or possibly her present, would like to see her silenced completely. A mystery of mesmerizing suspense and sadness, Elsie’s Business weaves the story of a ravaged woman into the traditional tales of her people to create a vivid sense of communities bound by storytelling and understanding and sundered by ignorance and silence.

Genres: Fiction, Read For School

216 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2006

Reviews

[Michelle Boyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are many reasons that Elsie's Business is a thought-provoking, well-written example of contemporary American Indian literature. Elsie Roberts is brutally beaten, raped, and left for dead on the side of the road--but she does not die. Instead, she is taken in by friends of the Catholic Church and ends up cleaning houses part time, while also taking time to tan deer skins in order to create moccasins, bags, and other trinkets. During her time at this new town she makes friends, like Nancy. But then she has friends she ends up disliking right before her eventual murder, like John. And of course, one of the men she cleans houses for attempts to sexually assault her. It shows some of the traumas that American Indian women have to go through, which is gut wrenching and at times hard to read.

Yet there are some areas where I feel the writing is actually hearkening back to other well-known American Indian authors and their stories. Elsie's rape is similar to what one might read in The Round House by Louise Erdrich--although it might be fair to say that lots of these fictionalized rapes share similarities for a good reason, and while this may be fiction, for many women this describes a reality. Also, Erdrich's novel was published 6 years after Washburn's, so perhaps Erdrich is borrowing from her. But in the scene where there is a cow stuck in the mud, you might recall Winter in the Blood by James Welch, but this cow ends up better off than Welch's. None of these similarities is to say that Washburn is in any way borrowing these scenes, but it is clear that she is aware of them. These are just intersections where one novel is tied to many others.

I was not a fan of the need for the "mystery" element as the detectives attempt to figure out who later kills Elsie. For me, the story would have been much stronger without some of these detective novel elements. Instead, the ideas could have been flushed out using the "grandfather" storyteller--a unique and interesting part of the novel that I really did enjoy.

It is a novel that ends with a twist, but it is not necessarily one I favor. While I have no problems with a story that ends poorly for someone, including a main character like Elsie, this novel remains somewhat heavy throughout and I felt like a few areas of light/hope might have been nice. Overall, it is a decent novel, but I find that The Sacred White Turkey is actually a better representation of Frances A. Washburn's work.

[Jessica Burstrem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lakota writer Franci Washburn’s brilliant first novel Elsie’s Business (2006) draws the reader, through a surprising and highly effective second-person narrative, into the role of detective. The reader first tries to ascertain, “Who am I?” – that is, who is the “you” whom the early chapters of this novel address? By implication, we, as readers, recognize our own involvement in the events of this novel – especially non-Native readers, whom Washburn, Assistant Professor of American Indian Literature and Creative Writing at University of Arizona and a natural teacher, particularly seems to target here. She helps members of that audience realize the power and relevance of oral traditions in their own lives, as “you” investigate, through various retellings – including a modern adaptation of Deer Woman stories – what happened to Elsie Roberts. The novel is fictional, but still true, as the characters were inspired by people Washburn has known, and the story by real events. For instance, Washburn subtly educates non-Native readers both as to the existence of interracial relationships besides those between Natives and Whites – the Elsie of the title is half-Black and half-Lakota – and about the prevalence of violent crimes against Native women, which are often overlooked and left unsolved. In shining a light on these realities, she also gives voice to the voiceless, rewrites history, and teaches us about ourselves. And tells a really good story.

For more, see my completed dissertation. ;)

[Clara Gauthier · Rating 5 out of 5]

so devastating but so wonderful

a beautiful look at community and the intersecting of indigenous stories and storytelling with the real impact it has on people’s lives

[Ruthenator · Rating 5 out of 5]

The way the story unspooled and then was woven back together was really well done.
I'm glad I took a chance on an author/book I'd never heard of.

[Julia Gillis · Rating 4 out of 5]

okay mysteryyyy

[Leila Bathke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book for a class. It was so amazing and insightful in understanding the effects of intersectional oppressions on Elsie. Also, I love the plot twist! It was really helpful that I read this in a class because it helped me understand a lot of the intricacies of the perspective and symbols that I wouldn't have caught otherwise. For example, we never hear from Elsie's point of view happened. (spoilers-->) There is so much mystery at the end as to experiences she had that we will never know. This is a product of Elsie's upbringing of reservedness and self-reflection, but I believe it is also a silent resistance of Elsie, a half Black half Indigenous woman, to keep ownership of her truth. As an incredibly disadvantaged woman on the Pine Ridge reservation, so much is taken from her: her body, her deer skins, her privacy in her relationships, her choices on occupation. The truth of her life is the one thing that not even her father or those that claim to be her friend can comprehend. Like the title says, it is simply Elsie's business. Very beautiful and very sad story. Though it is a work of fiction, Elsie's experiences reflect something that happens on native reservations every day, and another function of Elsie's Business is to tell the stories of these women so that it actually changes. #MMIW

[Jana · Rating 3 out of 5]

“We’re a lot alike (…). Mostly, people don’t see us. We’re background, like trees and sky, we’re just there, being what we are and doing what we do. Most people only notice a tree when the wind blows it down, or see the sky when rain or snow is falling out of it, but the tree and the sky, they see each other.”

“In small towns, you can’t easily exchange one set of friends for another. There just aren’t enough people in the potential friends pool.”

“This isn’t just about an Indian girl being assaulted by whit boys, it’s about an ugly crime that men have been committing against women since time began.”

“Don’t fret about what you can’t do. Enjoy the time Waziye gives to be with your family at a time when you wouldn’t usually get to. Relax, think. Remember. Eat good food. (…)”

“It’s the sin of Eve holding it that goddamned apple, and how do we know some man didn’t make up that story just to cover his own ass? Blame it in Eve, blame it on the women, and when does it ever stop?”

[Lundy · Rating 4 out of 5]

On a recent trip with a friend, I happened to glance at some books her daughter had brought home after her freshman year at college. Despite the grim description, I was intrigued by Elsie's Business by Frances Washburn.

The novel begins with the brutal attack of Elsie, who is beaten and raped by a group of white boys. Elsie, is half African American and Native American. The narrator of the book pieces together Elsie's life from various people he talks to including Nancy Marks, who befriends Elise. Elsie, like her mother cleans homes and makes beaded moccasins and other crafts from deer hides.

After leaving the town where she is attacked, Elsie is murdered. The mystery of who killed her is never solved. There are several other questions raised that are never answered.

I have to admit, this was a tough book to read. I think I sniffled/ cried through at least half of the book.

[Martha Viehmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

You show up in Jackson, SD, an outsider looking for answers about Elsie Roberts, who died a little over a year before. Oscar DeCharme, a great story teller takes you in and helps you feel like you belong. Why Oscar's part of the novel is told in 3rd person, how Oscar and Nancy know all the things attributed to them, and what all the details of small town life are doing in the novel are not always clear. The novel is satisfying. Provides food for thought about violence against Indigenous women, stereotyping of "Indians," and the different views of European and Native Americans.

[KuyenChe · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible read. Some people may feel dissatisfied by some of the grimness and questions left unanswered at the end but this is a work of literature that gives more than to serve as entertainment. I don’t equate the quality of a story with having happy ending or complete resolution. Stories like these are part of the world we live in, reflect real experiences. As much as that may provoke discomfort and a longing for answers, remember that stories like this exist in the world as people’s lives experiences.

[Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. From the beginning all the way to the end I was captivated. The story made me angry and left me with a feeling of emptiness regarding the character Elsie. Washburn's writing style was at times poetic and I appreciated how the story was told through the eyes of the narrator in search of Elsie's story. Writing anything more about the book will probably give away the magic of the story!

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is kind of a murder mystery, but not in the typical sense. Lots of twists and turns, while detailing what it is like for modern Native Americans to live within a hostile white society. I would recommend this book.