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Ivory Carver #2
My Sister the Moon
In prehistoric Alaska, an Aleut girl, unwanted and abused, changes the destiny of her tribe.
Gray Bird wanted only sons. His daughter, Kiin, would have been killed at birth to make way for a male heir if not for the tribal chief, Kayugh, who claimed the infant as a future wife for one of his two young sons. Sixteen years later, Kiin is caught between the two brothers: one to whom she is promised, the other whom she desires. But the evil spawned by her own family takes her far from her people to a place where savage cruelties, love, and fate will strengthen and change her, and lead her to her ultimate destiny.
Gray Bird wanted only sons. His daughter, Kiin, would have been killed at birth to make way for a male heir if not for the tribal chief, Kayugh, who claimed the infant as a future wife for one of his two young sons. Sixteen years later, Kiin is caught between the two brothers: one to whom she is promised, the other whom she desires. But the evil spawned by her own family takes her far from her people to a place where savage cruelties, love, and fate will strengthen and change her, and lead her to her ultimate destiny.
416 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 13, 1992
157 people are currently reading
1761 people want to read
About the author
Sue Harrison
30 books290 followersSue Harrison is the author of six critically acclaimed and internationally bestselling novels. Mother Earth Father Sky, My Sister the Moon and Brother Wind make up The Ivory Carver Trilogy, an epic adventure set in prehistoric Alaska. Song of the River, Cry of the Wind and Call Down the Stars comprise The Storyteller Trilogy. Sue’s young adult book, SISU, was released by Thunder Bay Press . Her newest novel, The Midwife's Touch, first book in The Wish Thief Trilogy was released in February 2023. It was chosen as an Upper Peninsula of Michigan Notable Book and selected as a semi-finalist in the Society of Midland Author's 2024 Adult Fiction Awards. In 2025, her middle-grade readers chapter book, Rescuing Crash, the Good Dog was released by Modern History Press.
Sue Harrison was born in Lansing, Michigan. The first of five children, she was raised in the town of Pickford in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where she lives with her husband, a retired high school principal. They are blessed with a daughter and a son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
A graduate of Pickford High School, Harrison graduated summa cum laude from Lake Superior State University with a B.A. in English Language and Literature. She was named Lake Superior State University’s Distinguished Alumna in 1992, and served eight years on the university’s Board of Regents.
Harrison’s first novel, Mother Earth Father Sky, was published in 1990 by Doubleday (hardcover) and Avon (paperback). It was nominated in the states of Michigan and Washington for the Reader’s Choice Award among high school students, and was one of ten books chosen for “Battle of the Books,” a statewide student reading competition in Alaska. The novel as had success in both the adult and young adult markets, and was a national bestseller. It was selected by the American Library Association as one of 1991′s Best Books for Young Adults.
Harrison’s second novel, My Sister the Moon, (Doubleday/Avon 1992) has also received recognition by reading and school groups throughout the United States and was a Baker and Taylor top ten in library sales. Both Mother Earth Father Sky and My Sister the Moon were Main Selections of the Literary Guild Book Club and alternate selections of the Doubleday Book Club. Brother Wind, Harrison’s third novel was released in hardcover by William Morrow, October 1994, and in 1995 as an Avon paperback. The novel was chosen as an alternate selection by both the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Song of the River and Cry of the Wind were both published by Avon Hardcover/Avon paperback, a division of Hearst Books. The third book of The Storyteller Trilogy, Call down the stars was published by Morrow/Avon in 2001 and 2002. It was featured alternate of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs.
Harrison’s books have also been published in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Japan, France, Finland, and South America.
Harrison is represented by Victoria Skurnick of the Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.
Sue Harrison was born in Lansing, Michigan. The first of five children, she was raised in the town of Pickford in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where she lives with her husband, a retired high school principal. They are blessed with a daughter and a son, a daughter-in-law and two grandchildren.
A graduate of Pickford High School, Harrison graduated summa cum laude from Lake Superior State University with a B.A. in English Language and Literature. She was named Lake Superior State University’s Distinguished Alumna in 1992, and served eight years on the university’s Board of Regents.
Harrison’s first novel, Mother Earth Father Sky, was published in 1990 by Doubleday (hardcover) and Avon (paperback). It was nominated in the states of Michigan and Washington for the Reader’s Choice Award among high school students, and was one of ten books chosen for “Battle of the Books,” a statewide student reading competition in Alaska. The novel as had success in both the adult and young adult markets, and was a national bestseller. It was selected by the American Library Association as one of 1991′s Best Books for Young Adults.
Harrison’s second novel, My Sister the Moon, (Doubleday/Avon 1992) has also received recognition by reading and school groups throughout the United States and was a Baker and Taylor top ten in library sales. Both Mother Earth Father Sky and My Sister the Moon were Main Selections of the Literary Guild Book Club and alternate selections of the Doubleday Book Club. Brother Wind, Harrison’s third novel was released in hardcover by William Morrow, October 1994, and in 1995 as an Avon paperback. The novel was chosen as an alternate selection by both the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs. Song of the River and Cry of the Wind were both published by Avon Hardcover/Avon paperback, a division of Hearst Books. The third book of The Storyteller Trilogy, Call down the stars was published by Morrow/Avon in 2001 and 2002. It was featured alternate of the Literary Guild and Doubleday Book Clubs.
Harrison’s books have also been published in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Spain, Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Austria, Portugal, Japan, France, Finland, and South America.
Harrison is represented by Victoria Skurnick of the Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
September 15, 2025
“A man is what he himself does, what he thinks, what he learns, his own skills.”
― Sue Harrison, My Sister the Moon
3.5 stars.
I adore books on Indian History and culture. This one is part of a series but I read it as a stand alone.
To be honest..I wasn't crazy about it. I was deeply touched and thought the writing was terrific. But it was a bit different then I'd thought it would be although that is on me for not reading the first book in the series.
My Sister the Moon is told during Prehistoric times and my main positive is reading about how people lived then. And the main character, .Kiin is a sassy and strong female and I both deeply liked and respected her and was interested in her story.
But the book is just so painful at times. Her story is not a happy one. In fact, this is one of those books where the bad things just keep piling on. It does not let up through the whole book. Kiin is treated terribly by many of the men in her life, especially and including family members. What I did not like was all the violence..so much of it..through the story. Kiin must do a great deal of outwitting of her enemies.
I read much Historical Fiction and in many of the books I read there is tragedy. And darkness. In this book...and this is not really a spoiler as it happens early on..Kiin is kidnapped and horribly assaulted by a family member. I should say this aspects of this book could be a trigger. Misogyny, abuse..it is alot.
I cannot say I was not deeply touched by the story. Still it was a tough one to read as bad thing after bad thing happens. I did love Kiin though. Her strength and resilience was inspiring and I wanted to see where her story would go.
SPOILERS:
The book ended on a sort of abstract note I did not love but I think there are more books to follow. Honestly, I doubt I will go on in the series. While I did not dislike My Sister the Moon, it is not a book I fell in love with although I liked getting to know this strong and clever woman.
Recommended to Historical Fiction lovers.
― Sue Harrison, My Sister the Moon
3.5 stars.
I adore books on Indian History and culture. This one is part of a series but I read it as a stand alone.
To be honest..I wasn't crazy about it. I was deeply touched and thought the writing was terrific. But it was a bit different then I'd thought it would be although that is on me for not reading the first book in the series.
My Sister the Moon is told during Prehistoric times and my main positive is reading about how people lived then. And the main character, .Kiin is a sassy and strong female and I both deeply liked and respected her and was interested in her story.
But the book is just so painful at times. Her story is not a happy one. In fact, this is one of those books where the bad things just keep piling on. It does not let up through the whole book. Kiin is treated terribly by many of the men in her life, especially and including family members. What I did not like was all the violence..so much of it..through the story. Kiin must do a great deal of outwitting of her enemies.
I read much Historical Fiction and in many of the books I read there is tragedy. And darkness. In this book...and this is not really a spoiler as it happens early on..Kiin is kidnapped and horribly assaulted by a family member. I should say this aspects of this book could be a trigger. Misogyny, abuse..it is alot.
I cannot say I was not deeply touched by the story. Still it was a tough one to read as bad thing after bad thing happens. I did love Kiin though. Her strength and resilience was inspiring and I wanted to see where her story would go.
SPOILERS:
The book ended on a sort of abstract note I did not love but I think there are more books to follow. Honestly, I doubt I will go on in the series. While I did not dislike My Sister the Moon, it is not a book I fell in love with although I liked getting to know this strong and clever woman.
Recommended to Historical Fiction lovers.
October 6, 2012
Let me start by saying that Native American prehistory is not one of my interests. The Ivory Carver Trilogy, by Sue Harrison, is set in pre-historic Alaska, in the Aleutian Islands. They are proof positive that a good story trumps a reader’s preference for setting. After reading Mother Earth, Father Sky, the first book of the series ( read my review ) there was no question that I had to move on to My Sister the Moon.
The novel centers on sixteen-year old Kiin, who begins life without a name because she was born without a soul, and thus undeserving of a name. Her life is a litany of domestic abuse: her father Gray Bird beats her for any actual or imagined shortcoming, and when traders come to the village, Gray Bird always tries to sell them a night with his daughter. Her younger brother Qakan is equally rough on her. Her mother, frightened into submission, can’t protect her.
Kiin’s life changes when she is made wife to Amgigh, son of Kayugh the village chief, who made a promise to Gray Bird when Kiin was a baby, that Kiin would be wife to one of his sons. It was a promise made to prevent Gray Bird from killing this unwanted daughter.
Kayugh’s household is happy and full of kindness. Kiin’s young husband is good to her. She tells herself she is lucky to have a husband at all, but she can’t help but wish for a different husband. Kiin is in love with Amgigh’s brother Samiq, and he with her. But Samiq’s destiny also has been decided: he is to move to the village where his maternal grandfather lives and learn how to become a Whale Hunter.
Yet even as a member of the chief’s family, Kiin is not safe. Hoping to become a trader, her brother Qakan steals furs and tools from the village to begin his career. Before he paddles away, he kidnaps Kiin – if he can take her far enough, he might be able to trade her to a man who doesn't know her reputation -- that Kiin has no soul.
At the start of the book, Kiin is archetype of an abused woman, a victim of domestic violence. She accepts that she deserves only ill-treatment. But her inner voice grows stronger as her will to survive asserts itself during the voyage with her brother. When she realizes she is pregnant, it becomes even more imperative for her to live. Yes, there is a love triangle in the novel, but for me the most interesting journey is Kiin’s escape, physically and emotionally, away from domestic violence. Her mental state and low self-esteem give way to a cautious confidence in her carving skills and her worth as a woman. It’s not an easy story to read, but so compelling and immersive you have to keep reading. It’s a highly disturbing yet absorbing journey, aided by well-developed characters and competent prose that puts you right in the Arctic landscape.
Harrison’s voice is straightforward, her sentences simple in structure. This may be for the sake of younger readers (see note below), but I found her prose strong and suited to the story’s setting. Even though Kiin suffers at the hands of cruel men, you never forget the impersonal cruelty of the Arctic, its’ dangerous emptiness, icy waters, and sudden shifts of weather. Harrison’s writing makes you shiver with the cold winds and salt spray, the harshness of the land, the precariousness of life. You feel chilled, your skin too thin.
NOTE: I was surprised to find reviews which categorized the series as Young Adult books, especially My Sister the Moon. In the Author’s Notes, Harrison says she borrowed the incest storyline from an Aleut sea otter legend.
What I Learned About Writing from Reading This Book
When I read fiction, I always hope for an experience that pulls me in to the book. The more unfamiliar the setting, the more readers need to learn about the culture, everyday objects, and events. One of the perennial challenges of historical fiction is how to draw readers into an unfamiliar time and place without thrusting information into their faces. We need to understand what’s appropriate to the time and place, otherwise we won’t appreciate the story’s conflicts – but we don’t want to get yanked out of the story to learn. There’s nothing more annoying than when a story veers off into a lecture about objects, clothing, or traditions and beliefs.
How can a writer convey how ancient tools worked or how a particular society was structured without turning paragraphs into social studies lessons?
Harrison never hands us a heavy, awkward chunk of information. Instead, she adds in the details of her world here and there, woven into her characters’ actions and dialogue so that when we read descriptions, they are natural and in context. We see things through the eyes of her characters as they think and talk. She trusts her readers’ intelligence to know that when a hunter goes paddling out to sea in an ikyak, he is in a boat; we don’t need an immediate detailed description about how it’s made from skins stretched over a wooden frame. That can come later.
Let’s look at clothing, a detail so essential to the mind’s eye of a reader.
(The worst example I ever came across was a novel where each character walked into a scene accompanied by a long paragraph describing his/her appearance. Every time. Every costume change.
This isn't it, but it’s pretty close: “Lulu was five-foot eight, with black hair in a blunt bob down to her shoulders. She had pale skin, a Grecian nose and wide-set blue eyes. Her pouty lips were outlined in crimson and filled in with Chanel Power Red gloss. She wore black leather pants , a white silk blouse, black leather gloves and a black leather motorcycle jacket which fit tightly to her slim yet curvaceous figure. She stood on high heeled black boots with silver spurs that made her long legs look even more enticing. A bracelet of heavy, solid platinum …” You get the idea. I didn't read the past the first chapter.)
In the world of My Sister the Moon, there is no wool, cloth has yet to be invented, and it’s a climate for which clothing is not optional. People used furs and skins to fashion garments and boots. As readers, our frame of reference barely exists for this. Yet it’s essential for the novel to give us an appreciation of the ingenuity of this prehistoric culture; it gives us more respect for them, elevates them in our mind from primitive tribal folk to characters we can care about.
I found Harrison’s descriptions of clothing endlessly fascinating as she explained these early people's resourceful use of materials.
For example, a suk is a calf-length hoodless parka with a collar, reversible so that it could be worn with the feathers or fur on the inside for warmth. Our first detailed description of such a garment comes fairly early in the book, when Chagak gifts one to her daughter-in-law Kiin. It’s the most beautiful thing Kiin has ever owned – so it’s natural for her to admire and enumerate its features: “banded at the bottom with a ruff of white cormorant rump feathers hung with shell beads. The sleeves were cuffed with tufts of brown eider feathers and on the outside of the collar rim Chagak had sewn a strip of pale ribbon-seal fur, trimmed into a pattern of ripples, a blessing asked from the sea.”
Kiin tries it on, and it fits perfectly, “the sleeves ended just above her fingertips and the bottom edge fell below her knees.”
There is nothing contrived when a suk is introduced in this way. And now we know what one looks like.
Or, there is the chigadix, a waterproof garment sewn from whale tongue skin or sea lion esophagus. But how are the seams made waterproof? Harrison explains this in a scene where Samiq oils his garment with seal fat to keep water out of the seams. While he cares for his clothing, he muses how men can repair a chigadix but not make it watertight the way his mother and Kiin can. His mind wanders to a memory of Kiin working on a chigadix: “a double seam, sewn one way, then turned and sewn back another.”
Informative. Natural. Unobtrusive to the story.
When I write about objects, clothing, or traditions and beliefs, I’ll try to blend the descriptions into dialog, thoughts, or the action rather than write about them as standalone descriptions. No social studies lessons.
Sue was gracious enough to let me interview her (read here)
The novel centers on sixteen-year old Kiin, who begins life without a name because she was born without a soul, and thus undeserving of a name. Her life is a litany of domestic abuse: her father Gray Bird beats her for any actual or imagined shortcoming, and when traders come to the village, Gray Bird always tries to sell them a night with his daughter. Her younger brother Qakan is equally rough on her. Her mother, frightened into submission, can’t protect her.
Kiin’s life changes when she is made wife to Amgigh, son of Kayugh the village chief, who made a promise to Gray Bird when Kiin was a baby, that Kiin would be wife to one of his sons. It was a promise made to prevent Gray Bird from killing this unwanted daughter.
Kayugh’s household is happy and full of kindness. Kiin’s young husband is good to her. She tells herself she is lucky to have a husband at all, but she can’t help but wish for a different husband. Kiin is in love with Amgigh’s brother Samiq, and he with her. But Samiq’s destiny also has been decided: he is to move to the village where his maternal grandfather lives and learn how to become a Whale Hunter.
Yet even as a member of the chief’s family, Kiin is not safe. Hoping to become a trader, her brother Qakan steals furs and tools from the village to begin his career. Before he paddles away, he kidnaps Kiin – if he can take her far enough, he might be able to trade her to a man who doesn't know her reputation -- that Kiin has no soul.
At the start of the book, Kiin is archetype of an abused woman, a victim of domestic violence. She accepts that she deserves only ill-treatment. But her inner voice grows stronger as her will to survive asserts itself during the voyage with her brother. When she realizes she is pregnant, it becomes even more imperative for her to live. Yes, there is a love triangle in the novel, but for me the most interesting journey is Kiin’s escape, physically and emotionally, away from domestic violence. Her mental state and low self-esteem give way to a cautious confidence in her carving skills and her worth as a woman. It’s not an easy story to read, but so compelling and immersive you have to keep reading. It’s a highly disturbing yet absorbing journey, aided by well-developed characters and competent prose that puts you right in the Arctic landscape.
Harrison’s voice is straightforward, her sentences simple in structure. This may be for the sake of younger readers (see note below), but I found her prose strong and suited to the story’s setting. Even though Kiin suffers at the hands of cruel men, you never forget the impersonal cruelty of the Arctic, its’ dangerous emptiness, icy waters, and sudden shifts of weather. Harrison’s writing makes you shiver with the cold winds and salt spray, the harshness of the land, the precariousness of life. You feel chilled, your skin too thin.
NOTE: I was surprised to find reviews which categorized the series as Young Adult books, especially My Sister the Moon. In the Author’s Notes, Harrison says she borrowed the incest storyline from an Aleut sea otter legend.
What I Learned About Writing from Reading This Book
When I read fiction, I always hope for an experience that pulls me in to the book. The more unfamiliar the setting, the more readers need to learn about the culture, everyday objects, and events. One of the perennial challenges of historical fiction is how to draw readers into an unfamiliar time and place without thrusting information into their faces. We need to understand what’s appropriate to the time and place, otherwise we won’t appreciate the story’s conflicts – but we don’t want to get yanked out of the story to learn. There’s nothing more annoying than when a story veers off into a lecture about objects, clothing, or traditions and beliefs.
How can a writer convey how ancient tools worked or how a particular society was structured without turning paragraphs into social studies lessons?
Harrison never hands us a heavy, awkward chunk of information. Instead, she adds in the details of her world here and there, woven into her characters’ actions and dialogue so that when we read descriptions, they are natural and in context. We see things through the eyes of her characters as they think and talk. She trusts her readers’ intelligence to know that when a hunter goes paddling out to sea in an ikyak, he is in a boat; we don’t need an immediate detailed description about how it’s made from skins stretched over a wooden frame. That can come later.
Let’s look at clothing, a detail so essential to the mind’s eye of a reader.
(The worst example I ever came across was a novel where each character walked into a scene accompanied by a long paragraph describing his/her appearance. Every time. Every costume change.
This isn't it, but it’s pretty close: “Lulu was five-foot eight, with black hair in a blunt bob down to her shoulders. She had pale skin, a Grecian nose and wide-set blue eyes. Her pouty lips were outlined in crimson and filled in with Chanel Power Red gloss. She wore black leather pants , a white silk blouse, black leather gloves and a black leather motorcycle jacket which fit tightly to her slim yet curvaceous figure. She stood on high heeled black boots with silver spurs that made her long legs look even more enticing. A bracelet of heavy, solid platinum …” You get the idea. I didn't read the past the first chapter.)
In the world of My Sister the Moon, there is no wool, cloth has yet to be invented, and it’s a climate for which clothing is not optional. People used furs and skins to fashion garments and boots. As readers, our frame of reference barely exists for this. Yet it’s essential for the novel to give us an appreciation of the ingenuity of this prehistoric culture; it gives us more respect for them, elevates them in our mind from primitive tribal folk to characters we can care about.
I found Harrison’s descriptions of clothing endlessly fascinating as she explained these early people's resourceful use of materials.
For example, a suk is a calf-length hoodless parka with a collar, reversible so that it could be worn with the feathers or fur on the inside for warmth. Our first detailed description of such a garment comes fairly early in the book, when Chagak gifts one to her daughter-in-law Kiin. It’s the most beautiful thing Kiin has ever owned – so it’s natural for her to admire and enumerate its features: “banded at the bottom with a ruff of white cormorant rump feathers hung with shell beads. The sleeves were cuffed with tufts of brown eider feathers and on the outside of the collar rim Chagak had sewn a strip of pale ribbon-seal fur, trimmed into a pattern of ripples, a blessing asked from the sea.”
Kiin tries it on, and it fits perfectly, “the sleeves ended just above her fingertips and the bottom edge fell below her knees.”
There is nothing contrived when a suk is introduced in this way. And now we know what one looks like.
Or, there is the chigadix, a waterproof garment sewn from whale tongue skin or sea lion esophagus. But how are the seams made waterproof? Harrison explains this in a scene where Samiq oils his garment with seal fat to keep water out of the seams. While he cares for his clothing, he muses how men can repair a chigadix but not make it watertight the way his mother and Kiin can. His mind wanders to a memory of Kiin working on a chigadix: “a double seam, sewn one way, then turned and sewn back another.”
Informative. Natural. Unobtrusive to the story.
When I write about objects, clothing, or traditions and beliefs, I’ll try to blend the descriptions into dialog, thoughts, or the action rather than write about them as standalone descriptions. No social studies lessons.
Sue was gracious enough to let me interview her (read here)
November 30, 2009
My favorite in the series with MOTHER EARTH, FATHER SKY and MY SISTER THE MOON...
I bought it at a thrift store... it was way better than I thougth it would be...
I bought it at a thrift store... it was way better than I thougth it would be...
March 6, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The second book in the Ivory Carver Trilogy was even better than the first and I loved the first one! The story line starts about 18 years after the first book ends in the prehistoric times of 7000 BC in the Aleutian Islands along Alaska’s southern coast. While Chagak is the heroine in the first novel, this second book is essentially Kiin’s story. She is the daughter of Gray Bird. Her father and her brother both hate her, primarily because she was the first born. She should have been killed at birth because she was not a boy. However, she was allowed to live, and her trials, journeys and joys comprise the bulk of this second volume. I am really excited to get started on to the last piece of this exceptional trilogy.
The second book in the Ivory Carver Trilogy was even better than the first and I loved the first one! The story line starts about 18 years after the first book ends in the prehistoric times of 7000 BC in the Aleutian Islands along Alaska’s southern coast. While Chagak is the heroine in the first novel, this second book is essentially Kiin’s story. She is the daughter of Gray Bird. Her father and her brother both hate her, primarily because she was the first born. She should have been killed at birth because she was not a boy. However, she was allowed to live, and her trials, journeys and joys comprise the bulk of this second volume. I am really excited to get started on to the last piece of this exceptional trilogy.
October 7, 2020
Trilogian avausosaa heikompi teos. Edelleen maailmankuva on tehty huolella, ja juonikin on jännittävä, mutta samalla juoni on myös epämiellyttävä. Tuntuu siltä kuin junaonnettomuutta katsoisi, kun nuorta päähenkilönaista pahoinpidellään, raiskataan ja myydään mieheltä miehelle. Okei, hän löytää kyllä voimansa tarinan aikana, mutta tuntuu, että tarinassa on vain ihan muutama miellyttävä ihminen - pääosa ihmisistä on joko uhreja tai järkyttäviä kusipäitä.
Tai sitten henkilöt esitetään rumina ja rasittavina, mikä on myös ikävää: se, että naisella on rikkonaiset hampaat ja hän puhuu paljon, tekee hänestä ilmeisesti myös epämiellyttävän ihmisen. Ja pahat ihmiset ovat sitten todella pahoja ja itsekkäitä, joka tilanteessa. Henkilöitä on vain kolmenlaisia: hyviä, pahoja ja sivuhenkilöitä, jotka ovat jotenkin päähenkilöiden intressien tiellä.
Lisäksi kirja päättyy cliffhangeriin, eli seurattuaan tätä loputonta väkivaltaista odysseiaa joutuu lopulta toteamaan, että okei, päähenkilö on löytänyt voimansa, mutta siitä ei ole ollut hänelle itselleen mitään iloa ja hyötyä. Hän jatkaa uhrautumistaan.
Huoh. Hyvin se on silti kirjoitettu, mutta lukijana jää kuitenkin kaipaamaan edes jonkinlaista katharsista, edes pientä onnentynkää päähenkilölle kaiken mahdollisen väkivallan ja surkeuden vastapainoksi.
Tai sitten henkilöt esitetään rumina ja rasittavina, mikä on myös ikävää: se, että naisella on rikkonaiset hampaat ja hän puhuu paljon, tekee hänestä ilmeisesti myös epämiellyttävän ihmisen. Ja pahat ihmiset ovat sitten todella pahoja ja itsekkäitä, joka tilanteessa. Henkilöitä on vain kolmenlaisia: hyviä, pahoja ja sivuhenkilöitä, jotka ovat jotenkin päähenkilöiden intressien tiellä.
Lisäksi kirja päättyy cliffhangeriin, eli seurattuaan tätä loputonta väkivaltaista odysseiaa joutuu lopulta toteamaan, että okei, päähenkilö on löytänyt voimansa, mutta siitä ei ole ollut hänelle itselleen mitään iloa ja hyötyä. Hän jatkaa uhrautumistaan.
Huoh. Hyvin se on silti kirjoitettu, mutta lukijana jää kuitenkin kaipaamaan edes jonkinlaista katharsista, edes pientä onnentynkää päähenkilölle kaiken mahdollisen väkivallan ja surkeuden vastapainoksi.
June 3, 2021
(review in English below)
Tenho pena de não ter tido tempo para escrever algo consistente sobre todos os livros desta trilogia.
Apesar de se tornar algo repetitiva nalguns aspectos (sobretudo nas referências às construções, ferramentas, utensílios, alimentação, etc.), a história nunca perde o ritmo, havendo sempre algo a acontecer que nos prende a atenção e nos mantém preocupad@s com o destino dos personagens.
Embora possa tornar-se um pouco cansativo, recomendo ler os 3 livros de seguida, pois são muitas personagens, de várias tribos diferentes, que estabelecem relações e se movimentam entre as diferentes povoações, tornando o acompanhamento da acção por vezes desafiante.
Gostei mais dos dois primeiros volumes, provavelmente por se centrarem mais em personagens femininas e nos seus problemas e preocupações, mas também na sua força e resiliência.
Recomendo esta trilogia especialmente a quem se interesse por ficção pré-histórica, pois parece estar baseado numa pesquisa extensa e rigorosa do modo de viver dos povos do Alasca nesta época (cerca de 7000 anos a.C).
I regret not having had the time to write something consistent about all books in this trilogy.
While somewhat repetitive regarding some aspects (mostly when talking about the constructions, tools, food, etc.), the story keeps the pace; there's always something happening that draws you in and keeps you wondering about the characters' fate.
Although it may become a bit tiresome, I would recommend reading all 3 books in a row, because there's a lot of characters from several tribes, establishing relationships and moving from one settlement to another, which makes it sometimes difficult to keep up with what's going on.
I enjoyed the first two books more, probably due to the fact that they focus more on female characters, their problems and worries, but also their strength and resilience.
I recommend this trilogy especially to those who are interested in pre-historical fiction, as it seems to be based in extensive and thorough research on the way of living of Alaskan people at this time (around 7000 BC).
Tenho pena de não ter tido tempo para escrever algo consistente sobre todos os livros desta trilogia.
Apesar de se tornar algo repetitiva nalguns aspectos (sobretudo nas referências às construções, ferramentas, utensílios, alimentação, etc.), a história nunca perde o ritmo, havendo sempre algo a acontecer que nos prende a atenção e nos mantém preocupad@s com o destino dos personagens.
Embora possa tornar-se um pouco cansativo, recomendo ler os 3 livros de seguida, pois são muitas personagens, de várias tribos diferentes, que estabelecem relações e se movimentam entre as diferentes povoações, tornando o acompanhamento da acção por vezes desafiante.
Gostei mais dos dois primeiros volumes, provavelmente por se centrarem mais em personagens femininas e nos seus problemas e preocupações, mas também na sua força e resiliência.
Recomendo esta trilogia especialmente a quem se interesse por ficção pré-histórica, pois parece estar baseado numa pesquisa extensa e rigorosa do modo de viver dos povos do Alasca nesta época (cerca de 7000 anos a.C).
I regret not having had the time to write something consistent about all books in this trilogy.
While somewhat repetitive regarding some aspects (mostly when talking about the constructions, tools, food, etc.), the story keeps the pace; there's always something happening that draws you in and keeps you wondering about the characters' fate.
Although it may become a bit tiresome, I would recommend reading all 3 books in a row, because there's a lot of characters from several tribes, establishing relationships and moving from one settlement to another, which makes it sometimes difficult to keep up with what's going on.
I enjoyed the first two books more, probably due to the fact that they focus more on female characters, their problems and worries, but also their strength and resilience.
I recommend this trilogy especially to those who are interested in pre-historical fiction, as it seems to be based in extensive and thorough research on the way of living of Alaskan people at this time (around 7000 BC).
April 24, 2021
Got better as it went along.
October 23, 2017
a novel of (very) long ago
Mistakenly thinking that this was the first of a trilogy, I launched on my voyage through MY SISTER THE MOON only to learn part way through that it was actually the second volume. Never mind. I'm sure that it can stand alone. Unlike the first, it has a lot of local vocabulary which gives it a more authentic feel. There's a word list at the beginning. We read a long, detailed story of stone age people who lived 9,000 years ago. We call these people "Aleuts" today, but that is a name given them by Russians in the 18th century; they call themselves Unangan and they still exist on the Aleutian Islands, if in much reduced numbers. OK, Sue Harrison is not Toni Morrison or V.S. Naipaul, she is unlikely to win a Nobel Prize, but this book is nevertheless impressive especially for the amount of research and thought that went into it. It's a tale of seals, whale hunting, ivory carving, sea otters, obsidian knives, kayaks and boats, unusual houses and customs, taking place on the treeless, rain-drenched islands below some active volcanoes. Half-brothers love the same girl, who grows up abused by her father. Her brother, a bad apple from the start, kidnaps her and trades her as a slave to (possibly) Inuit ancestors on the mainland. There are many twists and turns of the tale, but what I liked was the style in which it is presented, most difficult to accomplish because who really knows the motivations and behavior of people that remote from us? One thing for sure---they didn't resemble middle class Americans too much. Harrison successfully avoids a Flintstone tinge and her tale is entirely believable. The dialogues sound plausible, the moods not modern. If you're looking for a readable tale with a very well-researched background, this is it.
Mistakenly thinking that this was the first of a trilogy, I launched on my voyage through MY SISTER THE MOON only to learn part way through that it was actually the second volume. Never mind. I'm sure that it can stand alone. Unlike the first, it has a lot of local vocabulary which gives it a more authentic feel. There's a word list at the beginning. We read a long, detailed story of stone age people who lived 9,000 years ago. We call these people "Aleuts" today, but that is a name given them by Russians in the 18th century; they call themselves Unangan and they still exist on the Aleutian Islands, if in much reduced numbers. OK, Sue Harrison is not Toni Morrison or V.S. Naipaul, she is unlikely to win a Nobel Prize, but this book is nevertheless impressive especially for the amount of research and thought that went into it. It's a tale of seals, whale hunting, ivory carving, sea otters, obsidian knives, kayaks and boats, unusual houses and customs, taking place on the treeless, rain-drenched islands below some active volcanoes. Half-brothers love the same girl, who grows up abused by her father. Her brother, a bad apple from the start, kidnaps her and trades her as a slave to (possibly) Inuit ancestors on the mainland. There are many twists and turns of the tale, but what I liked was the style in which it is presented, most difficult to accomplish because who really knows the motivations and behavior of people that remote from us? One thing for sure---they didn't resemble middle class Americans too much. Harrison successfully avoids a Flintstone tinge and her tale is entirely believable. The dialogues sound plausible, the moods not modern. If you're looking for a readable tale with a very well-researched background, this is it.
May 19, 2012
If I had to name a favorite book, I would name My Sister the Moon. My Sister the Moon is the second installment in a trilogy beginning with Mother Earth, Father Sky, and ending with Brother Wind. I first read it, my eyes glued to every page when I was 17 years old, sometimes in the early 90s. I eventually read the book again with adult eyes a couple of years ago and loved it even more.
My Sister the Moon is an adventurous story filled with heartbreak, adventure and triumph. It tells the story of a girl with no name, born to a ruthless father who hates her for stealing the "first born" right from his only son, who believes he's weak and fat because his sister's greedy soul pushed ahead of him and was born first. Her father punishes her by refusing to name her, which according to tribal beliefs, a person without a name does not have a soul.
She is in love with the son of the tribe's chief, Samiq, but destined to marry his brother Amigagh (sp?). Her life takes a hairy turn when an evil plot steals her away from the village she loves, and a pair of psychic twins spin an unworldly prophecy about her fate, leading to an epic adventure and a fight for the man she loves, and the man she has been chosen to marry.
My Sister the Moon is an adventurous story filled with heartbreak, adventure and triumph. It tells the story of a girl with no name, born to a ruthless father who hates her for stealing the "first born" right from his only son, who believes he's weak and fat because his sister's greedy soul pushed ahead of him and was born first. Her father punishes her by refusing to name her, which according to tribal beliefs, a person without a name does not have a soul.
She is in love with the son of the tribe's chief, Samiq, but destined to marry his brother Amigagh (sp?). Her life takes a hairy turn when an evil plot steals her away from the village she loves, and a pair of psychic twins spin an unworldly prophecy about her fate, leading to an epic adventure and a fight for the man she loves, and the man she has been chosen to marry.
July 16, 2014
I enjoyed this book. It was well written and the character were well developed. I like historical fiction and this painted an exciting picture of what life would have like along the Aleutian Islands. I've been to a number of museums in the Northwest and this story helped to bring life to what I saw.
I suggest this book strongly to anyone that enjoys this type of novel.
I suggest this book strongly to anyone that enjoys this type of novel.
August 2, 2021
I'm sorry, I was a huge fan and had a lot of hope when I red the first book, it had a compelling story, good structure, good character development, focus, build up, it was really the perfect novel. I had a lot of hope when I got the second book it would be more of the same, but it isn't. I'm halfway thru, don't think I'll finish it. More in detail:
The topic of the first book was struggle, growth and salvation of a little girl.
The topic of the second book is....depression, and not just every single character, but you the reader also. It's like reading Blood Meridian but in prehistoric Alaska. Violence galore, abuse, rape, torture, kidnapping, mass deaths, gore (SEVERE GORE, like bone crushing gore), and unlike the first novel this one just goes on and on page after page without a break. It's exhausting to read, depressing, kind of revolting. But that's only what made me stop reading it halfway thru and not what I believe the actual demise of this novel is - having more characters, plot lines, points of view crammed in a single chapter than a reader can read thru with complete focus in his life time. Every character has a point of view part crammed in the middle of a chapter, every single one, and there's maybe 20 of them, some of them die halfway, some stop appearing as point of views halfway thru the book for no reason. The plot lines don't connect, everyone has their own ambition that doesn't revolve around the story, at some point you realize you're reading 10 different books at the same time. What is the main plot? No idea. Who is the main character? Not a clue. See those things were all clear in the first book and that's what made it one of my all time top 10's. Not this one. This book has the setting of the first book, but not its atmosphere, the characters without the plot, the action without a story and for some reason everyone you read about has turned evil. Even Chagak has her moments in the first few chapters. There is not a single good character in this book you can sympathize with and understand their struggle. They are all selfish, arrogant and overemotional.
I would've given the first book a 6 star rating if I could, not this one. It's readable, I love Sue's amazing fluid prose, but prose isn't enough to save it I'm afraid, only one star extra for that. I might return to finish it for completions sake, but I'm hugely disappointed and hope the third isn't such a series killer.
The topic of the first book was struggle, growth and salvation of a little girl.
The topic of the second book is....depression, and not just every single character, but you the reader also. It's like reading Blood Meridian but in prehistoric Alaska. Violence galore, abuse, rape, torture, kidnapping, mass deaths, gore (SEVERE GORE, like bone crushing gore), and unlike the first novel this one just goes on and on page after page without a break. It's exhausting to read, depressing, kind of revolting. But that's only what made me stop reading it halfway thru and not what I believe the actual demise of this novel is - having more characters, plot lines, points of view crammed in a single chapter than a reader can read thru with complete focus in his life time. Every character has a point of view part crammed in the middle of a chapter, every single one, and there's maybe 20 of them, some of them die halfway, some stop appearing as point of views halfway thru the book for no reason. The plot lines don't connect, everyone has their own ambition that doesn't revolve around the story, at some point you realize you're reading 10 different books at the same time. What is the main plot? No idea. Who is the main character? Not a clue. See those things were all clear in the first book and that's what made it one of my all time top 10's. Not this one. This book has the setting of the first book, but not its atmosphere, the characters without the plot, the action without a story and for some reason everyone you read about has turned evil. Even Chagak has her moments in the first few chapters. There is not a single good character in this book you can sympathize with and understand their struggle. They are all selfish, arrogant and overemotional.
I would've given the first book a 6 star rating if I could, not this one. It's readable, I love Sue's amazing fluid prose, but prose isn't enough to save it I'm afraid, only one star extra for that. I might return to finish it for completions sake, but I'm hugely disappointed and hope the third isn't such a series killer.
November 16, 2018
La verdad es que este libro me ha gustado, aunque no ha sido nada del otro mundo. Hacía tiempo que me apetecía leer una novela ambientada en la Prehistoria, y esta se asienta en Alaska, con lo cual se sale un poco de los cánones de lo que estoy acostumbrada a leer.
Me ha gustado bastante cómo se desarrolla la trama, aunque echo en falta un poco más de desarrollo de personajes y más detalle a la hora de describir las costumbres y los utensilios de la época.
En definitiva, es un libro entretenido, que se lee rápido y que puede resultar interesante para aquellos que disfruten con narraciones ambientadas en esta época.
Me ha gustado bastante cómo se desarrolla la trama, aunque echo en falta un poco más de desarrollo de personajes y más detalle a la hora de describir las costumbres y los utensilios de la época.
En definitiva, es un libro entretenido, que se lee rápido y que puede resultar interesante para aquellos que disfruten con narraciones ambientadas en esta época.
May 13, 2025
I loved the first book so much but this was a difficult read. I was very interested in Kiin’s story but this book had never ending violence and abuse and majority of it was directed at her. This series is violent, showing the realities of life in prehistoric times, but this book just made me so sad for Kiin. The ending was a shock and upsetting. I love the writing, it’s beautiful, the research is so well done. I’m learning so much about the cultural practices. Plot-wise, it had its moments, but overall, it was tough. 2.5 stars. I still want to continue the series though.
April 16, 2025
Best book ever!!! I really learned so much from this book about native culture and I will be reading more by this author soon!
July 24, 2020
There wasn't a lot of character development, and too many descriptions of hunting techniques and skinning/gutting animals. Nobody appealed enough to me to even like, yet alone care, about someone. Real depravity and some ugly, evil characters in it. The book did not focus on Kiin as jacket flap suggests.
And unlike in the Earth's Children series, not much happens, as in fighting off animal attacks and predators while bonding with other animals, as Ayla did. I liked the first book in this trilogy much better, it was shorter but had more substance to it. This was over 400 pages but could have been 200 or so.
The writing style is not very sophisticated. Like short sentences but a lot of these were too short, too simple, like a 12 year old wrote it. It did not draw me in and definitely no page turner. I liked the escaping modern life but relieved when I got through it. Glossary was helpful on certain words but not all. On some, the word is used in a different context than the definition indicates. Aka (I think that's the word) is "straight out there" but in the book it refers to a mountain that erupts into a volcano.
I enjoyed the colorful names like Gray Bird, Blue Shell, and Three Fish. I like how Native Americans seem to have names referencing animals and nature.
The family tree was helpful but there were a lot of people to keep up with. All that being said, I'm not that eager to read the final book in this trilogy. I was pretty disappointed that it didn't live up to the Earth's Children books as I was eager to read something similar. So it was just okay.....2 stars.
And unlike in the Earth's Children series, not much happens, as in fighting off animal attacks and predators while bonding with other animals, as Ayla did. I liked the first book in this trilogy much better, it was shorter but had more substance to it. This was over 400 pages but could have been 200 or so.
The writing style is not very sophisticated. Like short sentences but a lot of these were too short, too simple, like a 12 year old wrote it. It did not draw me in and definitely no page turner. I liked the escaping modern life but relieved when I got through it. Glossary was helpful on certain words but not all. On some, the word is used in a different context than the definition indicates. Aka (I think that's the word) is "straight out there" but in the book it refers to a mountain that erupts into a volcano.
I enjoyed the colorful names like Gray Bird, Blue Shell, and Three Fish. I like how Native Americans seem to have names referencing animals and nature.
The family tree was helpful but there were a lot of people to keep up with. All that being said, I'm not that eager to read the final book in this trilogy. I was pretty disappointed that it didn't live up to the Earth's Children books as I was eager to read something similar. So it was just okay.....2 stars.
July 29, 2021
This is the second book in the Ivory Carver series, a saga based in prehistoric Alaska. In this story the second generation is featured, the children of the main characters in the first book, and focuses mainly on Kiin (pronounced keen) who is an unwanted daughter. She is strong in spirit, brave in character, and sharp in mind - and has to be in order to survive the abuse and hatred of her father and brother. It is not her fault that she was the firstborn, but beliefs and superstitions make her life extremely hard.
This is a difficult story to read at times, but it is so well researched and written that it is a totally believable historical fiction. The characters were invented, but the history surrounding them was not.
I am eager to read book three.
I used this book for the 52bookclub challenge, prompt #48 - "a cover with a woman facing away"; and for the Indigo 2021 reading challenge, prompt "a book to help you escape to another world." (in this case it is the prehistoric world)
This is a difficult story to read at times, but it is so well researched and written that it is a totally believable historical fiction. The characters were invented, but the history surrounding them was not.
I am eager to read book three.
I used this book for the 52bookclub challenge, prompt #48 - "a cover with a woman facing away"; and for the Indigo 2021 reading challenge, prompt "a book to help you escape to another world." (in this case it is the prehistoric world)
December 14, 2015
This is the second book in Harrison's Ivory Carver series, and I liked it about as much as I liked the first one, which was quite a lot. This one follows the story of Kiin, the much abused daughter of the evil Gray Bird from the first book. Reviled by her father for not being male yet saved from death by the kindness of Kayugh, husband of Chagak, who promises his son Amgigh as husband for Kiin. Chagak is a secondary character in this book, but I grew to love the character of Kiin, and her triumph over adversity. I will definitely be reading the third book soon.
January 31, 2008
This is the continuation of Mother Earth Father Sky and kinda follows into the story with the main characters children. Also the main character is a woman. They really went through a lot. It makes you appreciate being born here and now when women are of value and don't have to fight for their life.
December 22, 2008
graphic but somehow i just had to know what was going to happen...so i finished it. it's a nice story and a setting uncommon to most books
July 24, 2014
The second book in the "Ivory Carver Trilogy" and holds up quite well.
January 19, 2024
A brutal continuation in this trilogy, this is a coming of age novel surrounding the young years of Kiin, an Aleutian girl from prehistoric times, and her fight for survival in the midst of tragedy, violence, and misogyny. Overall, an empowering book for women of all ages about overcoming injustice and evil. Just like the first novel in the trilogy, this was a very difficult book to read and starts off with abuse from the very first page. The writing is superb and sucks you in to that mystical time before Western civilization existed as we know it. However, there is a lot of sexual violence and the content of the story is very heavy. I wish there had been a trigger warning or generic content disclosure at the beginning so readers could expect the graphic scenes throughout the story. 3.80 stars.
March 14, 2019
I just read My Sister the Moon for the second time in 25 years. I didn't remember the details of the story so I enjoyed the book as if it were a first-time read. The 2nd book in the Ivory Carver Series isn't as quick a read as Mother Earth Father Sky but the story is engaging and the characters are well developed. The landscape of the ancient Alaskan Aleutian Chain is almost a character itself. The reason I can't love this book is because of the extreme heartache and sadness surrounding the main character...wherever she goes, the black cloud follows...and time and again we are forced to trudge through her misery. It gets exhausting and frustrating. And, I hated the ending...so, this book rates 3 stars.
December 12, 2025
Good storytelling. I had all three books in this series in a single ePub (1115 pages) and just completed all three, last night. I will say that it felt like the third book was a bit rushed. Also, it felt like maybe the author... did she have a stroke or something else happen? Just, the grammar took a bit of a dive. Every page or two had a cringy, "Almost, she did a thing..." (vs. "She almost did a thing..."). Is it just me, or is that awkward af? And, tons of spelling errors, missed incorrect words, etc. Maybe she had always written like this, but the editors proof-read better on the first two? -shrug-
Anyway, I dug them enough to seek out another similar pre-history series she talks about writing in her final pages. I hope that really happened.
Anyway, I dug them enough to seek out another similar pre-history series she talks about writing in her final pages. I hope that really happened.
February 1, 2025
Loved loved loved. Which surprised me since this book was just as dark as the first. It was hard to read, with many violent and heart-breaking turns. But for a book to be heart-breaking, it must also be written well, to make the reader care and not just turn the page. These characters were real. Their lives were real. At least it felt that way to me in reading. The world, setting, detail level - all also felt intensely real. Heartbreak and sorrow, the harsh reality of subsistence, with just a touch of the superstitious or mythical. It was worth every minute of the read for me.
November 4, 2016
A well developed story with many nods to the culture and lifestyles of prehistoric people in North America. The story delves into such topics as marital relations, parental relations, tribal relations, religion, the natural world, and conflict resolution.
I can't say I was very happy with the ending of the story or some of the choices made by the characters, but the story is reflective of a different time and customs.
I'll continue onward to the last book in the series.
3.5 Stars
I can't say I was very happy with the ending of the story or some of the choices made by the characters, but the story is reflective of a different time and customs.
I'll continue onward to the last book in the series.
3.5 Stars
October 10, 2020
The Next Generation
Although the original characters are very much part of the story, this book revolves around the next generation. The same excellent work went into detailing the primitive living skills of the far north, this one including variations of different tribes. The story is intriguing, fast paced and has numerous challenges and tragedies. The end leaves no doubt there is a book 3- which I will be reAding immediately.
Although the original characters are very much part of the story, this book revolves around the next generation. The same excellent work went into detailing the primitive living skills of the far north, this one including variations of different tribes. The story is intriguing, fast paced and has numerous challenges and tragedies. The end leaves no doubt there is a book 3- which I will be reAding immediately.
October 9, 2023
Extremely well researched and written. At one point (having read approximately 50% of the book), I started wondering if ANYTHING was going to go well with Kiin, Samiqu or the people of First Men. I was frustrated, but stuck with it. In the end, I was happy (and sad) with this amazing story of survival, resilience and perseverance. The people of the Ivory Carver series have captured my heart. Can’t wait for the next book!
June 12, 2017
If you're thinking about reading this book, it's probably because you enjoyed the first book in this series. You won't be disappointed with this second volume. Again, the attention to detail is meticulous, the characters are interesting and sympathetic.
You may wish the book ended a few chapters earlier than it does, but that's what the third book is for, right?
You may wish the book ended a few chapters earlier than it does, but that's what the third book is for, right?
September 20, 2017
The 2nd in a trilogy, the story concept is similar to clan of the cave bear. Although I read all 3 books and enjoyed some of the Native Alaskan tribal history and legends, I struggled with the contemporary concepts grasped by people of 7000 years ago - such as identifying as aunt by blood relationship.
July 5, 2019
I always enjoy historical fiction and find it to be quite a good read as long as you remember that it is someone's interpretation of the past and should not be taken as 100% true fact. The writing style of this series is quite good and I really felt invested in the characters and their personal stories. I find this series to be a perfect summer beach read.
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