Halfbreed Chronicles

by Wendy Rose

These elegaic and celebratory poems have been praised for their sense of pain mingled with the desire for wholeness, for the beauty of the author's accompanying drawings, and for the compassionate final section which brings together stories of oppression around the world.

Genres: Poetry, Indigenous

71 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Brian]

It is important to have the voice(s) of Native Americans given place of prominence in this country. We have done such a poor job of reconciliation and justice for First Nations peoples. Wendy Rose gives us a beautiful bridge, if we have the courage to walk across it.

[Ray]

👏 a 👏 keeper 👏

[Michael Morris]

All of these are good, but the last section is marvelous and painful to read.

[Michelle Boyer]

Several amazing poems separated into four different parts. I was particularly interested in "Part 4: The Halfbreed Chronicles," which includes several poems dedicated/based upon other individuals from history that struggled with their identities or being treated as humans. One such poem is "Julia," which is based on the life of Julia Pastrana. This part was interesting, and revealed that struggles for humanity exist across the globe, but at times this section (and others) left me struggling to connect poems back to American Indian identity.

Overall, a quick read. Some poems are great. Other poems left me confused or without feeling. Wendy Rose is a wonderful poet, and I would highly recommend her (even if some of these poems didn't do it for me).