Thirty Eight

by Tawa M. Witko

Viviana lived a quiet life in the city, studying and doing everything possible to ensure she was accepted into a good college. She never thought much about who she was or where she came from but all of that will change when her father dies in the line of duty and she is asked to do something she never thought imaginable, participate in the annual Dakota 38 + 2 Ride. It was something that absolutely terrified her but with the encouragement of her uncle and the guidance of her new friends, Dre and Hope, she will discover something within her she never knew existed. She will learn that culture and tradition live within one’s heart and cannot be easily forgotten. Our spirit remembers our ancestors and beckons us to them, even if we are reluctant to go. Thirty Eight is a story of acceptance and love while finding one’s way back home.ALL ROYALTIES EARNED ON THIS TITLE ARE BEING DONATED TO THE ANNUAL DAKOTA 38+2 RIDE

301 pages, Paperback

Published December 24, 2015

About the author

Tawa M Witko is a licensed clinical psychologist and published author of the non-fiction book Mental Health Care for Urban Indians: Clinical Insights from Native Practitioners (APA Books, 2006) which was one of the first books to address the specific needs within the urban Indian population. In addition she is a co-founder of Winyan Press, LLC with author Mindy Marin. Winyan Press is a female centric publishing house geared at helping female writers find their voice.

While she found a calling in Psychology, her passion has always been writing. She is a multi-genre author that focusses on Young Adult Fiction, Adult Romance, Suspense/Thrillers and Native American Fiction. Her first novel, Thirty Eight (Dec 2015), which she co-wrote with her daughter, is a coming of age story utilizing the backdrop of the Dakota 38 + 2 Memorial ride. She also wrote a short story called Shattered Glass which is part of the Thrill of the Hunt Anthology (Dec 2015). She has several stories in the works including 1) A Young Adult series called The Diakrisis Tales. The first in the series, 'An Unexpected Gift' is expected to be released Fall 2016 2) An Adult Romance series called The Helios Chronicles, The first book in the series, 'Helios Awakened' will be out Winter 2016 and 3) a Crime/Suspense series called The Talionic Files which is expected to be released Winter 2017.

In addition to writing, she is the principal editor for author Mindy Marin's Ceaseless Trilogy. The first two books of the series, Birth of the Phoenix (Feb 2015) and Flight of the Thunderbird (Jan 2016) are out now and the final installment Revenge of the Gryphons is expected late 2016.

She currently lives and works on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.

Reviews

[Amanda]

I loved this book. It was an intense and emotional journey, but there is a little bit of romance and quite a bit of humor thrown in to balance it out. I cried and I laughed and I felt like I was riding right alongside Viviana. It was also very educational without coming across like a textbook. The supporting cast were all great, especially little Hope, but Eagle Bear gets my vote for best supporting character. Thirty Eight is a beautifully written tale of a girl and her road to self discovery. I would definitely recommend this book.

[Maria (a)]

The girl pulled on his mane once more. He looked out towards the horizon and began to run. He ran as fast as his legs could carry him, feeling the muscles pull and twitch in his strong legs. He was only vaguely aware of the young rider atop his back but he sensed her excitement. He heard her laughter and somehow he knew that she needed this as much as he did. As the cold air whizzed by them he imagined it was Frank on his back, taking him to wherever he had gone, taking him to a place where they would ride forever.

Thirty Eight is first and foremost a book about grief. It's also a book about the Dakota 38+2 Reconciliation Ride, of course, but that's mainly the backdrop, a literal projection of the journey Viviana takes to learn to let go of her father (the details of the ride itself, the accompanying rituals and even the horses were a bit vague; I don't know if this was a deliberate choice, but it made it a little hard for me to be as invested in the ride as Viviana). The grief was palpable, though, and I thought the emotional up and downs were very realistic.

The book could have used another round of edits (quite a bit of head-hopping going around), and I thought the foreword was so clunky to be nigh on unreadable. But it was a fine, quick read, set in a world I haven't read much in before.

Recommend if: You're familiar with the Dakota 38 + 2, I imagine that would really help bring the story to life
Avoid if: You scoff at the idea of people's souls hanging around after death
Content warnings: Death

[Pam James]

Enlightening

This is a lovely book about a young lady and her journey. From when her Dad died, it takes us through the trials and tribulations that Viviana goes through. Being a horse person, I loved the connection she had with Eagle Bear. The 38 ride was enlightening. I have been on many winter trail rides, none as long as the 38. Thank you ,Tara for sharing this story with us... From a New fan... Pam James.

[William]

I met Tawa M. Witko at a book signing. As this novel is somewhat of a romance its not my normal fair but this is far more than a YA love story. It is the tale to honor the 38 Native Americans ordered hung by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. The story weaves in moments of history and how important honoring this injustice is. I learned a lot about this tragedy as well as enjoyed the comradery of the characters and the importance of their cultures which has always been important to me.

[Edith]

Arresting!

I had never heard of the Dakota 38. It wasn’t taught in school. But then I met this woman who gave me an introduction to the title. Intrigued I ordered this book and must say I was completely captivated by the story. Well written, researched, and so enthralling I couldn’t stop reading. The one premise I grasped was Reconciliation. How apropos in today’s world.

[Ronald T. Blaise]

What a moving story!

I had always felt kinship to native Americans, and having recently found that they are part of my ancestors, now I know why. This is a very moving story, well written, and readable by the entire family. It teaches us that our past does matter, that it should guide what we do and not do today.

[Gwen]

Thirty Eight is a nice read, it just didn't grab me. It is the story of a young girl whose father, a Native American and police officer, has died in the line of duty, her ride in a traditional Native American remembrance ceremony and her difficulty in letting her father go.

I enjoyed learning about the tradition, though I wish there had been more of the history of the tradition in the book, and the pictures of the actual ride that were included at the end of the book.

I received this book free from Goodreads First Reads.

[Tashia]

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Therefore, any information I provide is of my own accord. I ended up giving this book to a friend who would appreciate it more than myself. I found the subject something I really didn't hold much interest in.

[Nadine Cole]

solid story about the 38 + 2 ride and a young girl's exploration of her Dakota culture. strong educational information mixed with a sweet love story and loss of a beloved father. I would recommend for teens and young adults.