GARDENS IN THE DUNES: A Novel

Purchased this for a class. I don't know if the physical book was just a print out of the Kindle version because there was a printed on date which was my order date, however the font and print were so tiny that I needed a magnifying glass on top of reading glasses to see the text. Ended up faking my way through the class discussion because I couldn't read it. As I understand it, the edition from the publisher was also in very small print, so it may not necessarily be an issue with the printing I got, but if you're going to print it the day someone orders it, maybe consider a larger font when you do so.

I adore everything I've read by Silko, but this one just stands out as my favorite. It just has so many layers of social commentary, but without preaching. Whether or not you're familiar with her work or southwest indigenous cultures, it is a really good read. If you can relate to the subject matter and Silko's genuine writing style, it offers a satisfying reminder that there are still people out there that get it. And if the subject matter and setting are outside of your comfort zone, it opens your mind. If more people really got into books like this, everything would just be better.

Leslie marmon silko’s writing is lyrical, reads so well and there’s nothing like learning native culture from her.

Arresting and beautiful narrative and thoughtfully developed characters provide insight into the cultural dynamics and deep social injustices visited on tribal communities shortly after the turn of the century with the expansion of settler colonialism into the West. I enjoyed reading about the lives of the original inhabitants of the Desert Southwest and valued learning about regional history through an Indigenous lens.The craftsmanship reflected in this novel stands on its own; whether the reader is interested in Indigenous studies and racial justice or is just looking for a good read, this book is highly recommended!

I just finished this book in a marathon reading stint yesterday and found it a delightful read. Taking place around the turn of the century and interweaving the lives and stories of Native Americans in the West with a couple of east coast high society transplants, Silko creates a novel that has an old-fashioned appeal and pacing. The story unravels slowly and methodically, with nothing rushed, and much of the moments guessed before they occur, but in a way that is satisfying. Beyond this, she inflicts some contemporary issues and concerns onto this time period--feminism, cultural dissolution, land use-- that are obviously projected but powerful for the modern reader. My one criticism is that I did feel the novel drag a bit in the last third or so, but it kept me enchanted none-the-less. Overall I would highly recommend this novel.

There is so much history in this book

I loved this book so much, I started reading it more slowly as it drew to its end, not wanting to let go of the characters, not wanting to give up the story of Indigo, Linnaeus the monkey, Rainbow the parrot, Sister Salt, and the little grandfather. Beautiful writing, encyclopedic knowledge of a wide variety of subjects (including botany and meteorology), and a plot that had me tearing through my Kindle, anxious to learn what would happen next.

This novel follows the lives of two, Native American sisters after they are separated. The novel follows the traditional “Victorian” form. I found that the novel tried to juggle too many side stories- this greatly detracted from the novel’s overall goal--not to mention it left some characters premature, and underdeveloped. There was a lot of superfluous detail in regards to character’s personal histories. Such detail took up too many pages and left the immediate action of the novel stagnant and slow-moving. Overall, the novel told an interesting tale, but too long to get there.

A book recommended by Canadian friends. I have given this as a present to others who have also enjoyed it

It’s a brilliant depiction of so many issues around origins and identity and the ways people survive and thrive, in particular women. We see how their attempts and how they are thwarted, then how they compromise and how being with other women provides them a force, even when they are from different tribes or cultures, sometimes that is a necessary element to their survival, to learn from other women, from other experiences, to share what they know.Despite it being a relatively long read, it felt like it could have gone on, some threads leave the reader wondering what happened next, the endings come about a little quickly. It could easily have been two or three books.That said, the final page and the closing sentences are beautifully given over to nature, to a demonstration that though we may grieve at what is passing, nature will always ensure that new life prevails, that something will survive from the ruin. That hope can manifest, though it may not be what we expect.Highly Recommended.