Black Hills

BLACK HILLS receives a powerful dual narration by Erik Davies and Michael McConnohie and provides a fine tense thriller of psychological suspense blending history and the supernatural. Set on the American frontier in 1876, it tells of an uncanny psychic connection between a dying soldier and a pre-teen Sioux boy haunted by Custer's ghost-voice and his psychic abilities. His childhood vision offers pointers to a dangerous future in this fine story, packed with twists, turns and intrigue.

Without a doubt, Black Hills by Dan Simmons, is one of the more interesting reads so far in 2010. Having read The Terror, and Drood, it is not surprising that Black Hills deals accurately with an historical event and it's era and then adds a generous dose of the spice called fiction. If you're a Dan Simmons' fan then I predict you'll enjoy Black Hills with the same enthusiasm you may have had for his previous works. Having said that, I think you'll find that Black Hills is a bit of a departure from the two previous novels but interesting in the books own right. The date is Sunday, June 25, 1876. The main character, Paha Sapa (the name means Black Hills), a young Sioux boy of about 10 years old attempts to count coup on a dieing white soldier that he only later realizes is George A. Custer, leader of the doomed soldiers. Counting Coup, the act of touching ones opponent, is one of the bravest things a Sioux warrior can do. Counting Coup is actually a braver act than killing the enemy. Normally the Sioux warrior carries a "coup stick" and it is with this that he touches his enemy in close combat. But Paha Sapa uses his bare hand and therein is the problem. As he touches Custer's body, Custer dies and his ghost transfers into Paha Sapa's body; a transfer that will last the remainder of the young boy's life. So begins the novel Black Hills and so begins the story of Paha Sapa. Eventually, the young Sioux boy grows into manhood. Besides carrying Custer's ghost, Paha Sapa gains the uncanny ability to see events in the lives of those around him before they happen. He can also so what is going to happen to the Sacred Black Hills. One of the interesting aspects in Black Hills that Dan Simmons manages to play on is the divided loyalties (that may not be the best word) that Paha Sapa has toward his adopted country. While he despises the white race, he also admires it for it's ability of hammering life out to suit itself. To say more would be to give too much away. Black Hills is another sure-fire success for Dan Simmons. I highly recommend. Peace to all.

"Black Hills" by Dan Simmons is a historical novel with a mystical quality. This is a fictional account of past events. The book opens with General Custer dying at Little Big Horn in 1876. Ten year old Sioux warrior, Paha Spapa, lays his hand on the chest of Custer as he takes his dying breath. Custer's ghost enters the young man, leaving him able to see both the past and the future, by touching people. The plot continues by reminding the reader of tales of the American West. Time moves on to 1936, Sapa plans to destroy Mount Rushmore on the day FDR is scheduled to dedicate Jefferson's face. The mountain on which the monument is carved was sacred to the Lakota tribe. Sapa takes a job working with dynamite, hoping for an opportunity to set his plan in motion. Dan Simmons is a master of characterization. The plot skips around through history using actual events as it tells the story of the American west. Simmons handles this style well. However, for the reader, it may be a bit confusing at times. The descriptions are vivid and the method he uses to reveal history is uncanny. Simmons makes this mystical take more realistic by discussing the Brooklyn Bridge and the Chicago World's Fair. I knew little about the Lakota culture. It was a pleasure to learn more about these noble people. The length of this novel is daunting. Toward the end, I felt the author lost focus and went off on a tangent. "Black Hills" is a fascinating read and one that readers will enjoy.

In 1876 following the battle of Little Big Horn, ten years old Sioux warrior Paha Sapa collects coup from the dead. However, on his last breath, the spirit of General George Custer leaves his dead body to enter that of Paha. For the rest of his life, Paha heard Custer speaking to him inside his head. He also gained the uncanny ability to know someone's past and future by simply touching them. For himself he has remained patient having seen what will occur to the sacred Black Hills in the 1930s. Thus in 1936, the septuagenarian who worked on the monuments begins his final days of atonement and exorcism with plans to blow up Mt. Rushmore as FDR arrives on a visit. This is a refreshing super paranormal historical thriller that grips the audience from the opening battle locale until the final confrontation inside and outside of the lead character's head. The story line is driven by Paha-Custer, but filled with plenty of action as events lead from Little Big Horn to Mt. Rushmore. Dan Simmons effortlessly switches from Ancient Greek and Dickensian mythologies to an American legend with this superb incredibly creative tale. Harriet Klausner

Black Hills, by Dan Simmons, begins with Paha Sapa, a young Lakota boy, touching the body of the dying General George Custer at Little Big Horn. In that moment, Custer's spirit enters Paha Sapa's body. It doesn't leave for over sixty years. Paha Sapa experiences this more than once with people. He has Custer's spirit in his head, but he also can see the pasts and futures of many people he meets, including Crazy Horse. During his initiation ceremony to become a man, Paha Sapa also experiences a terrible vision of the future; four large stone presidents of the United States careening across his beloved Black Hills, eating everything in their sight and leaving all behind them to waste. Paha Sapa grows up as his Lakota family and the other native tribes of the Great Plains die out. He comes to the decision that he must destroy these stone presidents before they destroy his land. So he sets out on a plan to blow up Mt. Rushmore before the monument is complete. Paha Sapa is a wonderful character; he is so good and so kind and so aware of his culture disintegrating around him. He is a complicated person who hates what the white settlers have done to his land but who also respects and admires their ingenuity and passion. He is one of the most achingly lonely characters I have met in a very long time. He is kind to everyone, but is set apart by his race and by the ghost in his mind and by other people's memories crowding out his own memories. I fell in love with him and his quiet dignity. I also enjoyed the story and Simmons' storytelling approach. There is a true sense of immediacy for the reader in each chapter. The narrative jumps around a lot, from the 1870s to the 1930s and between Paha Sapa and General Custer. One thing I found odd but eventually grew used to is that all dialogue is done in italics, with a dash in front. There is really never a "he said" in the whole book. This was confusing at first, especially when two characters were talking to each other, but eventually I got used to it. I also was initially confused by the jumping around in the dates, but eventually settled in. I think this book begs for a re-read so that I can appreciate all the subtleties in the writing when I go back, knowing the story's full arc. Native American history is conveniently swept under the rug in history class; no one wants to hear about how their exalted country decimated an entire population. When Native American history is taught, the tribes are often grouped together as one people, which is unfair. And they are given these almost mystical qualities of defending the planet against the ravages of greedy white people. Simmons doesn't play this card in his novel and I'm happy for it. There are moments of idealism in the book, yes (particularly the last thirty pages or so), but his characters also acknowledge that the tribes of the Great Plains were not perfect. Simmons shows us the emotional toll that westward expansion had on one Lako