Bloodlines: Odyssey of a Native Daughter

Hale vividly describes her immediate family, their families and her childhood in this deeply moving book. My heart ached for her as a child and young woman trying to make sense of a hostile world. The book is a testament to human resiliency. -- I am not Native American, but I too grew up with a strong tradition of family and connection to the land. My family was also dysfunctional. Like the author, I too have turned to writing to try and make sense and order and draw meaning from my life and pain. Relating to her as I did, this was not an easy book to read. Yet it had remained on my shelf of favorite books for several years.-- Another reviewer criticized her use of Native American stereotypes of drunk, violent, lazy Indians. I don't recall any lazy Indians in the book. The drunkeness and violence had deeply affected Hale's mother, perhaps in part explaining her cruelty to her youngest daughter. The story would have been a lie had that part not been told. Instead of reinforcing a stereotype, Hale made the human pain which results from such behavior very real and personal. She tells the story passionately enough that I felt sympathy for her parents, even as she did. This book inspired me as a writer and it impressed upon me the need to understand and the will to live and thrive which seem to be part and parcel of the human condition.

I had this book in my collection for sometime before getting to it. I'm glad I finally did. There are many acclaimed and favorite PNW so-called "native" son writers such as Doig, Holbrook, Morgan, Kittredge, etc that combine well storytelling and folklore with personal or others' memoirs with description of the PNW with historical events. Unfortunately, there are only a few true "native" (PNW Native Americans) son & daughter writers. Janet Campbell Hale clearly belongs in this company. The contrast of her work with Sherman Alexie's is quite stark. (She's Couer D'Alene, he's Spokane Indian). Personally, I find Alexie's work too dark and does some significant injustice to Native Americans by perpetuating stereotypes of drunken, violent, lazy, etc Indians. I believe such talent should be put to more edifying uses - a force for good and change. However, Janet Hale doesnt ignore or gloss over the conditions on the Rez, but brings you in to the story rather than disturb you like some of Alexie's stories. Her connection "bloodline" with a very important figure in PNW history, John McLoughlin, is well done as well as the short bit with Chief Joseph's flight. The story throughout the book is a fluid connection with her family's past, her childhood, and her current "role" in life - a woman, an Indian, a writer. I believe this type of work is invaluable in contributing to our society, especially as pertains to Native Americans. I havent ever read her Pulitzer nominated "Jailing of Cecelia Capture", but plan to do so quickly, as well as her other works.