Buffalo Spirits

I agree that Buffalo Spirits is a great read and a compelling probe into one America's great untold stories. It brings together all the pain of our land and our heritage as two cultures--the American farmer and the native Americans--tied to the same acreage--interweave.

Our book club selected this book and it was a big hit! There are many facets to this book; if you want to know more about Native American culture, story of a typical Kansas farm family, what happened to the buffalo, or the personal story of a journalist leaving Kansas for Chicago....you won't be disappointed.

I thought this was a wonderful book combining actual description of Kansas and the area where the author was raised, as well as some of the issues facing those living here. Combining this with the indian "spirits" just made this an entertaining and accurate as well as fictional account of Kansas prairies.

Buffalo Spirits is a beautifully written story. I don't think I've ever read a more loving description of the Kansas prairie - a place often overlooked as barren and dry, but she brings to life all the subtle beauties of the plains, reminding me of the things I loved about going there as a child to visit family. I really identified with and liked the main character, Becca, as she journeyed from girlhood, through her college years, and into adulthood. She is smart, real and likable. Much of the book is her life story - woven in with moving stories of the Native American tribe that had lived on the plains years before, and the modern demise of the small family farm and environmental damage to the prairie. The author is very effective at using the stories of individuals to make a larger point.This book really makes you think. And its a great read.