Mary Colter: Builder Upon the Red Earth

Mary Colter was an amazing woman. As an architect, she built structures that blend into the native landscapes in ways that enhance the landscape rather than detract from it. Her sense of style is still very much with us today in her love for Native American furnishings and artifacts. Her attention to detail has been largely responsible for the recognition of Southwestern art by those of us who live outside the region. That said, the book is a bit lean. It seems to be written for the casual reader rather than the scholar. But, given that it is marketed to the reading tourists, this is most probably appropriate. The many pictures (about half the pages) really help to bring the text to life. This book is a wonderful souvenir from the southwest, especially the Grand Canyon. This is its scope. Much more could have been written about Colter as one who broke through gender restrictions, about the spirituality that informed her work, and other topics. Depending on the reader's interests, this could be a plus or a minus. To this reader, it was just about the right level of detail.

Although I agree with the reviewer who says that Mary Colter deserves a far better book, I still highly recommend this one, as at least it fills in a gap that's almost the same size as the canyon where Colter's buildings still stand today. More people should read it so that some will be inspired to write more!