People of the Whistling Waters

Flowing with Indian culture, in particular Crow, Medawar weaves a beautiful story of life in the 1800s in a mixed Indian family. Her characters are very well developed, and become quite real, as opposed to what one of the publishers' reviews said. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and look forward to finding more. The story is really alive, and she has a wonderful way with words...even including some humor. If you can find it, read it.

"People of the Whistling Waters" by Mardi Oakley Medawar captured my attention from the very first page. Her characters come to life with her talented dialogue and authentic action. Medawar's depiction of the Crow Nation is insightful. Medawar snared my interest and held it to the very last page. I am eager to read more from this great author. ...

This is a marvelous, thoroughly entertaining and very interesting book. The characters, beginning with Renee and Willow DeGeer and their family, are complex and intriguing. The story focuses on the period between the 1830's, when white settlers began moving onto Crow land, and the 1880's, after the Crow have moved to the reservation, moved into houses and begun taking "real" jobs. The story begins with Nicholas, the adopted son, and follows him as he is assmilated into the Whistling Waters Clan. The relationship between the DeGeer parents and their children is warm, loving and humorous. The book is full of historical and cultural details and, as is usual with Medawar's books, all the women are small and feisty while all the men are tall and handsome. This book won the Western Writers of America award for best first novel in 1994.

The author projects the reader into a past full of excitement and suspense. I found the characters came alive in a way few writers have been able to capture. An essential collection for anyone wanting to truly understand how the west really was and the deep roots of America and its people