Shell Shaker

LeAnne Howe is one of the most talented writers I have read to date. Her characters are amazing, her voice is distinct and powerful, her stories are fantastic. I've been a fan of LeAnne for years and her work just keeps getting better and better!

I just finished reading LeAnne Howe's novel, Shell Shaker, and was pleased to learn that it has won an American Book Award for 2002. The book concerns Choctaw society and takes place over three centuries. Howe does an excellent job of melding it all together, producing a story that holds your interest, and grips your imagination. The bridge between ancient Choctawhistory, and today's Choctaw culture is flawless. Shakbatina, Anoleta, Divine Sarah, Auda Billy and her family; all the strong, proud, funny, and scary women of this book teach us to endure and laugh at that endurance, knowing that, in the end everything really IS everything. The men are equally as interesting, flawed or heroic, this is definitely not a 'girly' book.This book is a combination of mysticism, and mystery,humor and tragedy, and keeps you guessing as to the outcome.The research behind the novel is painstaking, and brings a realism that makes you care about the characters, even the bad guys. Redford McAlester didn't start out bad, nor did Red Shoes, but greed and power can turn souls.Hope to see more of Ms. Howe's work in the future!

I've been waiting for a novel from Howe since I read some of her short stories in a couple of anthologies of Native American literature. It's been worth the wait.I had expected Shell Shaker to be a book full of sharp, honest dialogue, full of emotional power, full of humor, and full of real Indian characters (not real *charicatures*). That I got. What I also got, and was blown away by, was the book's marriage of historical drama, modern drama, realism, mysticism, and *mystery* (the book turns out to be a real who-done-it).In Shell Shaker, Howe weaves together a collection of stories of characters from Colonial Mississippi through present day Oklahoma in which she reveals a long, intertwined bloodline of betrayal, revenge and deliverance. Ultimately, Shell Shaker entwines its reader into a couple hundred years of Choctaw history, culture and personality.

This Choctaw supernatural odyssey is the first novel by author and playwright LeAnne Howe, who has been published in anthologies such as Spiderwoman's Granddaughters, Earth Song,Sky Spirit, Returning the Gift, and Through the Eye of the Deer. Red Shoes, a Choctaw warrior in the 1700s, was assasinated by his own people for acts against the Choctaw nation. Red McAlester, a Choctaw tribal chieftan in the 1990s, is murdered for acts against the Choctaw nation. What these two men have in common, and the impact they have on the women in their lives, forms the basis for a fascinating read about Choctaw society then and now and the very important place family holds in Choctaw society.I have been following LeAnne Howe's writing since I saw her play Indian Radio Days in 1993. Her story An American in New York has been published in the United States, Italy and Denmark. I have the tape Hawk in Hand, which is live performance of several of LeAnne's stories set to music. LeAnne has researched many aspects of Choctaw society, such as bone-picking and early interactions with French settlers.All in all a good read. I look forward to seeing more of LeAnne's work in the future.

The ease of transition from generation to generation in this book was marvelous. The magic and power of these women and how it affects their everyday life was so real. It was astounding how the story plays out with such detail and realism that the reader gets the idea this isn't fiction at all, but real life events disguised as fiction. Great insight into the behind the scenes action of today's Native American political scene and how it relates to ancient traditions (or doesn't relate . . .)A MUST READ FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY AND/OR MYSTERY. Thanks Leanne!! Any sequel coming?