A fascinating, yet sad, Lakota history. Most of you already know the events, Washita River, Wounded Knee, Little Bighorn and the main characters; Custer, Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull. But I’m willing to bet that most of what you know was generated by the winners of the war. The spin doctors of the day did a bang up job reporting the “massacre” of Custer and his command and the resulting hue and cry from the public set in motion the events that finally brought to an end the Lakota (and other tribes) way of life. Mr. Marshall has brought forth the other side of the story, the story of the Lakota. Far from being the marauding, hostile savages portrayed by the press, and continuing to this day, what we see is a nation trying desperately and against staggering odds, to protect their freedom, their culture, their ability to roam on land they had used for hundreds of years. Those are noble pursuits. Pursuits that even we of the 21st century would deem necessary if we were faced with the same circumstances. So, dear readers, take a few moments and cherish the freedoms you have and remember the plight of not only the Lakota but of the innumerable peoples and cultures destroyed in the name of progress and greed. 4.4 stars.
Historical Fiction reviews 