Woven with myths and legends, many of the intriguing stories are continually blindsided by cruel, mean, and evil Bad Magic.

Favorite characters are Harley Wind Soldier, Pumpkin, Herod Small War, and Chuck Norris.

The two kinds of Grass Dancing are fascinating: flatten the grass or move with spirit.

"You are the Medicine Hole" still a mystery.

Even more magic deaths skimmed after dog slaughter and feast.

Time sequences quite confusing. ( )

This is more a collection of interconnected stories than a novel, in form. Some of them can easily stand alone. We progress backward (an oxymoron that says exactly what I mean) chronologically with each section until the final two chapters which circle back to where we began. New bits of family history are revealed each time, helping the reader to shed preconceived notions and understand certain characters with compassion. One brilliant example is the case of Jeannette McVay, whom we first meet as a disenchanted white woman who comes to the reservation to study a culture she views as more in tune with the natural world and spiritual realm than her own. She embarrasses herself with her misguided attempts to fit in, to "turn native", yet eventually she does become a respected member of the reservation community and brings about a very moving reunion/reconciliation. Life---it's complicated. There are heroes and villains on both sides of the cultural divide here, and the stories illustrate how easily things can go wrong whether one is trying to preserve a culture or subdue it. However, they also prove that sometimes things can unexpectedly go quite right, even when the odds are against it. I absolutely loved this book, and will seek out more of Powers' work. ( )

2.10.2019: this book is better on the re-read, because you can find rich details and tons of story threads that may have passed you by the first time. This is a beautifully melancholy book. ( )

K-1

One of the reasons I write "reviews" is to help jog my memory down the road when I might want to reread a book or mention it in relation to another book. But then there are stories so immediately embedded in my brain I know I won't need any reminders no matter how long it's been since I first read it. The Grass Dancer is one of those stories. It was also one of those where I would read a passage I wanted to bookmark but couldn't make myself stop reading long enough to do so.

I loved how the story started off in 1981 with Charlene Thunder and Harley Wind Soldier, then progressed in reverse chronology, until the story of Red Dress in 1864. The story then circles back to Charlene Thunder in 1981 before concluding in 1982. Through the young Sioux's ancestry, showing how their paths have been influenced and affected by the events set in motion before they were born. Anna/Mercury Thunder! Right up till her backstory was revealed, I couldn't believe how much she'd gotten away with, how much pain she'd inflicted for personal gain. But her story deeply affected me, made me question how many of us in her position would choose power over pain, revenge over forgiveness? Would she do it differently if she could step away and see the whole picture? Hindsight and all that.

Highly recommended to readers looking for multi-generational stories by Indigenous authors, especially fans of Louise Erdrich.

4.5 stars ( )