David H. (awash-in-books) reviewed on 11/6/2006 + 18 more book reviews

Helpful Score: 5

Tony Hillerman gives Anglos like me who grew up near the Navajo Nation and other reservations and are curious about these cultures but have no real means of accessing them a way of learning more about them and how members interact with mainstream America in modern times. I've read 5-6 Hillerman titles, and I've enjoyed each one. But this one is an especially good one.

If you like Hillerman's books, try The Shaman Sings and others from the Charlie Moon Mystery series by James D. Doss. These books are set in the Ute reservation of southern Colorado and, to my mind, they portray the Utes and Ute culture in a way that is equally realistic and detailed and respectful to what Hillerman does for Navajos. These books celebrate Native cultures in a way that is long overdue.

In addition, there is a series of novels about a Mayan detective in the Cancun area of the Yucatan Peninsula that are a pretty good read. I tried to track down the name of the author with an Amazon search, but I had no luck. I'll add that name and a couple of titles to this review later if I can track it down.

PS I notice that Hillerman has also published several non-fiction titles. If you enjoyed this book and his other fiction, some of these may be worth checking out, as well. I plan to do so.

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