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BOOK REVIEW: Only The Wind Remembers
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by Laura V. Hilton Dancing Word Reviewer
Title: Only the Wind Remembers Author: Marlo Schalesky Publisher: Moody Publishers ISBN: 0-802-43324-3 Genre: Inspirational/Historical/Fiction
In 1911, the last Yahi Indian walks out of the woods and into civilization for the first time. Driven by starvation and loneliness, Wanasi expects to be killed; to go ‘down the river’ to join his family.
Anthropologist, Thomas Morgan, is ecstatic to learn about the Indian’s existence. He will be the perfect addition to the Indian museum where he works. But Thomas is devastated when he arrives and finds out the Indian has been place in a jail cell where citizens come to gawk at him. Not knowing the Indian’s name, Thomas decides to call him Ishi. He gives Ishi white man clothes, and they head for the museum.
Allison Morgan, Thomas’ wife, has spent hours setting up the museum so it’s perfect. Nothing is out of place; everything is carefully labeled and sorted by Indian tribe. She is devastated when Thomas and Ishi arrive and they discover the museum has been vandalized. Allison was abandoned as a young girl and the woman who raised her bred her to be the perfect woman, obeying all the tenets of propriety. Why is it is difficult to obey the rules around Ishi? And why will disobeying those rules be devastating to everyone?
In the midst of dreams, a tangle of hidden motives, insecurities, and well-kept secrets, will Allison be able to discover the truth? Will Ishi find friendship? Will Thomas be able to find out who is sabotaging the museum and Ishi and why?
Only The Wind Remembers starts out sad. At first, this reviewer didn’t think much of the book, but as the story progressed, the book became increasingly difficult to put down. The story line is impressive. Based on true events, the reader is instantly transported back to life at the early part of the twentieth century. The characters are very well developed and are easy to relate to, to feel their fears and insecurities. Their hopes and dreams became the readers. This reviewer had to put the book down and have a good cry.
If you love historical fiction, Only The Wind Remembers is an excellent book. The story is lonely, all the way through, and is impossible to read without Kleenex handy. But there is a truth hidden in the book that the reader must read all the way to the end to discover. There are also a lot of unexpected plot twists in this story which will keep the reader guessing. Only The Wind Remembers is a book for the keeper shelf. |
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