From Publishers Weekly
These 24 compelling and bleakly evocative narratives compiled by Allen, a professor of Native American studies at the University of California, all stress the theme of loss: loss of identity, loss of culture, loss of personal meaning. By juxtaposing traditional stories with contemporary tales, Allen allows readers to see how the same themes, values and perceptions have endured through the centuries, "testaments to cultural persistence, to a vision and a spiritual reality that will not die." Echoes of the traditional "Oshkikwe's Baby," about an old witch who steals babies, can be found in two stories. In Louise Erdrich's "American Horse," a white social worker separates a boy from his mother for his own "good," to the anguish of mother and son. In "As It Was in the Beginning," by E. Pauline Johnson, a preacher takes a girl away from her family to attend a mission school; the tale is a powerful indictment of the hypocrisy of the "Christian" white culture in dealing with native Americans. The importance of storytelling in keeping the Pawnee culture alive is beautifully conveyed in Anna Lee Walter's "The Warriors," in which their alcoholic uncle teaches two sisters that they must struggle to find beauty in the midst of squalor and poverty--"For beauty is why we live," he says. Allen's somewhat patronizing attitude toward her non-Native audience--in her introduction and editorial notes--is sometimes intrusive, but should not detract from the poignant impact of these stories. Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.


From Library Journal
What distinguishes this collection of stories by contemporary Native American women is Allen's meticulous scholarship; in her fine analytical headnotes, she explains how writers like Silko, Erdrich, and Hogan draw images, characters, and themes from traditional stories. Arranged thematically ("The Warriors," The Casualties"), the text shows that Native Americans "write out of tribal traditions and into them" and that Native women writers are "strong, doubting, curious, inventive, frightened, brave, confused, and very contemporary human beings." A glossary and a typically trenchant introductory essay make Allen's latest work a treasure for scholars and general readers alike. Highly recommended.- Rhoda Carroll, Vermont Coll., MontpelierCopyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
"Impressive....Haunting....Enchanting...Every story in the book, which covers nearly a century of tradition, is interesting, written with intelligent passion."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Native American scholar, literary critic, poet, and novelist Paula Gunn Allen, who is herself a Laguna Pueblo-Sioux Indian, became increasingly aware in her academic career that the writings of Native Americans, especially women, have been marginalized by the Western literary canon. Allen set out to understand why this was so and, more importantly, to remedy the situation. The result is this powerful collection of traditional tales, biographical writings, and contemporary short stories, many by the most accomplished Native American women writing today, including: Louise Erdrich, Mary TallMountain, Linda Hogan, and many others.



From the Inside Flap
"Impressive....Haunting....Enchanting...Every story in the book, which covers nearly a century of tradition, is interesting, written with intelligent passion."
THE NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Native American scholar, literary critic, poet, and novelist Paula Gunn Allen, who is herself a Laguna Pueblo-Sioux Indian, became increasingly aware in her academic career that the writings of Native Americans, especially women, have been marginalized by the Western literary canon. Allen set out to understand why this was so and, more importantly, to remedy the situation. The result is this powerful collection of traditional tales, biographical writings, and contemporary short stories, many by the most accomplished Native American women writing today, including: Louise Erdrich, Mary TallMountain, Linda Hogan, and many others.

ANNOTATION

According to Cherokee legend, Grandmother Spider brought the light of intelligence to the people. For the first time, Spider Woman's Granddaughters brings to light the original American. It is a unique addition to feminist literatire--and a treasure trove for the ever-increasing audience for Native American works.

FROM THE PUBLISHER