Rated of 5
by Marci G. (Sicklerville, New Jersey) Dissapointing
I am usually on target with my book choices, but The Ghost of Milagro Creek disappointed me. I enjoyed learning about the Indian and Hispanic culture in Taos, New Mexico but felt I never got a handle on the characters. Overall the book was difficult to follow, very disjointed
Rated of 5
by Karen H. (Auburn, MA) Interesting, but hard to follow
I really wanted to thoroughly enjoy this book! Instead I only got about halfway there. I loved how the story was told through the eyes of the old witch, and how it weaved in the lives of the children. The writing style gave it a fairy-tale/folk-tale feel that drew me in, but the story jumped around in a way that didn't feel cohesive. Sometimes jumping around can add to a story line, but in this case it took away from it. Not 5 stars, but an interesting and different read.
Rated of 5
by Julia A. (New York, NY) Magical Realism
This book is reminiscent of the best Spanish American magical realism novels. the experiences of the Jicarilla Apache, Hispanic and Caucasian residents of the barrio of Taos New Mexico are recounted skillfully by Sumner, who succeeds in capturing all three voices. The novel weaves in events that took place between 1986 and 2001, with the main events occurring over Easter Weekend of 2001. That symbolism is a bit heavy handed, but not enough to distract from this fine novel.
For those who lead reading groups, a set of discussion questions is included. But even without them, the mystical, magical, folk wisdom aspects of this novel give much food for thought and discussion. the more finely drawn characters are the two women, Ignacia/"Abuela," the Jicarilla Apache raising two boys, and Rocky, the gringa they both come to love. The tragedy between the boys when they become young men, Mister and Tomas, though foreshadowed, leaves the reader a bit shell-shocked. It's been several days since I finished "The Ghost of Milago Creek," but I'm still thinking about it and asking myself questions that don't have easy answers. Melanie Sumner is a writer to watch.
Rated of 5
by Deb Y. (Blanco, TX) Hard to Categorize
This book, The Ghost of Milagro Creek, is a most unusual book, set in the Southwest, and, for me, as the title of my review states, it was hard to categorize. I couldn't compare it to anything I remember reading before. The language was perfect, however, such that I didn't want to miss a word...I would recommend it, not to regular bestseller readers, but to someone looking for an interesting, well-written, "hard to categorize" novel.
Rated of 5
by Marion T. (Palatine, IL) The Ghost of Milagro Creek
Not worth the time spent on reading this book. I found the characters very one dimensional and little plot development. Though the really looked forward to this book after reading the summary, Melanie Sumner missed the mark.
Rated of 5
by Sharon W. (Two Rivers, WI) The Ghost of Milagro Creek
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. One of the reasons that I wanted to read this was that it had Native American Indian in it. I have some Native American in me so I could relate to parts of the book. It was interesting to read about the different things that were done to help someone get better.
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of 5
by Marci G. (Sicklerville, New Jersey) 
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by Julia A. (New York, NY) 
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by Marion T. (Palatine, IL) 
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by Sharon W. (Two Rivers, WI) 
