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There are currently 21 member reviews
for A Council of Dolls
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Francine E. (Shirley, NY)
The Spirit of Dolls
The wisdom and council of dolls was centerstage when I met ninety-five year old, Marie. For three years I lived next door. She was all about dolls. Painstakingly, she handstitched doll clothes including Elizabethan costume, roaring twenties and downhome styles. Each beautifully attired doll was lovingly placed with a hand picked child. Marie felt dolls were better companions than people. From this vantage point, I opened my copy of "A Council of Dolls" by Native American author Mona Susan Power. I have no doubt that a doll can have spirit and help its keeper to be "strong and determined, committed."
Mama wanted to fight against injustice. She told daughter, Sissy about "indoctrination" at Indian boarding schools and why home schooling was best. Mama taught herself to read before attending school. As a result, a nun locked her in a dark closet "with the devil". Perhaps that was why Mama didn't want to be touched. Sissy's companion was a Thumbelina doll she received as a Christmas present in 1969. She named her doll and confidant, Ethel. Sissy and Ethel frequently hid under the bed when Mama exhibited fits of anger. Dad explained "we've had forces working to get rid of our culture and beliefs, our way of living, for many generations now." Sissy would try to remember every Dakhota or Lakhota word her parents used.
Lily was born in her ancestral lands in 1925. Lily and her sister Blanche were sent to boarding school at a very young age. At age ten, it was noticed that Lily's reading comprehension was well beyond her age. She was awarded a second hand Shirley Temple doll she named Mae. "I don't hear Mae's voice anymore. She stopped talking to me as soon as she heard I was giving her away"...and placing her in the arms of a dying girl. Mae's voice returned to minister to Lily when Lily was sent to the punishment box at school.
Cora, born in 1888, was bound with doll Winona in her cradleboard. Winona had been handed down for generations. At age twelve, Cora was sent to Carlisle Indian School, Winona in her arms. "...nearly everyone was clutching something from home...most of us dressed in traditional garb...everything we'd worn...was taken away, loaded into baskets...we were cut-hairs, against our will...our clothes and treasured items..." set aflame in a metal drum. A small black stone was all that was left of Winona....what was left of her heart. The smooth stone always seemed to flutter and vibrate allowing Cora to feel her doll's spirit and listen to her whisper words of wisdom and encouragement.
Three generations, three dolls telling a story of the devastation unleashed by Indian boarding schools and the power of dolls to reflect the spirit, courage and determination of the children trying to keep their ancestral heritage alive. Highly recommended.
Thank you BookBrowse and Mariner Books for the print ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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Kathryn B. (Moon Twp, PA)
A must read
Just finished reading this book and really enjoyed it. I enjoyed the way the author was able to connect these "dolls" . The book is in the most simple terms a family history. This book will make you angry, will make you sad, will make you laugh and through all of this, will give you hope. I normally read historical non-fiction books. I love history. This book is a work of fiction, however through historical documents, testimonials and personal stories that I have read, the abuses that were perpetrated on the Native Americans are not/were not fiction. They did occur. This book is a reminder of the injustices that have occurred in this country, while at the same time will be a reminder that people do and can survive and will become stronger than they ever thought possible. I highly recommend this book.
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Darlene G. (Allegany, NY)
Clever, sad, hopeful
Mona Susan Power does an excellent job of depicting intergenerational trauma and a certain level of healing- through time, doll "consciousness" and three related Native American women's stories. The use of the dolls as support and wisdom-keepers was clever and well-done; for me, it was easily believable. I did have a little trouble at points keeping the characters and their relationships straight but it didn't stop me from ultimately being glad I read this book. I especially appreciated the very end offered by the dolls (no spoiler here!).
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Kay E. (Meadows Place, TX)
A Council of Dolls by Mona Susan Power
This book was very interesting to me because it encompassed Native American culture, relationships, history and mysticism. It was a slow read simply because I wanted to absorb all the information. I loved how the generational relationships connected. It was a thought provoking and sometimes sad read, but it makes me want to learn more of the Native American and their struggle.
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Marianne L. (Syosset, NY)
History and Resilience
This book is a poignant story about the treatment of the Dakota people through generations of heartbreaking internal trauma and the systematic effort to strip native Americans of their cultural heritage through the use of colonizers' Indian schools. The book is cleverly organized as it spans three generations of women who narrate the story including the dolls they carry as comforting, wisdom characters. While the trauma can be difficult to imagine, the message of this book shines a light on the destructive results of early American ignorance and intolerance of native American culture. The redeeming feature here is the resilience of those who come to understand this history and work to thrive in spite of it. A good read on an important historical topic, containing enduring lessons applicable to current events!
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Susanna K. (Willow Street, PA)
Hope
Having a great interest in the Native American culture, I was looking forward to reading A Council of Dolls. Beginning Part 1, I started to lose concentration and considered stopping. However, I continued and began to find each part more involved in the story of the dolls and the significance of each one. The symbolism applied to so many things was fascinating. The attempt to erase all culture from children and the loss of Indigenous people from many tribes was horrifying. By the last part the stories all came together in a good way. The words of wisdom by the author at the end was awe inspiring!! I'm glad I read this book but suggest that it be read twice to grasp all that was so important to their many lives.
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Jane B. (Chicago, IL)
Dolls who advise and protect
This book tells an interesting story of girls and their special relationship with the dolls they own who counsel, comfort, and protect them. Certain elements of the story are repetitive without further information to move the plot. Part four, for example, could stand alone because it seems like the same story but through the dolls eyes which mostly we already know. Couldn't Jesse's resolution been folded into her chapter? The added characters add little. Maybe it's just my flaw but also characters names were confusing. Ina, is that a Dakota word for grandmother? Because grandmothers name was Cora. Then there's Sissy-Jesse, who has many names in between, maybe "less is more"?
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