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The Removes


A powerful, transporting novel about the addictive intensity and freedom of the ...
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Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

Created: 08/22/18

Replies: 19

Posted Aug. 22, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
davinamw

Join Date: 10/15/10

Posts: 3442

Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?


Posted Sep. 08, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
lucyb

Join Date: 03/09/12

Posts: 29

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I can't understand how they could ride the horses so many miles day in and day out. That seems to me like animal abuse.


Posted Sep. 09, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Gloria

Join Date: 03/11/15

Posts: 120

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I didn't realize that when the calvary invaded an Indian village, they would kill all the Indians' ponies.


Posted Sep. 09, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
Cynthia

Join Date: 06/07/17

Posts: 76

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I was surprised at the extent of brutality and mutilations in general and particularly of innocents by both parties and that the cavalry killed horses as well (almost 900 at Washita.). This was understandably very difficult for them to do as cavalrymen, plus the process was overwhelming and time consuming. Also, I always thought of camps and forts as being much smaller than they actually were -- but the number of soldiers, horses, supplies, and furniture that traveled on the train to Dakota Territory, as an example, was described as enough for "a whole town.'


Posted Sep. 10, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
caroln

Join Date: 04/14/11

Posts: 101

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

The celebrity portion of Custer's army life and how it was used to publicized the brutality and mutilations in general.


Posted Sep. 11, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
PiperUp

Join Date: 10/27/15

Posts: 146

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

The brutality of the cavalrymen was surprising. Our military is often portrayed as honorable so some of the stories shocked me.


Posted Sep. 11, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
peggya

Join Date: 06/03/15

Posts: 42

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I didn’t realize the “Indian Wars” not only referred to the US troops vs the Indians but the various tribes warring vs each other for territory especially as the Eastern tribes kept getting pushed further West. There was also a philosophical and ideological fight between the elders of the tribe and the younger warriors who refused any negotiations.


Posted Sep. 11, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
peggya

Join Date: 06/03/15

Posts: 42

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I didn’t realize the “Indian Wars” not only referred to the US troops vs the Indians but the various tribes warring vs each other for territory especially as the Eastern tribes kept getting pushed further West. There was also a philosophical and ideological fight between the elders of the tribe and the younger warriors who refused any negotiations.


Posted Sep. 11, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
peggya

Join Date: 06/03/15

Posts: 42

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I also wasn’t aware of the tremendous courage of the first settlers out West. The author points out that they often worked the fields with a hoe in one hand and a rifle in the other to protect their families.


Posted Sep. 12, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
miriamb

Join Date: 05/29/18

Posts: 8

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I was amazed at the blizzard that Lizzie and Autie endured and what they had to do to survive. It was one of my favorite parts.


Posted Sep. 13, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
phenkat

Join Date: 07/29/11

Posts: 17

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

There were many new facts I learned. All of the above, plus the relationship he had with Tom. I wish some of the story could have been told by him.


Posted Sep. 13, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
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valeriec

Join Date: 10/20/10

Posts: 33

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I have read enough of our treatment of the Indians that I was not surprised by the brutal things the army did. I was surprised by the ill treatment of the captive white women. I had not realized rape was so common.


Posted Sep. 13, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
acstrine

Join Date: 02/06/17

Posts: 438

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

As I had mentioned in another post, I have read many books about this time in our nation's history-both about the various Native tribes and the US treatment of them. This book gave me more insight on Custer more than anything else.. I was unaware of how needy Custer was-he depended on Libby more than I expected he would. He also became very dependent on Monahsetah. And in spite of all his swagger, he struck me as a rather insecure person who really needed others' attention, compliments and praises.


Posted Sep. 15, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
job

Join Date: 05/12/11

Posts: 27

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I was surprised at the brutality of the fighting. It wasn't just "honorable fighting" between men, but mutilating bodies and murdering children and women that was horrible.


Posted Sep. 15, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
elise

Join Date: 04/22/11

Posts: 101

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I did not know much about Custer to start with so the entire book was a learning experience about him, his wife and his brother. I have seen enough movies and read enough books that I wasn't surprised by how the inhumane treatment of each other. As stated by others, I didn't realize they killed all of the Indian's ponies. It seems like such senseless slaughter - well it all was.


Posted Sep. 16, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
bonnieb

Join Date: 09/11/11

Posts: 132

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I became fascinated with Custer. All I knew of him previously was 'Custer's last stand' and 'The Battle of Little Bighorn'. His personal life, relationship with President Grant and the Washington elite were all new to me. That he graduated last in his class of 34 at West Point was a shocker. As the book indicated, he was in the right place at the right time to achieve the military status that he did.


Posted Sep. 16, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
gailh

Join Date: 08/26/17

Posts: 11

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

The history of women's fashion fascinates me & I appreciate that Soli mentioned how restrictive and confining it was to be a stylish woman in the mid 1800's. Although the women looked graceful and delicate, they could not move well or even work with their tight corsets and awkward hoop skirts. Just as we criticized the Chinese practice of binding girls' feet, western culture equally used fashion to constrict the freedom of its women.


Posted Sep. 17, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
vivianh

Join Date: 11/14/11

Posts: 160

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

None surprised me. As a student of history I’ve learned to accept the past, learn the lessons provided, and hope to avoid making the same mistakes. As humans, we are flawed. Humans have committed terrible atrocities in the belief they were acting for the greater good. It is easy as armchair historians to hold those who came before us accoyntable for what we now perceive as wrongdoing. However, we cannot judge by our 21st Century ideals. Civilization continues to evolve, and what is acceptable evolves as well. Time. Place. Context. It matters.


Posted Sep. 21, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
JillL

Join Date: 10/19/16

Posts: 44

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I didn't realize Custer was a celebrity. I thought he was just a soldier.


Posted Oct. 08, 2018 Go to Top | Go to bottom | link | alert
BuffaloGirl

Join Date: 01/13/18

Posts: 208

RE: Which historical details in the novel surprised you or were new to you?

I wasn't really surprised by anything, but I did appreciate the author's dramatization of the blizzard in North Dakota. It truly brought out how dangerous blizzards on the Great Plains are.


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