What readers think of Thirteen Moons, plus links to write your own review.

It is a surprising pleasure to find a work of art that brings to life the old words and actions whispered in spatterings of historical documents. The first section of 13 Moons is powerful enough to hook and entice you to slow your reading to savor each paragraph with new understanding of this period in history. Unfortunately, after that first ten-year lifespan recorded in the first part, the story loses its power and wanders into retelling stories of the Cherokee, reflecting and interjecting things that aren't right for the moment (author-interruptus), and dragging prose. I love the first part which came in like a lion, but I would love to see the second part edited to bring back the lion. That said, I would still buy this book for the first part - it's magical in the way it brings to life a painful time in American history.

Taken as a whole, this book was a bit of a disappointment. Having finished the book minutes ago, I realize that I never truly understood the main characters, Will, Claire and Bear. Since I never really came to know them, I couldn't fully understand their motivations, the basis for the enduring love Will felt for Claire, nor--and perhaps most mystifying--Claire's repeated rejections of Will, even though she appeared to love him. As a result of these issues, I could never fully connect emotionally with the characters or their plights. On the plus side, I thought that the historical description of the treatment of the Indians, particularly during the "Removal" was fascinating and heartwrenching. The descriptions of the lands were generally beautifully written, but at times went on and on ad naseum. Clearly, Frazier is a very talented writer--who desperately appears to need a better editor. In conclusion, not bad--but there's definitely better stuff out there.