CEDAR WOMAN
Debra Shiveley Welch

978-1-897512-37-1

Debra’s pen was dipped in the essence of life to write this amazing book.
Once again her talent rises to the challenge and we meet not just a person but a people.
Through narrative we experience the highs and lows in the account of Cedar Woman and dwell
within the unfolding story. We travel through the pages on a journey through time and circumstance,
from the sweat lodge to the edge of the world and beyond; from powwow, to opening the first Central
Ohio Native American restaurant. Truly a great work concerning a great nation and one small part of it
in particular.




A reviewer wrote:
By TW Brown, Author, Editor, and Reviewer of Brutally Honest Reviews
 

I will get my one complaint out of the way because I want to focus on what an incredible story this is. The formatting for the Kindle was wonky. Now, it could have been an issue on my end, but there were moments when there would be one word of a sentence alone on a line, and then a gap, and then the sentence would resume. It was a MINOR distraction, but distracting nonetheless. A story this wonderful should be distraction free and with the rise of the eBook, formatting should be a priority. Not all readers may show patience for such things. I refused to deduct a star from the rating of this book based on those grounds because this is all about the story. (note from author: it has been fixed.  Thank you, Mr. Brown!)

Cedar Woman struck me very early on with the powerful emotions a reader could feel from just the written word. It grabs you so quickly that even events early on make you feel WITH the characters, not FOR them. I know that men may not be her target audience, but you GUYS will be missing out on something extraordinary if you pass over this book.

The inclusion of a plethora of Native American words and phrases was done in such a seamless manner that the reader stops seeing them as you become engrossed in this story. A translation is provided in footnotes, but you no longer find yourself looking after a while. You are simply too engrossed in the story and it almost seems to make itself understood when some of the Native Sioux words appear in the dialog.

Throughout the story, I was struck by how similar yet different cultures that live side-by-side can be. Having a very good friend who is a member of one of the Pacific Northwest tribes, I recalled early on our struggles to communicate because our styles were so oddly different. This story gives you a look at a love story from a cultural perspective that you may not even realize exists.

The one thought that came over and over as I read was that this book is "The Notebook" for a Native American audience. Having enjoyed some wonderful films that I would have missed otherwise, I can attest to the striking difference in films from and about the Native Americans and our own. This story is ripe for a Native film maker to scoop up. (See "Skins" to really understand what I am trying to say here.)

Cedar Woman by Debra Shiveley Welch is a wonderful story that will make you feel things with the characters as you read. Ladies will love this, and guys...if you want to score some huge points, make this the first book on your "Couples" reading list and share in it together.