Dovetails in Tall Grass

 

As war overtakes the frontier, Emma’s family farmstead is attacked by Dakota-Sioux warriors; on that same prairie, Oenikika desperately tries to hold on to her calling as a healer and follow the orders of her father, Chief Little Crow. When the war is over and revenge-fueled war trials begin, each young woman is faced with an impossible choice. In a swiftly changing world, both Emma and Oenikika must look deep within and fight for the truth of their convictions—even as horror and injustice unfolds all around them.

Inspired by the true story of the thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men hanged in Minnesota in 1862—the largest mass execution in US history—Dovetails in Tall Grass is a powerful tale of two young women connected by the fate of one man.

My Review

I remember reading about the true story of the hanging of the Dakota-Sioux men that inspire this book. It is a very tragic moment in history. The treatment that the Dakota endured at the hands of the white men will not be forgotten.

This book is told from two girls voices...Emma and Oenikika. I have to admit that I was more fascinated by Oenikika. Yet, this is not to say that Emma was not interesting. She just had a quieter tone as she was finding her voice. Plus, the other Dakota were just as interesting as Oenikia, therefore her story just came alive more and faster. 

Dovetails in Tall Grass is a tragic but powerful story that author, Samantha Specks does portray beautifully. A book that readers should not miss.