House of Purple Cedar

by Tim Tingle

"The hour has come to speak of troubled times. It is time we spoke of Skullyville." Thus begins Rose Goode's story of her growing up in Indian Territory in pre-statehood Oklahoma. Skullyville, a once-thriving Choctaw community, was destroyed by land-grabbers, culminating in the arson on New Year's Eve, 1896, of New Hope Academy for Girls. Twenty Choctaw girls died, but Rose escaped. She is blessed by the presence of her grandmother Pokoni and her grandfather Amafo, both respected elders who understand the old ways. Soon after the fire, the white sheriff beats Amafo in front of the town's people, humiliating him. Instead of asking the Choctaw community to avenge the beating, her grandfather decides to follow the path of forgiveness. And so unwinds this tale of mystery, Indian-style magical realism, and deep wisdom. It's a world where backwoods spiritualism and Bible-thumping Christianity mix with bad guys; a one-legged woman shop-keeper, her oaf of a husband, herbal potions, and shape-shifting panthers rendering justice. Tim Tingle—a scholar of his nation's language, culture, and spirituality—tells Rose's story of good and evil with understanding and even laugh-out-loud Choctaw humor.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Native American, Young Adult, Fiction, Magical Realism, Historical, Indigenous

192 pages, Paperback

First published December 16, 2013

About the author

Tim Tingle, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is a popular presenter at storytelling and folklore festivals across America. He was featured at the 2002 National Storytelling Festival. In 2004, he was a Teller-In-Residence at The International Storytelling Center, Jonesborough, Tennessee. Choctaw Chief Gregory Pyle has requested a story by Tingle previous to his Annual State of the Nation Address at the Choctaw Labor Day Gathering--a celebration that attracts over thirty thousand people-- from 2002 to the present.

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Forgiveness slays the serpent. It withers in the Light."

An intimate story of faith, community, and interconnectedness told through the eyes of Rose, a young Choctaw girl.

The setting is turn of the twentieth century Oklahoma Territories in a small frontier town where everyone knows everyone. Rose is in her wonder years, the liminal space between childhood and young adult, that time of epiphanies and sheer audacity. Tingle chronicles the intersection of the Choctaw and Nahullo (white) peoples' beliefs and behavior through the events Rose narrates from the brutal and callous to the luminously spiritual.

"If I have learned anything, I have now learned how to walk through sacred moments."

The story involves a fair amount of faith and religion, and to be honest, if it were not for Tingle's authentic voice speaking for Choctaw characters, then I would have been highly disturbed by the degree of Christianity espoused throughout the story. As it is, there is a lovely syncretism portrayed--and I really liked this. It is also why I find the magical realism tags for this book very wrong. Unless you consider Christian miracles magical realism to mark beliefs of spirits and spirit walking as such is demeaning.

Overall, this is a lovely, quietly spoken tale. I suspect that my discomfort with weaponized religion affected my enjoyment of it and thus is reflected in my rating.

[Diane S ☔ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few weeks back, I came across a map of the United States in which each state had the names of the natives tribes that once inhabited the said state. I read so much history of other countries and realized I knew next to nothing about these early people in my own. When I saw this book, I grabbed it and am so glad I did.

This is a wonderful, wonderful novel about the Choctaw people of Oklahoma. I literally had goose bumps reading the last page of this book. It is narrated by Rose, when she was a young Choctaw girl and later as an old women near death. It begins in the Skullyville settlement, in the late 1800's, a fire deliberately set in a girl's school. It kills twenty Choctaw girls, one Rose's best friend.

It highlights the stained conditions between the native people and the nuhillos, or whites. The town is under the harsh hold of Marshall Hardwick, a drunken, evil man who terrorizes all in his path. The characters are amazingly portrayed, from Rose's grandfather, an elder in the tribe, named Amato. A man whose encounter with Marshall Hardwick sets the stage for much of what follows. He advises with grace, wisdom and patience. His wife, Pokoni, who is also wise and loving.

There are of course good people in the town, one a woman with a wooden leg, who befriends Amamfo, and also the stationmaster, who buys him coffee. There are moments of humor, moments of almost unbearable tension, and moments of awe. Rose, has the touch, she can see spirits, which is greatly revered by her people. The elders, those dead and still alive, who continue to watch over their people by whatever means are availed to them.

Ultimately , this is a novel about love, compassion and forgiveness. How judging somebody hurts the person doing the judging as much as the person being judged.

The author himself, is a member of the Choctaw nation, and one important piece in this story was related to him by a friend. Eagerly await his next endeavor.

[Ruthie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! In 1967, we meet Rose, a Choctaw woman who recounts the story of a terrible time in the late 1800's in Skullyville, Oklahoma. A horrible incident of racial hatred takes place and as the story unfolds we see how different people in both the Choctaw and White communities respond. Throughout we meet wonderful characters and quickly fall in love (with a few exceptions) with them. The writer has the gift of being able to describe a character fully in just a few immaculate phrases. This story requires the reader to allow for the belief in a bit of magical mysticism, read some scriptures and allow for the characters to question their beliefs. It is all done with warm, respectful care.

The book is beautifully written and I would recommended it for readers 12 and up. It is adult fiction, but there is nothing a YA reader could not handle, and the subject matter is quite relevant in this age of bullying. There are scenes of heart warming strong family ties, loyal friendships, community support, forgiveness, and redemption. For every act of evil there is one of love and support, and in this book, vengeance is never the answer.

This book was 15 years in the writing. the author, Tim Tingle's story as an author is pretty interesting in it's own right. I can't wait to read more of his work!

[Crystal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I have seen this tagged as both adult and young adult, I would have to choose the adult designation. The story is about Rose and she relates events that happened during her childhood and young adult life, but the story centered around her grandfather and other adults in their community. I think it does have crossover potential though.

Tim Tingle is a fantastic storyteller and brought me into the lives of Rose and her family. There were some harsh situations, but there is also a lot of love and some humor too. The primary issues that come to light are racism and domestic violence. The overarching theme though is one of family and love of many kinds.

[Kimberly Michelle Gay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1896, this Native American story tells the cultural journey of a family’s loyalty and pride through the eyes of destruction and dismay. The author outlines Rose, the narrator, with both nature and nurturing features that frame the Choctaw’s spiritual codes. The reader gathers mystical connections to world and everything in it as seen through the senses of Rose’s ethos, pathos and logos. The author navigates the community of Choctaw Indians’ relieving history. The reader notes the levels of fear that can take center stage when assimilated into a race, religion, values and beliefs that are far from your family convictions.

[Theresa Orand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tingle has created an understated masterpiece that unflinchingly confronts evil in a quiet, unassuming way. An evocative look at Choctaw ways and times gone by. The characters will make you laugh and cry. You will be sorry to see them go. I'm going to have a cup of scalded cocoa now...

[Leslea Abshire · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book and message. A must read. Hard to put down. Great history from our area and about the Choctaw people

[Tibby]

I take back everything I said about Tim Tingle. He is an incredible writer. I wish I had read this book before I read his others. It’s now very clear that the other books show his skill, but are still hi-low books and don’t showcase the full range of his abilities. I also don’t think I can do the book justice with this review. I certainly can’t without giving a lot of it away and I think it’s better to read and savor it just knowing it will be worth the time.

In all honesty, this is probably an adult novel with YA appeal. Rose is telling the story as someone preparing to die, nearly 60 years after the events happened. Rose, in the story of Skullyville, is eleven or twelve, but it’s clearly from a reflective standpoint looking back over the events that lead to her crossing out of childhood.

The story focuses around Rose’s grandfather being hit by the town marshal. Amafo decides he is going to take the path of forgiveness in hopes that others in the town will see the marshal for who he is. This seems to anger the marshal even more and he decides he wants to hurt Amafo again by hurting Rose. This sets more events into motion that drag Rose’s best friend and her family into the violence and danger. Others also fall victim to the marshal’s temper and anger and are sucked into events our of their control.

House of Purple Cedar is definitely a serious book, but it’s not without its humor either. There are plenty of scenes (the attempted bank robbery especially) that lighten the mood. The book meanders a bit in a lovely sort of way, but Tingle does a beautiful job of tying it up perfectly at the end. Which isn’t to say there’s a Disney ending, just that all the pieces come together and you realize nothing he’s told you, no matter how off topic or slow it seemed, was extraneous. You get a very clear picture of life at the time and an excellent sense of place. The characters are all beautifully crafted and you even get glimpses into many of the secondary and tertiary characters.

There is also a bit of magical realism introduced through Choctaw mythology. The panther on the cover arrives almost at the end of the book and is a protector not a danger. Rose also begins by sharing a dream she has had since this period in her early life. And as she prepares to die Rose sees the end to her vision and learns to let everything that happened, to let all the fear, anger and hatred she’s held onto, go.

Being historical fiction it has the feel of an old west novel, but this isn’t plup fiction. This is a beautiful novel about forgiveness, everyday life, and how there is not one thing that leads to an event, just a series of interconnected lives. The setting, some of the people, and certainly some of the themes remind me of True Grit.

[Allison Denny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written coming of age story, with interconnected supporting characters and a lovely, loving family.

[Karen Capper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read. It is about a young Native Amerian girl's story of good and evil. The character depiction makes the story come alive.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It may be partly because I live in the area it is written about, but that's not all. I related to some of the story line, also. It is a great book!

[Zoe Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

This review first appeared on the Magic Realism Books Blog http://magic-realism-books.blogspot.com

One of the joys of my magic realims blog has been my discovery of novels by writers of native American heritage, such as Louise Erdrich, Leslie Marmon Silko, Alfredo Vea and Rudolfo Anaya. Now to that list I can add Tim Tingle. Tingle is perhaps better known for his children's books: Crossing Bok Chitto won the American Indian Youth Literature Award in 2008. This book however is for the adult market, although it would also be suitable to older children.

Maybe because of the author's background in writing children's literature the book has a gentleness and morality which was appealing. These didn't prevent the author from tackling hard subjects - the book opens with the murderous arson attack on a Choctaw school by white racists and two women in the story are victims of domestic violence. Nevertheless these are countered by both Amafo's choice of forgiveness rather than violent response and an attempt to understand the motivation of even the most vicious of men. A part of me (maybe the adult part) kept thinking that life isn't/wasn't like this, but then another part wanted the moral resolution that the book offers.

Justice prevails in this book. Amafo is able to find allies within the white community, such as the wonderful one-legged Maggie Johnston. Most importantly for the purpose of this blog the Choctaw central characters find allies in the natural world and the spirits of their family. This is where the magic realism appears, especially in the form of a panther, that may or may not be Rose's dead grandmother. As is so often the case in magic realist books, there is an ambiguity about what is happening at this crucial point in the story. But earlier we see the spirits of the dead through the eyes of the young narrator Rose, who has inherited her grandfather's sight: Rose, if you are real quiet and learn to see people, you can know the ones weighed down by death. Find out what makes them happy, what they like to do or talk about. Making Walking People laugh is a very good thing to do too, sweetheart. When the spirits laugh, everybody is happy.

Tim Tingle is an experienced oral storyteller and this shows in the book. House of Purple Cedar's central plot may be the serious matter of the persecution of Amafo and his family by the hateful marshal, but the book is leavened by the tale of how Maggie Johnston saves her future husband, Terrance, from the gallows. This tale of the most incompetent bank robber you can imagine reads like a comic fable. It had me giggling when Terrance is threatening to cut a hostage's throat with a butter knife to the bemusement of onlookers. But then there is something fable-like about the whole book. The story is partly told by an elderly Rose and it feels like something told by the fireside. Indeed, as I discovered in the book's acknowledgement section, the tale of the panther/protector had been inspired by just such an account by a real woman remembering her childhood. All of which reminds me of what Marquez once said: the truth is that there’s not a single line in all my work that does not have a basis in reality.

I received a review copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in return for a fair review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed the picture books written by Tim Tingle--most notably Saltypie and Crossing Bok Chitto--but I wasn't sure how his storytelling skills would translate into a massive chapter book. Well, I need not have worried. The book drew me in and made it hard for me to stop reading in order to complete other tasks. At first the shifts in time and in narration can be a bit jarring, but once I settled down and trusted the storyteller, I fell into his rhythm and understood that connections that were not clear at first would eventually be made clear. Near the end of her life in 1967, Rose Willis reflects on some of the events that were most important to her and her family. Rose relates what it was like to grow up in Skullyville in the Oklahoma Territory in her loving Choctaw family. Most of the action in the book stems from a violent attack on Rose's grandfather by the nearby town's racist Marshal Hardwicke. Amafo is deeply wounded, physically and emotionally, by the man's actions, but he decides to return to town with a smiling face, as a reminder to the law enforcement man of what he has done. As it turns out, Hardwicke is a violent drunk with dark secrets and someone given to physically assaulting his wife as well. The book follows his path and those of Rose's family as well as other townspeople who get involved. Although the book could have left readers filled with despair at the heartlessness of Hardwicke and others like him, it somehow concludes on a note of forgiveness and an acknowledgement that goodness outweighs evil although it sometimes takes a long time for the balance to be clear. Ultimately, the author's words reached into my own heart and made me shiver at the quiet courage of several of the characters as well as causing me to wonder at the forces at work around us all. I'm glad I read this book since it has left me better than before I read it.

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is nothing like any I have read before. The structure of the book is unique. The story is told through the eyes and voice of a Choctaw woman as she reflects back on events from her childhood, events that demonstrate the deep wounds caused by racism and fear. Through her parents and especially through her grandparents, the story becomes one of forgiveness and love, and one of hard choices. While the story takes place in the 1800s, it speaks to today’s society. I would not say this book falls in the genre of Christian fiction, but it does carry a meaningful message and is on the recommended reading list for the United Methodist Women. I would recommend House of Purple Cedar to those who are looking for a read that will make them think, not to someone looking for a lighthearted, easy read.

[♞ Pat Gent · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's always interesting to read a book set in your home state, about places you know, places you go, and in some cases, even people you've heard of. My mother's father was a Choctaw Indian, and her entire family grew up in the Wilburton and Spiro area, so this book takes place in my family's backyard almost.

It's a well written, attention grabbing narrative, with a great story line and terrific characters, with a good mystery thrown into the mix just for fun.

I loved every single minute of it.

[Mary Ellin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rate this story 2.5 out of 5. I'm not a fan of magical realism, although this one wasn't too fantastical. Liked the overall concept and the peek into Native American life, and the Christian threads of non-violence and forgiveness and love for neighbor. But overall I found the book choppy and the conclusions predictable and pat. Still, I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Native American literature and/or magical realism.

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2016 American Indian Youth Literature Awards best YA Book. Tim Tingle creates a story full of strong characters and strong voices. The book brings the reader into the time and place in history unlike any other story. While reading this book I felt as if I knew the characters or as if my grandparents were telling me the stories of the past.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was lovely. I don't usually read "lovely" books--more often funny or brutal or complex. But oh my. Tingle weaves a lot of different stories together, blends Christianity and Choctaw beliefs, and paints such a beautiful picture of this tiny town from a hundred years ago. I cannot recommend this enough. I cried more than once.

[Stephanie Tournas · Rating 4 out of 5]

An affecting story of cruelty and forgiveness, set in Oklahoma in the late 1890's. Rose tells the story, both as a young girl and as an old woman remembering the racism of the time when her Choctaw community was terrorized by a vicious man. Poetry, informed by mysticism and historical violence.

[NancyL Luckey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the writing in this book - almost poetic in places. Very spiritual (not religious). Narrated by Rose, the granddaughter of a wise, gentle and strong Choctaw couple. Touched on the issues facing the Indians in the last part of the 1800s, as well as women during that time.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tragic, haunting, mystical, and beautiful. Remarkable, masterful storytelling.

[Elizabeth (NC) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. The ending did not hold up as well as I would like, which bumped it from five to four stars. I would like to discuss it with other folks.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really beautiful writing and almost painfully poignant stories. I never was totally swept away, which is why 4 and not 5 stars, but this is a great book.

[Asgoad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes House of Purple Cedar was difficult to read, not because it was poorly written but because you cared so much about the characters and what they were experiencing.

[`Hayden Smith]

Characters
As the book first started, I really took a liking to one of the protagonists, Amafo. He is a very kind person but keeps to himself a lot. He is always doing something, a task or just something to fiddle with. He is a very calm person and can control himself well. Rose is another character in the book who plays a big role and is another one of the protagonists. At the beginning of the book, she is telling starting to tell the story to and is way in the future, about 71 years after the first chapter takes place. There is a lot of minor characters in the book too. For instance, there is Rose’s Mom and Dad, Pokoni (Rose’s Grandmother), Maggie and Other small characters that don't have much impact on the book. The Antagonist in the book is The Marshal. He is a drunk and is always running around trying to pick fights and start-up things that he shouldn’t.

The Plot
The plot first started off interesting then got really slow. It starts off with the marshal hitting Amafo across the head with a board at the train station. This causes his glasses to get a spiderweb crack in them which, for the rest of the book, Rose refers to Amafo’s glasses as the “Spiderweb Glasses”. After that, the characters start to try to meet and go up against the Marshal. That's when it goes into Maggie’s view. She is one of the people who work at the only store in Skullyvile along with Hiram Blackstone. They have to learn how to keep the Marshal away from some of the people and help out Amafo. Soon Amafo and Maggie become close friends. Another perspective comes along though when a young man tries to rob the bank. He is not successful and Maggie decides to help him escape jail. They then run away together where they help out other people and are free of any crimes they previously committed. After Rose’s Grandmother dies, it causes people to be very sorry for them and makes people come and visit them a lot. One time, Rose’s friend, the preacher’s daughter, was going to visit Pokioni’s grave and was taken by Marshal Hardwick. She was wearing Rose’s jacket and because the Marshal wanted revenge, he thought she was Rose. “‘Maybe kill some Indians, get ‘em on the run’”(Tingle 59). The marshal believed that he was better than the Indians and that they were not important or not equal to him. He then was planning on killing the preacher’s daughter because he had nothing else to do with her. Rose’s family has to then help and conspire to get her back and find what to do with the Marshal.





Writing Style/Language
The writing style in this book is a little old fashioned and cultural. They use words like wuz, and soes instead of was and so. The book was aimed at high schoolers and young adults and was a very good example of Unfairness and racism. There was quite a bit of dialogue in the book, which makes you feel like you're actually listing to the characters talk. Overall the writing style was good.

Theme of Social Justice
This book had a lot of social justice. A lot of it was racism and discrimination against the Indians. This book shows a lot of how people can look and act different but be no different at all, but yet get treated differently. “‘You get a little to close to the tracks, Indian?’”(Tingle 83). This is an example of how the people think that, because he is an Indian, that he should be treated differently or that he is less than them. Even though there is all this going on, Amafo handles it very well and treats the marshal with respect after the board incident. The book has people act in different ways from the Social Justice theme.

Compare and Contrast to TKAM
I would say that I liked To Kill A Mockingbird better than this book. I thought that this book was slow and that it didn’t have much action a lot of the time. TKAM was always keeping me reading and was always interesting. Both books deal with racism and discrimination and both give good information on the topic. TKAM always was a good book but it didn’t lead to big things sometimes. In House Of Purple Cedar, it leads up to the big events and it always elaborated on everything where sometimes TKAM did not.

Connection to the Real-world
I made a connection of where everyone was against the marshal. I have felt like everyone was against me or everyone was against one person. You can learn from that, that when there is a group against one person of a lot of power, the people will usually win. If there is one person doing something wrong and people don't like it, the people with most of the time call that one person out on it.

[Shawn Warring · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book there were many characters introduced to the reader. There were many main characters including Rose and Amafo. The other main character, the Antagonist Is Marshal Hardwicke. And there were many side characters including Lillie Chukma and Colonel Mingo. The characters I liked Best in this book were Amafo, Ona Mae, Maggie Johnson, and Terrance Lowell. This was because Amafo is kind, caring and loveable, but he is strong and will not give up. Ona Mae was one of my favorites too since she was quiet and shy, was beaten by the marshall and then she finally stood up to him and was not afraid. Maggie was overall just energetic and wanted to help people, even though she had a missing leg. Then there was Terrance, he was how I would explain it, kind of like Patrick star. He was clueless. The character I hated was Marshall Hardwicke. Though he was a well written character and I liked him in the story, I just hate how he acts. There were many characters that developed throughout the book but probably the biggest development was Rose. Rose was still kind of weak but took the whole Marshall thing pretty good. But she kept getting stronger throughout the story.

I thought the plot of this book was slow at the beginning but picked up somewhere near the middle. I liked how the marshall was not the only main story in this whole book because it jumps between stories. But I thought it was at times a little confusing. And I didn’t like how at the beginning they took way too long telling some stories that didn’t really matter. So I bet some people stopped reading there. I thought the Story about maggie and Terrance was too fake and not very realistic. Since he was clueless and robbed a bank without any bullets and so after he went to a store to buy bullets. Then he got caught and put in jail but then maggie helps him escape? It sounds like a great action movie but not in a book that is mostly about realism.

I liked the way that this book was written since it was placed in the late 1800’s by indians. So the way it was written looked and sounded just like it. The author used indian words like Yakoke and hoke in many pages of the book. There are also paragraphs of just indian language. But what I didn’t like about this was that there weren't any Translations. So you don’t know what they are saying in those long paragraphs.

The Social injustice theme in this book is that Marshall Hardwicke is white and hates Indians and he gets drunk all the time. So he ends up hitting Amafo, who is indian, right in the side of the head with a board. For no good reason. Then he decides to go after them and has a grudge against Amafo, again for no reason. But sometimes the Injustice theme was hard to find. I had trouble finding it sometimes and in some of the stories I just couldn’t find any.

I am going to compare this book to the Book ”To kill a mockingbird”. There are some similarities like there is social injustice because of the color of their skin. They take place near each other in time. And someone hates the main characters like Hardwicke and Mr.EwellBut there are also many other differences. For example To kill a mockingbird doesn’t jump around between stories and only stays on the main characters. There is also No mystery about a character in House of Purple Cedar, but there is in To kill a Mockingbird.

A connection in this book to the real world would be that Indians were actually treated this way in the 1800’s and that Black people were treated similarly in the 1900’s. And a connection I made to this book was that some people treat people of any sort of skin color or ethnicity well, but some people don’t. And this is still happening all around the world today.

“When Amafo was struck by the Marshall, he retreated into himself,Protected and encircled by his Choctaw friends for many years.” ““Time we go,” Amafo said, thinking the Marshall had entered the station house. He rose and stepped around the table to help me with my chair At that moment the marshall whirled around and knocked Amafo against the table. Though violent in it’s result, I am convinced this was an accidental act. But something about bumping against another man, a weaker man, seemed to breathe new life into the marshall. As the marshall stood up, he swung the board in a loop, catching my grandfather on the side of his head.” Tingle, Tim. House of Purple Cedar. First ed., vol. 1, Cinco Puntos Press, 2014.

[`Hayden Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Characters
As the book first started, I really took a liking to one of the protagonists, Amafo. He is a very kind person but keeps to himself a lot. He is always doing something, a task or just something to fiddle with. He is a very calm person and can control himself well. Rose is another character in the book who plays a big role and is another one of the protagonists. At the beginning of the book, she is telling starting to tell the story to and is way in the future, about 71 years after the first chapter takes place. There is a lot of minor characters in the book too. For instance, there is Rose’s Mom and Dad, Pokoni (Rose’s Grandmother), Maggie and Other small characters that don't have much impact on the book. The Antagonist in the book is The Marshal. He is a drunk and is always running around trying to pick fights and start-up things that he shouldn’t.

The Plot
The plot first started off interesting then got really slow. It starts off with the marshal hitting Amafo across the head with a board at the train station. This causes his glasses to get a spiderweb crack in them which, for the rest of the book, Rose refers to Amafo’s glasses as the “Spiderweb Glasses”. After that, the characters start to try to meet and go up against the Marshal. That's when it goes into Maggie’s view. She is one of the people who work at the only store in Skullyvile along with Hiram Blackstone. They have to learn how to keep the Marshal away from some of the people and help out Amafo. Soon Amafo and Maggie become close friends. Another perspective comes along though when a young man tries to rob the bank. He is not successful and Maggie decides to help him escape jail. They then run away together where they help out other people and are free of any crimes they previously committed. After Rose’s Grandmother dies, it causes people to be very sorry for them and makes people come and visit them a lot. One time, Rose’s friend, the preacher’s daughter, was going to visit Pokioni’s grave and was taken by Marshal Hardwick. She was wearing Rose’s jacket and because the Marshal wanted revenge, he thought she was Rose. He then was planning on killing her because he had nothing else to do with her. Rose’s family has to then help and conspire to get her back and find what to do with the Marshal.





Writing Style/Language
The writing style in this book is a little old fashioned and cultural. They use words like wuz, and soes instead of was and so. The book was aimed at high schoolers and young adults and was a very good example of Unfairness and racism. There was quite a bit of dialogue in the book, which makes you feel like you're actually listing to the characters talk. Overall the writing style was good.

Theme of Social Justice
This book had a lot of social justice. A lot of it was racism and discrimination against the Indians. This book shows a lot of how people can look and act different but be no different at all, but yet get treated differently. Even though there is all this going on, Amafo handles it very well and treats the marshal with respect after the board incident. The book has people act in different ways from the Social Justice theme.

Compare and Contrast to TKAM
I would say that I liked To Kill A Mockingbird better than this book. I thought that this book was slow and that it didn’t have much action a lot of the time. TKAM was always keeping me reading and was always interesting. Both books deal with racism and discrimination and both give good information on the topic. TKAM always was a good book but it didn’t lead to big things sometimes. In House Of Purple Cedar, it leads up to the big events and it always elaborated on everything where sometimes TKAM did not.

Connection to the Real-world
I made a connection of where everyone was against the marshal. I have felt like everyone was against me or everyone was against one person. You can learn from that, that when there is a group against one person of a lot of power, the people will usually win. If there is one person doing something wrong and people don't like it, the people with most of the time call that one person out on it.

[Kristi Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

For me, the book "House of Purple Cedar" by Tim Tingle did not live up the reviews of the book or the accolades heaped upon this award-winning author.

The story is told from different points of view, although the emphasis is on 11-year-old Rose who lives in a small community of Choctaw Indians in Oklahoma in the late 1800's. Her community is a tight-knit group of Native American Christians who have incorporated some of their native traditions with those of the Christian whites. The children willingly attend white boarding schools and gain a traditional "white" education.

During the telling of Rose's story, some events over the course of a year are tragic and help to illustrate both the sacrifices made by the Choctaw, as well as the inequities heaped upon them. The book consists of what I would call "slice of life" tales - some are meaningful and powerful; others are more light-hearted or whimsical in nature. In my eyes, the varied pathos of the slices didn't really mesh into a coherent story. But neither would I call them a series of short stories. Until about two-thirds of the way through the book, no one storyline really caught my attention. The tragic burning of the school and the childrens' lives that were lost, and the relationship between Rose and her grandfather were both the most interesting to me, but I felt like they were not explored as fully as I would have liked.

The book just left me feeling like I had read a book, not become invested in the lives of the characters. If readers are looking for a deeper, more "educational" story, I would suggest either "There, There," by Tommy Orange or "Runs With Courage," by Joan Wolf. Especially the latter, as it is a YA novel set in the same era, also told by a tween-aged girl attending a white boarding school. Ms. Wolf's book felt much more genuine and, for me, gave me a better idea about the types of issues Native Americans were dealing with during the late 1800's as whites tried to forcefully acclimate those that preceded us to our developing culture.

House of Purple Cedar simply wasn't powerful enough to grab me in the beginning and never gained enough strength or momentum to lure me in at any time. Had this not been for coursework, I don't know that I would have finished it.

[Matthew Papalionakis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Tingle's House of Purple Cedar follows the life of the native Choctaw people residing in post civil war Oklahoma (pre=statehood). With the utmost emphasis over any of the other characters, it follows the lives of Rose, a young girl within the community, and her grandparents, her amafo and pokoni, in their conflict with the abusive, racist, drunkard Marshal Hardwicke, and in fact with the world as a whole that can be at times harsh and cruel.

This novel was so incredibly packed with meaning that taking the time to look at it right now is both appreciated yet still somewhat daunting. A lot of this meaning is attached to real world issues that are difficult things to talk about, things like spousal abuse and the way in which the different Native peoples of America were treated by the White people moving in to settle everywhere. In spite of this, or in fact because of it, this is a novel that is incredibly important to talk about because it allows us a space to start these conversations. This book is also filled to the brim with biblical references, and looking at them now from the perspective of an adult who is not a practicing Christian but was raised very devoutly in the Church, is fascinating in how I am able to decipher the textual significance of these references.

Speaking to any current/prospective middle-level English teachers, this is definitely a book I would recommend they take a look at. If your preferred angle to tackle literature is new criticism, focusing purely on the craft, I don't know if this might be what you're looking for, but if you are more interested in how a text can help create a conversation into both historical and modern day social issues, then this is a perfect text for your classroom.

[Letitia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's fine, if not great. Although the writing is mediocre and simplistic, there's still something to be said for a storyline that does beg the reader to stick with it to the end. Some may even prefer the straightforward and inelegant writing style. My biggest objection was actually the cartoonish villain. One must wonder why, in a town where he is universally loathed and avoided, no one does away with him sooner. Combine this with the fact that the main family is without a single discernible flaw, and the characters seem flat and unrealistic.

It's the isolation of racism down to this single, garishly objectionable marshal that doesn't really do the story any favors. It makes it seem as though anti-Choctaw prejudice is something that could be boiled down to one man, and although he holds the power of law enforcement and racial privilege, he doesn't hold any popularity or reflect the overall sentiment of the town in which this is placed. I think it would be far more realistic to illustrate how such a terrible man is propped up by the racist attitudes that were broadly accepted by the community.

The highlight of this book is actually Maggie and Terrence's thoroughly delightful side story, which has little to no relevance to any other events in the book, and does not impact the outcome, but has characters engaging enough to make them my favorite part. So clearly Tingle can write amusing, endearing, and multifaceted characters, but he didn't use those for his main protagonists or antagonist.

Is is those lovable side stories, combined with an underlying sense of dread and wondering how the conflict will be resolved, that holds the reader's interest. There is a throughline, and it is interesting, but would have benefited from more complexity.