How the Strong Survive

by Newton Love

When four rape victims come to Ben Pace - a Lakhota healer - Ben is given the task to help these women seek justice while, at the same time, aid them in their healing process. Only at the beginning of his spiritual development as a healer, Ben isn't sure how to help these women. After all, they are all white, and Ben is a Lakhota Sioux. After much thought and spiritual preparation, Ben comes up with a plan to help the women take back the power that the serial rapist stole from them. The action they take, however, does not work as Ben had expected it to. Some of the women seem better, some worse, but none of them is completely healed. Is it because they are white and Ben was using Lakhota ways? Though the women have suffered the same violation at the hands of the same perpetrator, the women have not reacted as Ben thought they would. And the serial rapist, despite Ben's carefully planned strategy, is still at large, protected by his family's tremendous wealth and political power. Is the difference in cultures the problem? Are Ben's and the women's cultural and spiritual beliefs at such odds with each other that no healing can occur? Is the conflict between the cultures too great for Ben and the victims to cross the chasm and reach what they all justice and healing. In powerful writing and vivid descriptions that allow us a glimpse into the world of Lakhota beliefs and spirituality, Newton Love has given us a twist on the detective novel. Ben Pace is not Sherlock Holmes. Ben is a detective who is Lakhota, human, imperfect, but, according to Lakhota ways, honorable. With memorable characters, an exciting plot, and stimulating dialogue, Love has created a new kind of detective while exploring the conflict between the Lakhota Way and other cultures' Ways.

Paperback

First published December 18, 2006

Reviews

[Delphine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Pace, a Lakhota healer, is on the war path … in a manner of speaking. Half Native American, he is however very restless: no fewer than four rape victims have begged him to help them take revenge on their rapist who is protected by his situation in life, his family, his connections.

These four women need to heal. Will they? Will the Indian way work on non-Native Americans?

Newton Love has a wonderful way of writing, his style is marvellous, funny, fulll of the Lakhota humor. Newton Love is also half Lakhota, and the Lakhotas are well-known for a certain sense of humor.

This novel is his first, I am very much looking forward to all the others.

[Newt · Rating 5 out of 5]

How the Strong Survive is a "no holds barred" blast through modern politics, violence against women, and racism against American Indians--especially the Lakhota Nation--set amidst humor and Lakhota mysticism.

It is the story of four women victims of a serial rapist who is the nephew of the Governor of Maryland. The trial was rushed into court before it was ready, so that he could get a not guilty, avoiding scandal in the next election. While Democrats--who out number Republicans in Maryland by over 2 to 1--are taken to task for their double-dealing ways, when the Republicans finally show up in the book, they are revealed as ruthless, cold-calculating power mongers. They all lie and cheat to accomplish their ends!

The four women come to Ben Pace--a Lakhota medicine man--who is living off-Rez on a Crofton Maryland hilltop, and ask him for help. He agrees to help them seek justice against a system stacked against them. An elaborate plan for finding new evidence against the rapist and recovering the "power" that he stole from the women is developed which also insures that the women who confront the rapist remain anomymous.

Meanshile, the rapist is back on the streets, bothering his old victims and seeking new ones.

Ben's spirit guide--Raven Who Hops--directs Ben to combine his helping the women with seeking redress for the US Government's raping of the Indian Trust Funds, stealing and embezzling over $18 billion in the process. Both groups need justice against villains who are protected by the rich and powerful.

The game is set. Ben Pace and the four women versus the rapist and his rich and powerful family. Who will get to write the ending in this thriller?

Heavily stoked in the Lakhota culture and mystic religion, this book is unlike any other mystery or thriller in print. Some who read it will think it is part fantasy. To others, it will be vividly real, with examples of how we could live, if our lives were devoted to walking in total harmony with nature and the spiritual realm.

Take a chance... take a walk on the wild side. Read How the Strong Survive.

(Yes, I am the author.)

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the beginning of the book I was hesitant at the first person writing; however, as I began to get into the book it was hard to put down. I liked it very much until near the end when the rape of Indian nations got thrown into the mix of the rape of four women. I think it took away from the book and this was not the place for it, or it should have been developed from the beginning of the book. The ending just wasn't there, at least not for me. To that point, I really enjoyed the book and appreciated learning a bit about Lakota culture.