RECKONINGS: Contemporary Short Fiction by Native American Women

by Hertha Dawn Sweet Wong (Editor), Jana Sequoya Magdaleno (Editor), Lauren Stuart Muller (Editor)

The fifteen Native women writers in Reckonings document transgenerational trauma, yet they also celebrate survival. Their stories are vital testaments of our times. Unlike most anthologies that present a single story from many writers, this volume offers a sampling of two to three stories by a select number of both famous and lesser known Native women writers in what is now the United States. Here you will find much-loved stories, many made easily accessible for the first time, and vibrant new stories by well-known contemporary Native American writers as well as fresh emergent voices. These stories share an understanding of Native women's lives in their various modes of loss and struggle, resistance and acceptance, and rage and compassion, ultimately highlighting the individual and collective will to endure against all odds.

Reckonings features short stories Paula Gunn Allen, Kimberly M. Blaeser, Beth E. Brant, Anita Endrezze, Louise Erdrich, Diane Glancy, Reid Gómez, Janet Campbell Hale, Joy Harjo, Linda Hogan, Misha Nogha, Beth H. Piatote, Patricia Riley, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Anna Lee Walters.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction

343 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2008

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent anthology of short fiction from authors, many of whom who have continued to grow in importance since publication. From Louise Erdrich, Leslie Marmon Silko, and Joy Harjo to Paula Gunn, Linda Hogan, and many others, these stories explore a huge breadth of Native American writing and stories. I came searching for more work by Patricia Riley, who is not widely published, but who made an impact on me during my college years. Her stories here, "Damping Down the Road" and "Wisteria," are touching and clear, and this is easier to find than other publications of them. Highly recommend this as a time capsule of a group of women who made a distinctive mark on literary history.

[Penni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recommend this book enough. I wish I had time to write about each short story. I will say “Grandfather Sun Falls in Love with a Moon-Face Woman,” written by Anita Endrezze, could be a master class for aspiring writers on how to use literary devices. Even if you are not a writer, these stories are truly inspiring. I learned many things about history, culture, and communities. I thoroughly enjoyed the various writing styles of these women authors.

[Allegra Gulino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I wanted to support the book's mission and had hoped to love it, I found this book quite uneven. I had to stop reading the introduction because it summarized each short story, including the endings. What a terrible idea to first give away all the spoilers!
There were some stories (grouped by authors) that were stunning and visceral, some that were ok and a handful were very amateur, vague, with ambiguous endings, undeveloped or forgotten ideas, etc. I kept wondering if these were choices on the part of the authors and that they were trying to say something to the reader, then decided that they were just poorly written. Sad, because the best stories really shine in this collection.
Oy, anthologies.