Ghost Singer

by Anna Lee Walters

Human ears, strung like beads on a cord; scalps with hair and ears still intact; infant bones in a medicine bundle; corpses, whole, in a cardboard box. These artifacts in an obscure corner of the Smithsonian cause Indian ghosts to haunt, torment, and murder researchers--even as they themselves are tormented by the items in the museum's collection. Only the sacred rituals of Indian medicine men can make it safe to be around these dangerous artifacts.

Genres: Horror, Fiction, Indigenous, Thriller, Mystery, Suspense, Anthropology

220 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1988

About the author

Anna Lee Walters (born 1946) is an award-winning Pawnee/Otoe-Missouria author from Oklahoma.

Walters works at the Diné College in Arizona, where she directs the college press. She lives in Tsaile, Arizona with her husband Harry Walters. He is the former Director of the Museum at Diné College.

Her first novel, Ghost Singer (1994) is a two-level mystery: one relates to the suicide of researchers at the Smithsonian Institution, which is attributed to ghosts related to Indian artifact (archeology)s; the other is that of how American Indians understand their position related to their ancestry and culture. Turning the genre on its head, Walters "solves" only the second mystery.

Her short story collection, The Sun Is Not Merciful, won the Before Columbus Foundation 1985 American Book Award.

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[annika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I read this for a uni class so it’s quite possible that the fact that I had to read it stoked my resentment for the book. But, while the subject matter is interesting, I can’t say I enjoyed reading this at all. I struggled getting through this more than with any other novel I’ve been assigned for school.
The little plot there is extremely slow-paced, but the characters are incredibly underdeveloped as well. I really disliked the writing style. The dialogue is more like characters monologuing/spouting exposition at each other and sounds awkward. The descriptions were very stilted as well. The fact that most of the many central characters had little to no personality to speak of made it difficult to keep track of them.

[Carmenlita Chief · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated how Walters chose to construct the closing of each narrative in this book, because even in 2018, these narratives are still ongoing in the histories of Native people. Though she is not Navajo, Walters still captured the essence of Navajo life, philosophy and thought, and this is especially apparent near the end of the book. As a Navajo woman myself, I read this book at 20 years of age and now again at 36. I finally grasped the depth of the major messages.

"There is much out there that can be harmful to us. But we can continue to live, in beauty, in spite of everything, with our prayers and songs."

[mush♡ · Rating 3.25 out of 5]

Despite being a school book, I actually feel like while I was being informed of important topics through this tale, I was still able to enjoy my time with the characters and grow a bond with them.

Anna Lee Walters you have impressed me with your story telling and how it emphasized the importance of respecting the history of indigenous communities, being more sympathetic towards the hardships they've battled, and the true dangers and impact of cultural appropriation.

It’s also a really eye opening novel for people who needed a push to embrace their culture more than they have been. I know it definitely was for me. A good read for sure!

[Ezra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for a Native American literature course I'm taking this semester. I really enjoyed it - this has been the first book in a long while to keep me up until 2AM reading, as I usually value getting a good night's sleep!

While I liked the characters and the story itself kept me interested, by the end of the novel I still had questions about certain plot points (um, what was the ghost looking for??) and found the ending a bit unsatisfactory, although I understood why the author ended it like she did. Would recommend for anyone interested in Native American history/literature.

[Sajah Kuderman · Rating 4 out of 5]

read this book for my Native American Literature class

pretty damn good, and a really great insight into the way tribal communities function and how white people invade on their peace by disrupting their history.

the ending was a little unsatisfying, but i also do think that is to the benefit of the novel because of how true that is of Native history.

the timelines and the number of characters tripped me up often and made the story a tad hard to follow.

very good! would recommend to those who are curious.

[Yitazba Largo-Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is bone chilling...this was the first book in a while that I could not put down. Mysterious suicides among researches and archivsts at the Natural History Museum in Washington, DC haunt the living. The violence stored in a secret collection unleashes a dark and hidden horror that lead people to madness. I won't say much else other than that this book reveals that the past truly does affect the present, and that not all of history can be easily boxed away when graves and a nationhood have been deeply violated.

[Devilish Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding tale that interweaves elements of traditional Navajo beliefs and history, an anthropological collection at the Smithsonian, ghosts of long-dead Navajos never allowed to rest, and the struggles of 1960s Native Americans and colonizers to understand traditional belief systems. I loved the stories of the Indigenous characters day to day lives, beliefs and family, and the horror elements of the spirit people and the ceremony performed at the end.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of two different mindsets and two different cultures interpreting the same events. Highly recommended for people working in museums as it examines what it means to hold cultural items in a collection and how those collections can affect the people around them.

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Annalisa]

again, i dont rate books i read for class however I cannot let it go unsaid how fantastic this book is. walters tackles issues of repatriation and the sacred in a sympathetic and harrowing way.

[Kailey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very message oriented at the expenditure of character. Good to analyze, and a fun read, but important to keep in mind when the book was written.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the concepts more than what’s on the page. Still, an exciting book

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant. One of the most important books in the horror canon. I sank into the world of the characters.

[Cedric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a book I read for a religion class I'm taking.
It started off interestingly. I was intrigued by the first character, Mr. Drake, and was hopeful for a good story. But suddenly in the next chapter I was being told the story of someone completely different. There are about 8-10 different people who all have separate stories and it's very confusing. In the end the author ties all the stories together, but it is still a bit scattered and boggling. I enjoyed the book, though I could tell the language was from a different decade. I recommend this book, but not as a fun afternoon read, more as a literary contemplation experience.

[mlp4776 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will make you look at the Native American displays at the Smithsonian with an entirely different eye. Several stories converge in this book -- the search for a baby girl who was stolen by raiders in 1830 and mysterious deaths among Smithsonian staffers who have been working with Native American artifacts (ears, scalps, blankets, etc.) hidden away in an attic office. Ghosts of those who have never been allowed to rest flow thoughout the book.

[Loren Toddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this book for a class I was taking at the University of New Mexico. At first I didn't like it but after a while it got pretty interesting. The discussions about the book made it more intriguing. Worth reading and I love that its all interpretive. Not bad at all but not great by any means. The class made the book good. On its own - bleh.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading many Native American Novels, this one just seemed too heavy handed. The dialogue consisted of too much exposition, and the "ghost story" aspect is overwhelmed with the other motifs of the book. Definitely not one I would recommend.

[Grace]

I had to read it for my summer school and i thought it was really good