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The Crying for a Vision: A Novel
The Crying for a Vision: A novel is at once a dramatic account of the rise and fall of the Lakota Indians, and an absorbing allegorical saga of the Lakota orphan Waskn-Mani--Moves Walking.
- GenresFiction
280 pages, Hardcover
First published October 3, 1994
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83 people want to read
About the author
Walter Wangerin Jr.
95 books231 followersWalter Wangerin Jr. is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on the issues of faith and spirituality. Starting with the renowned Book of the Dun Cow, Wangerin's writing career has encompassed most every genre: fiction, essay, short story, children's story, meditation, and biblical exposition. His writing voice is immediately recognizable, and his fans number in the millions. The author of over forty books, Wangerin has won the National Book Award, New York Times Best Children's Book of the Year Award, and several Gold Medallions, including best-fiction awards for both The Book of God and Paul: A Novel. He lives in Valparaiso, Indiana, where he is Senior Research Professor at Valparaiso University.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 26, 2016
Summary: A tale of conflict between an orphan boy, Moves Walking, and a ruthless warrior, Fire Thunder over the life of their people, set in Lakota culture.
I've followed the work of Walter Wangerin, Jr. on and off for years, from the book of Bible stories we used to read our son to his Ragman: And Other Cries of Faith and the book he is most famous for, The Book of the Dun Cow, which I read only recently and reviewed here. This book looked like a further stretch, being set supposedly in Lakota culture (I will leave to others whether this book is faithful to Lakota ways). What I can say is that I found the story compelling, raising as it does larger questions of whether the capacity to do a thing is sufficient warrant for doing it.
The story traces the conflict between an orphan boy (actually the child of a beautiful Lakota woman who has disappeared, and a star), Moves Walking, and a mysterious, and fierce one-eyed warrior, Fire Thunder. As a five year old, Moves Walking longs for his mother, Rattling Hail Woman, and asks the warrior if he has seen her, and for this question has his ear cut off.
The boy matures, cared for by a wise grandmother with aching feet and mentored by the Crier of the tribal band. His unusual identity is signaled when a mysterious star, accompanied by others comes to him and his people only to be turned away by them, but mysteriously given a home as water lilies. Later, he is taught to hunt by the Crier, yet grieves after he shoots four rabbits, and learns that a life is not to be taken but only can be asked for. From then on he does not hunt.
Not so, Fire Thunder, who takes whatever he wants and becomes a candidate to be a chief of the band. It turns out that, spurned as a lover, he had pursued Moves Walking's mother, and destroyed her and a host of animal creatures in a fire. In a climactic confrontation, Moves Walking, accompanied by animal witnesses to the heinous murder, stands alone in opposition to Fire Thunder becoming chief. We wonder whether Moves Walking will prevail, but instead, he nearly loses his life as Fire Thunder leads an attack on the animal host, the wolf giving his life to save Moves Walking.
Fire Thunder subsequently leads the Lakota in a war of conquest against the other peoples of the plains. He does this simply because he can. He forsakes the sacred dance and becomes answerable only to himself. Triumph turns to tragedy as the buffalo and all other animal life disappear, even as Fire Thunder destroys all human life other than the Lakota. Famine replaces conquest. Moves Walking and his grandmother live in hiding until the grandmother sees the desolation of the Lakota people. Moves Walking must "cry for a vision" for how he might save the circle of the world which will bring him once more face to face with Fire Thunder.
The story challenges the idea of domination that does a thing simply because it is in one's power to do, and particularly the ruthless domination that takes life simply because it can. It suggests that doing so rends the "circle of life", the fabric of existence, and that only some form of redemptive act can restore what has been rent.
The book includes an extensive Afterword of the author, recounting his research of the book, culminating in attending a Lakota Sun Dance, including the powerful ritual of piercing that many of the dancers undergo and the idea of a vision quest. It is clear that this was a powerfully moving experience for him, and one for which he expresses gratitude to his Lakota hosts. I suspect, however, that this does not provide adequate defense for him against charges of cultural appropriation on one hand, and syncretism on the other. My sense is that this was not a "Christian" story clothed in the veneer of Lakota tradition nor an attempt to do a mashup of Lakota and Christian belief. Rather, perhaps similar to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, although not in a made up world, Wangerin creates a kind of myth that speaks deeply to the human condition, and to the common humanity Wangerin found between himself and the Lakota. I have not found a Lakota response to Wangerin's work but at the time of first publication (1993), the book received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly. The book is currently out of print, but available from various booksellers, as well as local libraries.
I've followed the work of Walter Wangerin, Jr. on and off for years, from the book of Bible stories we used to read our son to his Ragman: And Other Cries of Faith and the book he is most famous for, The Book of the Dun Cow, which I read only recently and reviewed here. This book looked like a further stretch, being set supposedly in Lakota culture (I will leave to others whether this book is faithful to Lakota ways). What I can say is that I found the story compelling, raising as it does larger questions of whether the capacity to do a thing is sufficient warrant for doing it.
The story traces the conflict between an orphan boy (actually the child of a beautiful Lakota woman who has disappeared, and a star), Moves Walking, and a mysterious, and fierce one-eyed warrior, Fire Thunder. As a five year old, Moves Walking longs for his mother, Rattling Hail Woman, and asks the warrior if he has seen her, and for this question has his ear cut off.
The boy matures, cared for by a wise grandmother with aching feet and mentored by the Crier of the tribal band. His unusual identity is signaled when a mysterious star, accompanied by others comes to him and his people only to be turned away by them, but mysteriously given a home as water lilies. Later, he is taught to hunt by the Crier, yet grieves after he shoots four rabbits, and learns that a life is not to be taken but only can be asked for. From then on he does not hunt.
Not so, Fire Thunder, who takes whatever he wants and becomes a candidate to be a chief of the band. It turns out that, spurned as a lover, he had pursued Moves Walking's mother, and destroyed her and a host of animal creatures in a fire. In a climactic confrontation, Moves Walking, accompanied by animal witnesses to the heinous murder, stands alone in opposition to Fire Thunder becoming chief. We wonder whether Moves Walking will prevail, but instead, he nearly loses his life as Fire Thunder leads an attack on the animal host, the wolf giving his life to save Moves Walking.
Fire Thunder subsequently leads the Lakota in a war of conquest against the other peoples of the plains. He does this simply because he can. He forsakes the sacred dance and becomes answerable only to himself. Triumph turns to tragedy as the buffalo and all other animal life disappear, even as Fire Thunder destroys all human life other than the Lakota. Famine replaces conquest. Moves Walking and his grandmother live in hiding until the grandmother sees the desolation of the Lakota people. Moves Walking must "cry for a vision" for how he might save the circle of the world which will bring him once more face to face with Fire Thunder.
The story challenges the idea of domination that does a thing simply because it is in one's power to do, and particularly the ruthless domination that takes life simply because it can. It suggests that doing so rends the "circle of life", the fabric of existence, and that only some form of redemptive act can restore what has been rent.
The book includes an extensive Afterword of the author, recounting his research of the book, culminating in attending a Lakota Sun Dance, including the powerful ritual of piercing that many of the dancers undergo and the idea of a vision quest. It is clear that this was a powerfully moving experience for him, and one for which he expresses gratitude to his Lakota hosts. I suspect, however, that this does not provide adequate defense for him against charges of cultural appropriation on one hand, and syncretism on the other. My sense is that this was not a "Christian" story clothed in the veneer of Lakota tradition nor an attempt to do a mashup of Lakota and Christian belief. Rather, perhaps similar to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, although not in a made up world, Wangerin creates a kind of myth that speaks deeply to the human condition, and to the common humanity Wangerin found between himself and the Lakota. I have not found a Lakota response to Wangerin's work but at the time of first publication (1993), the book received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly. The book is currently out of print, but available from various booksellers, as well as local libraries.
July 26, 2007
The orphan Waskn Mani grows up to become a savior for his people. Wangerin spent months researching for this novel, learned some words in Lakota, and spent time at a sacred Lakota Sun Dance, entering completely into the experience as a member of the community, rather than observing it as an artist taking notes. All of that work shows in the craft of this novel, which Wangerin intended to make a true portrayal of these noble people, one which they would be pleased to have represent them. (I hope he succeeded in that goal, though I of course would never know. However I did sense myself being brought into a real encounter with a very foreign culture through his writing.) Through this fictional tale, Wangerin wanted to communicate universal truths that all peoples could relate to. One of the themes he returns to again and again in his writing, which is foremost in this book, is self-sacrifice. The Lakota people participate in rituals that involve self-sacrifice, so they evidently understand the power of this principle. But it takes a great story by a master storyteller such as Wangerin to bridge the gap between an unfamiliar religion and the reader. He does that very well, I thought.
August 19, 2011
How can I put this? Lutheran pastor writes a book to convey spiritual ideas derived from Native American beliefs, and by the way, to send a strongly anti-war message. Soooo....our Native American protagonist turns out to be a Christ figure, willingly sacrificing himself to save the world (and, just to make the parallels more evident, he is killed by the leader of the aggressively warlike fashion, albeit after said leader has been chastened into greater wisdom). The narrative is rendered as if being told by a wise tribal elder (and wow - there is even a peripheral character named "Black Elk" hint, hint) with occasional lapses into contemporary American English slang (at one point, a character tells another, "Shut up" - certainly a Lakota expression, eh?). So the whole thing is presented as if it were a genuine Lakota epic (if such a thing exists). Only problem is, it's not - it contains some traditional Lakota motifs, and lots of language (though transliteration of Lakota is different from what I'm accustomed to after 20 years living in South Dakota), the culture is explicitly pre-contact Lakota. But it is a story made from whole cloth by Wangerin. It's a powerful story, sure - that's why it got starred reviews when it came out - but it makes implicit claims to a bogus authenticity that it can't sustain. And why is it necessary? The story could be almost the same, and convey the same message, if it were set in a totally made-up world without explicitly placing it within an existing culture not his own.
March 4, 2022
It's been over a week since I finished this book and I've been trying to figure out how I feel about it.
Walter Wangerin Jr. is a terrific writer. He writes with precision and power and there's no doubt this is a well-written novel.
At the same time (matters of appropriation and native stories being written by non-natives aside) I felt uncomfortable about some parts of the story. There was a somewhat minor character with a disability and the way she was treated in the book just felt ... I think distasteful is the best word I can find for it.
It seemed almost wanton.
I understand the idea of innocent and weaker people being targeted by the powerful and strong, but in some ways it felt like it didn't really need to be part of the story and seemed forced.
Some of the wording, too, felt more graphic than it needed to be. I understand that I am a sensitive writer, but I've read heavy material that just didn't go down sideways the way some of the descriptions in this book did. I can't say why. Maybe that says more about me as a reader than the author as a writer.
The author's book "Potter" is probably one of my all-time favorite stories (although I wouldn't say that it's a children's book).
Other reviews will say more about the content of the book, so I guess this is more of a personal response than a review. It was a well-written book with interesting characters and a creative plot borne of original Lakota narratives. The story was engaging and I finished the book in just a couple of days.
Walter Wangerin Jr. is a terrific writer. He writes with precision and power and there's no doubt this is a well-written novel.
At the same time (matters of appropriation and native stories being written by non-natives aside) I felt uncomfortable about some parts of the story. There was a somewhat minor character with a disability and the way she was treated in the book just felt ... I think distasteful is the best word I can find for it.
It seemed almost wanton.
I understand the idea of innocent and weaker people being targeted by the powerful and strong, but in some ways it felt like it didn't really need to be part of the story and seemed forced.
Some of the wording, too, felt more graphic than it needed to be. I understand that I am a sensitive writer, but I've read heavy material that just didn't go down sideways the way some of the descriptions in this book did. I can't say why. Maybe that says more about me as a reader than the author as a writer.
The author's book "Potter" is probably one of my all-time favorite stories (although I wouldn't say that it's a children's book).
Other reviews will say more about the content of the book, so I guess this is more of a personal response than a review. It was a well-written book with interesting characters and a creative plot borne of original Lakota narratives. The story was engaging and I finished the book in just a couple of days.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2025
I missed this one in the 1980s and 90s, when I read most of Wangarin's work. He is an astute storyteller in every book he wrote. He went great lengths to be authentic to tell a story of domination and destruction and, finally, redemption. The story is mixed with his interpretation of Lakota myth and religion, but I don't know how well he succeeded. This is a powerful novel followed by a detailed afterward and glossary.
January 30, 2022
enlightening
I wanted to learn about the Lakota and was not disappointed . I found the glossary in the back of the book very useful
I wanted to learn about the Lakota and was not disappointed . I found the glossary in the back of the book very useful
November 19, 2023
This reread is even more glorious than my first encounter with this book! Please, someone else read this!
I do not have adequate words to describe the beauty of this book. I have been searching for a read like this for some time. The Crying for a Vision is a multi-layered story about the Lakota Nation and its people. It's a story of a tormented warrior's vengeful hatred and the havoc he wreaks. It's a story of the need for us to respect and honor the earth, its inhabitants, (who are our relatives), and the Creator who made them. Most of all, The Crying for a Vision is the story of a gentle young man who must confront the evil that is destroying his tribe. He must make a momentous decision to help his people despite the terrible cost.
Walter Wangerin, JR.'s story is one of epic scope that embodies glorious spiritual truths. We fail to appreciate other cultures and their stories; stories that often reflect one we might already know. However, Wangerin makes us ponder the Story we sometimes take for granted in a fresh new way. I am in awe of this book and am appalled that it does not seem to have a very wide readership. This book deserves to be read.
I especially appreciated how the author made the characters so complex. Even the antagonist is oddly empathetic, and he could have easily been a cardboard cutout of a villain. Fire Thunder proved to be so much more. Moves Walking, the protagonist, is incredible as is the character of the Crier, (Grandfather), his grandmother, Rattling Hail Woman, the animal companions and so many more.
I implore you all to read this gem of a book. It might take a few chapters for you to become immersed in the cadence of the writing as their are tales within tales, (emphasizing the oral tradition). However, please be patient. This journey is well worth taking. Please give this gem of a story a chance. God bless you all.
I do not have adequate words to describe the beauty of this book. I have been searching for a read like this for some time. The Crying for a Vision is a multi-layered story about the Lakota Nation and its people. It's a story of a tormented warrior's vengeful hatred and the havoc he wreaks. It's a story of the need for us to respect and honor the earth, its inhabitants, (who are our relatives), and the Creator who made them. Most of all, The Crying for a Vision is the story of a gentle young man who must confront the evil that is destroying his tribe. He must make a momentous decision to help his people despite the terrible cost.
Walter Wangerin, JR.'s story is one of epic scope that embodies glorious spiritual truths. We fail to appreciate other cultures and their stories; stories that often reflect one we might already know. However, Wangerin makes us ponder the Story we sometimes take for granted in a fresh new way. I am in awe of this book and am appalled that it does not seem to have a very wide readership. This book deserves to be read.
I especially appreciated how the author made the characters so complex. Even the antagonist is oddly empathetic, and he could have easily been a cardboard cutout of a villain. Fire Thunder proved to be so much more. Moves Walking, the protagonist, is incredible as is the character of the Crier, (Grandfather), his grandmother, Rattling Hail Woman, the animal companions and so many more.
I implore you all to read this gem of a book. It might take a few chapters for you to become immersed in the cadence of the writing as their are tales within tales, (emphasizing the oral tradition). However, please be patient. This journey is well worth taking. Please give this gem of a story a chance. God bless you all.
January 5, 2015
This was a very... Different kind of book. Interesting style, written in effect like the story-telling style of the Lakota. Can't say how accurate it is or how much was at the author's discretion. It was hard to follow at times, but it was certainly an interesting journey.
Question, why is the display cover for this book something completely unrelated and random?
Question, why is the display cover for this book something completely unrelated and random?
August 26, 2016
I read Book of the Dun Cow by Walter Wangerin, Jr. From what I can remember, I liked this novel more. I thought this story was a sad version of many modern day events. I have to say that I was disappointed in the description of what the story is about on Goodreads. It's so much more than what is described.
August 11, 2015
Absolutely loved it. Great read, great small bits of the storytellers insight into the culture. Excellently written, allowing you to escape into a world of a beautiful culture.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews