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Far Memory
Scarlet Feather
Piyanah is a girl born into an American Indian tribe that has lost its true heritage and become the prey of prejudice and superstition. She grows up with her cousin Raki as outsiders to the tribe, because her mother refuses to accept the restrictions of tradition. But in truth, Piyanah is the daughter of the chief, and after her mother dies, her father selects both Piyanah and Raki to become his successors and form a new tribe, free of the superstitious past. But first they must both prove themselves, and even then it is not easy for the new generation to break the ties of tradition, prejudice, and superstition which have kept the tribe trapped in its limitations.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1975
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 14, 2009
A wonderful story about two children being brought up with the special purpose of being able to make themselves and whoever wants to follow them free from the old and stiff ways of their tribe.
What I really like about this book is the insight in the very special culture among these Indians and the physical and psycological fights the two main characters have to get through in order to start on a fresh on behalf of the whole tribe.
What I really like about this book is the insight in the very special culture among these Indians and the physical and psycological fights the two main characters have to get through in order to start on a fresh on behalf of the whole tribe.
September 21, 2013
I read this as a child/teenager. My mother loved it and my sisters loved and I adored it. The story is so vivid and the setting so detailed. I was totally fascinated by it and read it several times, then re-read it a few years ago as an adult and I still enjoyed it -- although it's always such a different experience re-visiting a much loved childhood book with the perspective of an adult.
I would like to read it again though, it holds a very special place in my heart. I wish it was available for kindle!
Spoilers below (although only vague ones)
It's hard to summarize in a review, but it's set in a pre-colonial America. I didn't know this as a child, but the author claims to be writing a memory of a past life. I'm a sceptic, but whatever inspired her it's an amazing book.
It's a love story (and a beautiful one), but is so much more than that. You follow the characters from their infancy, through childhood to adulthood. They have great difficulties to overcome to prove themselves and gain the trust of the new tribe they eventually go on to establish. It's a story of old ways and customs being replaced by new one, and a story of female power asserting itself over patriarchy and segregation.
I hope I will enjoy it as much next time I read it, but I've given it 5 stars because anything that has stuck in my head for so many years deserves it.
I would like to read it again though, it holds a very special place in my heart. I wish it was available for kindle!
Spoilers below (although only vague ones)
It's hard to summarize in a review, but it's set in a pre-colonial America. I didn't know this as a child, but the author claims to be writing a memory of a past life. I'm a sceptic, but whatever inspired her it's an amazing book.
It's a love story (and a beautiful one), but is so much more than that. You follow the characters from their infancy, through childhood to adulthood. They have great difficulties to overcome to prove themselves and gain the trust of the new tribe they eventually go on to establish. It's a story of old ways and customs being replaced by new one, and a story of female power asserting itself over patriarchy and segregation.
I hope I will enjoy it as much next time I read it, but I've given it 5 stars because anything that has stuck in my head for so many years deserves it.
October 18, 2013
Not sure which edition I read, but it was a long time ago.
My Grandmother had a set of these and I read them when I stayed with her.
Did read as if she was telling her own experiences. Quite fascinating.
My Grandmother had a set of these and I read them when I stayed with her.
Did read as if she was telling her own experiences. Quite fascinating.
April 7, 2024
Harsh lessons in physical courage abound in this spiritual memoir by the greatest of past-life memoirists, Joan Grant.
In this incarnation, she's a Native American from the Tribe of the Heron. So much is asked of her, through her arduous, dangerous physical training. Sometimes I found this book hard to read for that reason.
Once again, Joan Grant prepared to write a memoir by reliving the lifetime through past-life regression. No wonder this story has such vividness, helping this Goodeader to re-live an always surprising story of a previous lifetime.
In an "Author's Note" at the front of this book, Joan Grant writes:
The Redskins of this book belonged to a much earlier epoch than is covered by the recorded history of the North American Indians.
My present knowledge of the United States is very limited, three months in New York when I was seven, so I have as yet had no opportunity of trying to identify the country crossed by the Tribe of the Heron on their migration.
Although this story reads like a novel, to me it is much, much more.
FIVE STARS of great respect.
In this incarnation, she's a Native American from the Tribe of the Heron. So much is asked of her, through her arduous, dangerous physical training. Sometimes I found this book hard to read for that reason.
Once again, Joan Grant prepared to write a memoir by reliving the lifetime through past-life regression. No wonder this story has such vividness, helping this Goodeader to re-live an always surprising story of a previous lifetime.
In an "Author's Note" at the front of this book, Joan Grant writes:
The Redskins of this book belonged to a much earlier epoch than is covered by the recorded history of the North American Indians.
My present knowledge of the United States is very limited, three months in New York when I was seven, so I have as yet had no opportunity of trying to identify the country crossed by the Tribe of the Heron on their migration.
Although this story reads like a novel, to me it is much, much more.
FIVE STARS of great respect.
October 7, 2018
The Far Memory books are great. This one is exceptional in the ways it touches on feminist issues, even more so than Winged Pharaoh. All you Me Too ladies should read it asap. It has a clear illustration of the downside of getting what you want. Not that it refutes what you want, but it does broaden one's understanding of the issues involved.
January 31, 2022
Read this twice now and enjoyed the apparent reality of her far memory story.
December 22, 2024
I first read this as a teenager in the 70s. I remembered it fondly so when I saw a copy in a second hand book store I jumped at it. I was a little worried it might not hold up to re-reading as an adult but I am happy to say my fears were unfounded. Ignore the Joan Grant 'past lives' silliness (it's demonstrably wrong eg. goats were unknown in North America before European intrusion), this is a first rate historical fantasy.
Set in pre-Columbian North America, Scarlet Feather tells the story of two Indians, Raki and Piyanah, raised together who become lovers and eventually joint chiefs in defiance of the extremely rigid gender roles of their culture. There's plenty of excitement as they must first pass the tests of bravery and endurance of their tribe to gain the respect of the people they hope to lead. The Indians lead a hard but in many ways idyllic existence in beautiful, unspoiled nature and this comes across really well. And the love between the leads is a strong romantic thread, unshakeable throughout and refreshingly free of the hot and cold, wrong people, wilful misunderstandings etc that are the stock in trade of modern romance. There's the odd inconsistency and a bit of hippy mysticism but it all blends in nicely because it's Raki and Piyanah's beliefs, you don't need to buy in to it.
So after many years this book returns as one of my favourites. You might ask was Grant a clever charlatan or was she honestly deluded? It doesn't matter. With this book she's clearly one heck of writer either way.
Set in pre-Columbian North America, Scarlet Feather tells the story of two Indians, Raki and Piyanah, raised together who become lovers and eventually joint chiefs in defiance of the extremely rigid gender roles of their culture. There's plenty of excitement as they must first pass the tests of bravery and endurance of their tribe to gain the respect of the people they hope to lead. The Indians lead a hard but in many ways idyllic existence in beautiful, unspoiled nature and this comes across really well. And the love between the leads is a strong romantic thread, unshakeable throughout and refreshingly free of the hot and cold, wrong people, wilful misunderstandings etc that are the stock in trade of modern romance. There's the odd inconsistency and a bit of hippy mysticism but it all blends in nicely because it's Raki and Piyanah's beliefs, you don't need to buy in to it.
So after many years this book returns as one of my favourites. You might ask was Grant a clever charlatan or was she honestly deluded? It doesn't matter. With this book she's clearly one heck of writer either way.
April 18, 2016
A truly wonderful book of two people Piyana and Raki who will lead a new tribe of Indians as equals. They are the same age and grow up together and basically do everything together until they are told they must each spend 7 years training to be one of the opposite sex so they can both be Cheif of a new tribe. The book is full of power, Love, and wisdom. The Winged Pharoah is Joan Grants most famous story but I think this must come a very close 2nd.
August 31, 2015
I loved this book by Joan Grant who wrote of her past lifetimes. This story covered a pair who would change the early Native American tribe they were part of to form their own tribe, one that brought men and women together. Even though this book was written in the 1940s it felt very much in the NOW when not only males/females are recognizing both aspects of themselves but when attention is being placed on ONENESS.
April 9, 2016
I enjoyed this story, as a story, far more so than Life as Carola, but don't feel that any of Grant's supposed past life recollections are authentic. More like projections of herself into historical contexts. For one thing, the female lead character, and she is always a female in every life, has the same wilful, somewhat histrionic, visionary and talkative personality as Grant herself displays in her autobiography. It becomes a little tedious after the first three books.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews