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Dovetails in Tall Grass
As war overtakes the frontier, Emma’s family farmstead is attacked by Dakota-Sioux warriors; on that same prairie, Oenikika desperately tries to hold on to her calling as a healer and follow the orders of her father, Chief Little Crow. When the war is over and revenge-fueled war trials begin, each young woman is faced with an impossible choice. In a swiftly changing world, both Emma and Oenikika must look deep within and fight for the truth of their convictions—even as horror and injustice unfolds all around them.
Inspired by the true story of the thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men hanged in Minnesota in 1862—the largest mass execution in US history—Dovetails in Tall Grass is a powerful tale of two young women connected by the fate of one man.
Inspired by the true story of the thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men hanged in Minnesota in 1862—the largest mass execution in US history—Dovetails in Tall Grass is a powerful tale of two young women connected by the fate of one man.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 24, 2021
96 people are currently reading
4955 people want to read
About the author
Samantha Specks
3 books31 followersSamantha Specks is a clinical social worker who has worked on a child/adolescent psychiatric unit, as a Dialectical Behavioral group therapist with adults and adolescents, and as an outpatient psychotherapist. She currently lives in Texas, but her heart and mind resided in Minnesota, her home state, while working on Dovetails in Tall Grass, which is her debut novel. Her happy place is reading a good book or watching a terrible TV show with a cup of tea and her leggings covered in dog hair. Sticking with the theme of strong young women, Samantha and her husband welcomed a baby girl to their family while she was writing this novel.
Visit samanthaspecks.com for more information.
Visit samanthaspecks.com for more information.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
November 4, 2024
On December 26, 1862 thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men were hanged at the largest mass execution in U.S. history. Samantha Specks faithfully records the circumstances that led to the war and its aftermath in her debut novel Dovetails in Tall Grass.
The story is told through the viewpoints of two young women, one Dakota and one white. Specks tells how Emma and Oenikika find their voices and make their life choices at a time when neither culture offers many options for women. Specks asks the reader to examine her own conscience and see if she is living her values, a very worthwhile question.
This work of historical fiction is a solid debut. The overall story is well plotted, though a little too neatly tied up at the end. The prose is uneven--in some places quite good and in others overwritten. Character development is also uneven and not as nuanced as I like.
I became interested in learning more about this event in Minnesota history after reading William Kent Krueger's novel This Tender Land. This novel delivers the history in an adequate wrapper.
Publication 2021
The story is told through the viewpoints of two young women, one Dakota and one white. Specks tells how Emma and Oenikika find their voices and make their life choices at a time when neither culture offers many options for women. Specks asks the reader to examine her own conscience and see if she is living her values, a very worthwhile question.
This work of historical fiction is a solid debut. The overall story is well plotted, though a little too neatly tied up at the end. The prose is uneven--in some places quite good and in others overwritten. Character development is also uneven and not as nuanced as I like.
I became interested in learning more about this event in Minnesota history after reading William Kent Krueger's novel This Tender Land. This novel delivers the history in an adequate wrapper.
Publication 2021
August 24, 2021
My absolute favorite thing about reading historical fiction is learning something from our past that causes me to pause and reflect on what previous generations have gone through. Once I started this book, I knew that it would be a five-star read for me and it whole-heartedly was.
During a visit to her grandparents’ home for the Christmas holiday in Minnesota in 2005, author Samantha Specks came across men riding on horseback. She couldn’t understand why Native American men were riding horses in December across Minnesota. Her mom explained they were riding to remember the thirty-eight plus two Dakota-Sioux men that were hanged in the largest execution in US history. This set off a fifteen-year journey of research, learning, and writing for Specks which culminated in this book.
Oenikika, a young Dakota, the daughter of Chief Little Crow, has never known her mother who died in childbirth. She loyally cares for her grandmother and for her father. When her father returns from a long trip East to meet with the Great White Father, (President Abraham Lincoln) everything in Oenikika’s life is about to change.
Emma Heard is the middle child in her family. She is deeply saddened that her schooling is done and her teacher is leaving to teach in Iowa City, far away. She dreams of being a teacher, maybe even teaching her younger siblings and the other children of New Ulm. Her parents don’t understand her dreams and feel that her life is best here on the farm.
The fate of these two women collides in an unbelievable way. As each woman shares her story in alternating chapters, the lives of a young Native American and a young white woman become intertwined, forever changing their futures. The events that led up to the December 26, 1862, execution unfold before you, and with empathy, shock, and despair you realize this really happened in America, in the heart of the Midwest.
Specks writes in the voice of Oenikika so well, I felt part of the tribe and understood her resistance to the growing changes due to the White Man around her and her need to connect to the Earth. As Oenikika, her father, and grandmother begin to move into a white man’s home, her reaction and aversion to her new surroundings were so eye-opening to me.
“I moved to the side of the room and looked out the clear openings in the wall. What a peculiar feeling: looking out from the inside. The house traps you, so you make these windows, to feel like you can escape.” Oenikaka DOVETAILS IN TALL GRASS by Samantha Specks
Emma was a smart but meek daughter who respected the rules of her parents. But, as she begins to travel into town to help her father in his law office, she starts forming new opinions about her family, her community, and her own beliefs.
“My father’s vague assurances rang hollow. Even I realized how empty the promise would be to the men with hungry eyes. Something quite horrible, something quite unfair I worried, was happening to the men across from me.” Emma Heard DOVETAILS IN TALL GRASS by Samantha Sparks
I’m ashamed to admit that I knew nothing of this event or of the memorial ride that has happened for years on December 26. Maybe schools in Minnesota share this important event in their history classes, but I am certain it isn’t shared here in Iowa. This treaty that was promised to the Native American tribes by President Abraham Lincoln was not followed through until it was too late. I ached for the families who were starving with no food or means to hunt and fish or gather berries. I’m outraged that even in the 1860s, our government allowed something like this to happen.
If you love historical fiction about real events, especially those that happened right here in America, then I highly recommend you pick up this novel. Be prepared to feel outraged, sympathy, sadness, and yet joy and hope for Oenikaka and Emma as you read their stories.
In closing, I have to tell you that Samantha Specks is generous and loyal to the people she writes so eloquently about. My nephew is a high school English teacher in a Northern Minnesota reservation school. When this book arrived in my mailbox, I immediately told my nephew about it, asking him about this specific event in our history. I promised I would send the book to him as soon as I finished it. Then, while reading the book, I shared a picture of it on Instagram, tagging Specks. She quickly responded, thanking me for reading it. I told her about my nephew and my plan for sharing the book with him so he can share it with his students. She immediately offered to send him his own copy. True to her word, my nephew received an autographed copy of the book stating, “I feel like a big timer! My book nerd friends will be jealous!” Thank you to Samantha Specks for telling the story of the Dakota 38 and for generously sharing a copy of the book with my nephew and his students.
During a visit to her grandparents’ home for the Christmas holiday in Minnesota in 2005, author Samantha Specks came across men riding on horseback. She couldn’t understand why Native American men were riding horses in December across Minnesota. Her mom explained they were riding to remember the thirty-eight plus two Dakota-Sioux men that were hanged in the largest execution in US history. This set off a fifteen-year journey of research, learning, and writing for Specks which culminated in this book.
Oenikika, a young Dakota, the daughter of Chief Little Crow, has never known her mother who died in childbirth. She loyally cares for her grandmother and for her father. When her father returns from a long trip East to meet with the Great White Father, (President Abraham Lincoln) everything in Oenikika’s life is about to change.
Emma Heard is the middle child in her family. She is deeply saddened that her schooling is done and her teacher is leaving to teach in Iowa City, far away. She dreams of being a teacher, maybe even teaching her younger siblings and the other children of New Ulm. Her parents don’t understand her dreams and feel that her life is best here on the farm.
The fate of these two women collides in an unbelievable way. As each woman shares her story in alternating chapters, the lives of a young Native American and a young white woman become intertwined, forever changing their futures. The events that led up to the December 26, 1862, execution unfold before you, and with empathy, shock, and despair you realize this really happened in America, in the heart of the Midwest.
Specks writes in the voice of Oenikika so well, I felt part of the tribe and understood her resistance to the growing changes due to the White Man around her and her need to connect to the Earth. As Oenikika, her father, and grandmother begin to move into a white man’s home, her reaction and aversion to her new surroundings were so eye-opening to me.
“I moved to the side of the room and looked out the clear openings in the wall. What a peculiar feeling: looking out from the inside. The house traps you, so you make these windows, to feel like you can escape.” Oenikaka DOVETAILS IN TALL GRASS by Samantha Specks
Emma was a smart but meek daughter who respected the rules of her parents. But, as she begins to travel into town to help her father in his law office, she starts forming new opinions about her family, her community, and her own beliefs.
“My father’s vague assurances rang hollow. Even I realized how empty the promise would be to the men with hungry eyes. Something quite horrible, something quite unfair I worried, was happening to the men across from me.” Emma Heard DOVETAILS IN TALL GRASS by Samantha Sparks
I’m ashamed to admit that I knew nothing of this event or of the memorial ride that has happened for years on December 26. Maybe schools in Minnesota share this important event in their history classes, but I am certain it isn’t shared here in Iowa. This treaty that was promised to the Native American tribes by President Abraham Lincoln was not followed through until it was too late. I ached for the families who were starving with no food or means to hunt and fish or gather berries. I’m outraged that even in the 1860s, our government allowed something like this to happen.
If you love historical fiction about real events, especially those that happened right here in America, then I highly recommend you pick up this novel. Be prepared to feel outraged, sympathy, sadness, and yet joy and hope for Oenikaka and Emma as you read their stories.
In closing, I have to tell you that Samantha Specks is generous and loyal to the people she writes so eloquently about. My nephew is a high school English teacher in a Northern Minnesota reservation school. When this book arrived in my mailbox, I immediately told my nephew about it, asking him about this specific event in our history. I promised I would send the book to him as soon as I finished it. Then, while reading the book, I shared a picture of it on Instagram, tagging Specks. She quickly responded, thanking me for reading it. I told her about my nephew and my plan for sharing the book with him so he can share it with his students. She immediately offered to send him his own copy. True to her word, my nephew received an autographed copy of the book stating, “I feel like a big timer! My book nerd friends will be jealous!” Thank you to Samantha Specks for telling the story of the Dakota 38 and for generously sharing a copy of the book with my nephew and his students.
August 24, 2021
What a tremendous story this is. I felt saddened on each page at the injustice of what occurred. There is a mix of fact and fiction, and on the final pages, a list of characters mentioned from history and fictional ones that make it heartbreakingly real. Each reflects the time. It is hard to believe that this is the author’s first outing, as there is passion on each page.
The story follows two young women, one a teenage girl, who has just finished school and lives with her family as settlers in Minnesota, the other the Indian Chief’s daughter, another teenage girl. From the start of the story you know that the ending is a tragedy, but from the pages between you know it could have been much worse.
As more settlers are dangled carrots to travel west and become homesteaders, the Dakota -Sioux Indians are driven further off their lands. Huge sums of money and a promise of a better life offered if they will move. If only promises would have been kept what happened would not have been a massive loss of lives on both sides.
As the story is told through the lives of the girls, it is more the figures of how many are lost rather than the actual fighting that they hear about. Both girls are exceptional and just. One wants to continue the traditions she has learned while the other seeks justice. Both are strong women. I enjoyed the story coming from them and how each family reacted. Each of the women’s futures is centred around the same man. Another stand out character.
It is a time in history that is not to be proud of, but one that should never be forgotten. Super writing, Recommended reading.
I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
The story follows two young women, one a teenage girl, who has just finished school and lives with her family as settlers in Minnesota, the other the Indian Chief’s daughter, another teenage girl. From the start of the story you know that the ending is a tragedy, but from the pages between you know it could have been much worse.
As more settlers are dangled carrots to travel west and become homesteaders, the Dakota -Sioux Indians are driven further off their lands. Huge sums of money and a promise of a better life offered if they will move. If only promises would have been kept what happened would not have been a massive loss of lives on both sides.
As the story is told through the lives of the girls, it is more the figures of how many are lost rather than the actual fighting that they hear about. Both girls are exceptional and just. One wants to continue the traditions she has learned while the other seeks justice. Both are strong women. I enjoyed the story coming from them and how each family reacted. Each of the women’s futures is centred around the same man. Another stand out character.
It is a time in history that is not to be proud of, but one that should never be forgotten. Super writing, Recommended reading.
I wish to thank the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
July 25, 2021
This book was inspired by the true story of the thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men hanged in Minnesota in 1862. It follows two women; one white woman who's town is attacked Dakota-Sioux warriors, and one Dakota-Sioux whose tribe has been forced onto a reservation under false promises from the white men which have led them to starve to death. Both females are connected by the fate of one man.
This book is POWERFUL. The females leads had many trials where they had to decide between survival and family loyalty. So much injustice in this story, but it's truly beautiful how the we got to see both sides of this. There is a lot of American history that is glossed over in school, and bringing light to this time in history is so important so we do not forget.
Thank you Spark Press for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date: August 24.
This book is POWERFUL. The females leads had many trials where they had to decide between survival and family loyalty. So much injustice in this story, but it's truly beautiful how the we got to see both sides of this. There is a lot of American history that is glossed over in school, and bringing light to this time in history is so important so we do not forget.
Thank you Spark Press for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date: August 24.
July 20, 2022
This historical fiction book is about western expansion and conflict with Native Americans. They way the author presented the story really caused me to consider both sides of the story in more in depth ways than I have previously. This book will stay on my mind for a long time.
July 25, 2021
This book was inspired by the true story of the thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men hanged in Minnesota in 1862. It follows two women; one white woman who's town is attacked Dakota-Sioux warriors, and one Dakota-Sioux whose tribe has been forced onto a reservation under false promises from the white men which have led them to starve to death. Both females are connected by the fate of one man.
This book is POWERFUL. The females leads had many trials where they had to decide between survival and family loyalty. So much injustice in this story, but it's truly beautiful how the we got to see both sides of this. There is a lot of American history that is glossed over in school, and bringing light to this time in history is so important so we do not forget.
Thank you Spark Press for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date: August 24.
This book is POWERFUL. The females leads had many trials where they had to decide between survival and family loyalty. So much injustice in this story, but it's truly beautiful how the we got to see both sides of this. There is a lot of American history that is glossed over in school, and bringing light to this time in history is so important so we do not forget.
Thank you Spark Press for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub Date: August 24.
October 24, 2021
Historical fiction at its best! I love when a book compels me to do research and find out what parts of the novel are historically accurate. Many of the notable details in Dovetails in Tall Grass are based on actual events. This story had me captivated from the first pages as I learned about love and war, family and loyalty, finding one’s calling, making difficult decisions and persevering in hard times. I am looking forward to the second book to see what happens next.
March 18, 2023
I continue to be amazed at the number of historic events in our country about which I know so little. This novel retells the background and fallout of the largest mass execution in US history when thirty-eight Dakota men were hanged in Minnesota. The year was 1862 when the Dakota nation became threatened by white colonists who tricked and cheated the Native people out of their land, livelihood, and way of life. The story is told through two young women, both 16, Emma Heard, daughter of homesteaders and Oenikika, daughter of Chief Little Crow. Through the lives of these women, the author presents an honest and authentic look at the real cost of westward expansion and the cruelties visited on both unsuspecting settlers and Native Americans. The hopes and dreams of Emma, who desperately wants to become a teacher and Oenikika, who sees herself as a healer shine a light on the separate and conflicting lives their people desire. When ruthless men both in Washington and Minnesota ignore the Dakota people’s rights to their land and make empty promises, violent conflict results. This novel is emotional, powerful, upsetting, and sad but should be read by anyone who thought they knew the story of a proud people’s conflict with white expansion. This is the author’s debut novel so I look forward to reading more of her work.
July 19, 2022
I think this book does a good job of portraying the complexities of the problems surrounding the Westward Expansion and the difficulties between the whites and the Native Americans. This was an eye-opening account for me and made me truly angry at how this subject was dealt with and Native Americans were portrayed in the history books I was assigned as I grew up.
June 9, 2022
Felt somewhat like YA - could have gone more into depth regarding the actual events. Characters seemed a little underdeveloped but overall entertaining
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June 9, 2021Many thanks to Author Samantha Specks, to Spark Press publishing and to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC giveaway. This is my honest review.
The complex relationship between the Dakota who have recently been forced into a reservation, and the white settlers of the prairie unfolds through the eyes of Oenikika and Emma Heard, two young women in Minnesota in the 1860's.
War breaks out as the Dakota must face winter without their promised annuity. With very restricted hunting and gathering grounds and with no means of buying food they are literally starving.
This war impacts both Emma and Oenikika and confronts them with conflicting moral values and difficult decisions.
Oenikika and Emma lead completely different lives, yet they are so alike. Each one of them struggles with a strong sense of duty and each one of them makes her own journey to find her unique and true voice.
This novel is so well written and so interesting, I had a hard time putting it down.
I will definitely be looking out for Ms. Specks' next novel!
The complex relationship between the Dakota who have recently been forced into a reservation, and the white settlers of the prairie unfolds through the eyes of Oenikika and Emma Heard, two young women in Minnesota in the 1860's.
War breaks out as the Dakota must face winter without their promised annuity. With very restricted hunting and gathering grounds and with no means of buying food they are literally starving.
This war impacts both Emma and Oenikika and confronts them with conflicting moral values and difficult decisions.
Oenikika and Emma lead completely different lives, yet they are so alike. Each one of them struggles with a strong sense of duty and each one of them makes her own journey to find her unique and true voice.
This novel is so well written and so interesting, I had a hard time putting it down.
I will definitely be looking out for Ms. Specks' next novel!
November 27, 2021
In This Tender Land by Krueger, four orphans come across a memorial to the 38 Native Americans hung after being found guilty by our government. I hadn't heard of this account and when I came across Dovetails in Tall Grass, I hoped it would shed light on this piece of American history.
This story, although fictional, does explore the events leading up to the hanging of the 38 Dakota but unfortunately I found the story to consist mostly of the internal ramblings of 16-year-olds, "Emma" and "Oenikika". I quickly grew tired of the emotional roller coaster these two young women were on and hoped for more dialogue from other characters to explain what was actually happening instead of trying to wade through a young girl's one-sided POV.
This story, although fictional, does explore the events leading up to the hanging of the 38 Dakota but unfortunately I found the story to consist mostly of the internal ramblings of 16-year-olds, "Emma" and "Oenikika". I quickly grew tired of the emotional roller coaster these two young women were on and hoped for more dialogue from other characters to explain what was actually happening instead of trying to wade through a young girl's one-sided POV.
August 23, 2021
There’s a reason I love really well written historical fiction novels. It connects me emotionally with people from a different time in such a way that it doesn’t feel so very far from my heart. Dovetails in Tall Grass tells the story of two women in the years 1861-1862 as they experience the frontier settlements of Montana. One of the characters is Oenikika of the Dakota Sioux tribes and the other is Emma, the daughter of the town’s lawyer. Both are around 16 years old and we see what life was like through both of their experiences.
During this time, the settlers were drafting land deeds and building as much infrastructure as possible while forcing the tribal groups to live on reservations, while promising them gold payment and provisions. The tribes were dependent on this deal not falling through and put their lives in the hands of the government settlers. When the payments and rations didn’t arrive, the tribe members were starving and really struggling to survive. After continued disrespect they had to make the difficult decision to go to War.
Reading the pained words from their perspective hurt my soul in a way that it needed. I fell in love with Oenikika’s perspective on life, family and how to survive. She is a truly motivating character as a female role model both in her devotion to caring for her family, her tribe and her traditions.
In contrast to this, I also very much loved the character of Emma. All she wants is to learn and share her ideas and convictions with others, but being a young woman doesn’t allow for these kinds of behaviors. Especially if you’re found out to be an Indian Sympathizer. When the settlers are attacked and Emma witnesses these atrocities, she also is witness to the good in those among the Indians that did not wish to cause harm to the settlers.
A powerful story told over the course of one year from two very different perspectives that brings to life a beautiful portrayal and heartfelt perspective to a very important time in history.
During this time, the settlers were drafting land deeds and building as much infrastructure as possible while forcing the tribal groups to live on reservations, while promising them gold payment and provisions. The tribes were dependent on this deal not falling through and put their lives in the hands of the government settlers. When the payments and rations didn’t arrive, the tribe members were starving and really struggling to survive. After continued disrespect they had to make the difficult decision to go to War.
Reading the pained words from their perspective hurt my soul in a way that it needed. I fell in love with Oenikika’s perspective on life, family and how to survive. She is a truly motivating character as a female role model both in her devotion to caring for her family, her tribe and her traditions.
In contrast to this, I also very much loved the character of Emma. All she wants is to learn and share her ideas and convictions with others, but being a young woman doesn’t allow for these kinds of behaviors. Especially if you’re found out to be an Indian Sympathizer. When the settlers are attacked and Emma witnesses these atrocities, she also is witness to the good in those among the Indians that did not wish to cause harm to the settlers.
A powerful story told over the course of one year from two very different perspectives that brings to life a beautiful portrayal and heartfelt perspective to a very important time in history.
August 22, 2021
I remember reading about the true story of the hanging of the Dakota-Sioux men that inspire this book. It is a very tragic moment in history. The treatment that the Dakota endured at the hands of the white men will not be forgotten.
This book is told from two girls voices...Emma and Oenikika. I have to admit that I was more fascinated by Oenikika. Yet, this is not to say that Emma was not interesting. She just had a quieter tone as she was finding her voice. Plus, the other Dakota were just as interesting as Oenikia, therefore her story just came alive more and faster.
Dovetails in Tall Grass is a tragic but powerful story that author, Samantha Specks does portray beautifully. A book that readers should not miss.
This book is told from two girls voices...Emma and Oenikika. I have to admit that I was more fascinated by Oenikika. Yet, this is not to say that Emma was not interesting. She just had a quieter tone as she was finding her voice. Plus, the other Dakota were just as interesting as Oenikia, therefore her story just came alive more and faster.
Dovetails in Tall Grass is a tragic but powerful story that author, Samantha Specks does portray beautifully. A book that readers should not miss.
February 7, 2024
This was a compelling historical fiction novel which centers around the largest mass execution in US history—38 Dakota-Sioux men. The author told the story through two young women: Oenikika and Emma. Interesting narrative that shows the complexities of this part of US history. Impressive first novel for Samantha Specks!
February 17, 2022
Beautifully written book that hurt my heart to read.
September 29, 2022
Too much internal dialogue and not enough external dialogue. In other words, "Show, don't tell." It's a debut and I was interested in the US - Dakota War of 1862. This is book tries to provide a balanced view from both sides, but it's wordy and could have used more editing.
January 30, 2023
A lovely story of a difficult time in American history. Well done!
July 2, 2023
Ms. Lobitz rec
February 13, 2023
Excellent young adult historical fiction.
September 20, 2022
I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It was an easy enough read and I was curious about the ending, but the tone was terribly off. It's the story of a holocaust against the backdrop of a Hallmark Christmas movie. I probably said "wtf" to myself about 100 times.
February 15, 2022
Knowing I like historical fiction, our son recommended this book to me.
I lived in Mankato for a few years and knew about the Indian hangings and that there was a memorial, but that was really all I knew so I had interest in learning more about what happened. The book is written from the point of view of two young women. They share their stories looking at what they are experiencing in their families and how the young men they like are involved. I found the story interesting and certainly learned more about what happened than what I knew prior. I’m just sorry it took so long to hear the story.
The other thing I found interesting is that every year since 2005, the Dakota 38+2 ride horses from South Dakota to Mankato in remembrance. https://blog.nativehope.org/dakota-38...
I rate this book along with the Kent Nerburn triology Neither Wolf nor Dog, in that it gave me insight into the Indian culture.
I found the story very disturbing but insightful on so many fronts, and that politics is politics now and was then as well. As my husband so often says, “Follow the money” and you will find the truth. Great debut novel.
I lived in Mankato for a few years and knew about the Indian hangings and that there was a memorial, but that was really all I knew so I had interest in learning more about what happened. The book is written from the point of view of two young women. They share their stories looking at what they are experiencing in their families and how the young men they like are involved. I found the story interesting and certainly learned more about what happened than what I knew prior. I’m just sorry it took so long to hear the story.
The other thing I found interesting is that every year since 2005, the Dakota 38+2 ride horses from South Dakota to Mankato in remembrance. https://blog.nativehope.org/dakota-38...
I rate this book along with the Kent Nerburn triology Neither Wolf nor Dog, in that it gave me insight into the Indian culture.
I found the story very disturbing but insightful on so many fronts, and that politics is politics now and was then as well. As my husband so often says, “Follow the money” and you will find the truth. Great debut novel.
May 17, 2021
Based on the true story of the hanging of 38 Dakota men, this historical fiction compares the lives a two young women, one white whose village is attacked by the Dakotas, the other a Dakota whose tribe has been forced onto a reservation and is starving to death.
September 29, 2021
Samantha Specks, Author
Dovetails in Tall Grass
Spark Press, ISBN 978-68463-093-6
Fiction –Minnesota, Dakota Indians, Western migration, Settlers, romance, family, Indian Chief, War cries
310 pages
September 2021 Review
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
Samantha Specks, author of Dovetails in Tall Grass, works as a clinical social worker. She enjoys drinking tea while reading a good book or watching television with her dog. This is her first novel. She lives with her husband and new baby girl in Texas, but longs to be in her home state, Minnesota. (2021, p.305)
The book flashes back and forth between two diametrically opposite main characters and their coming of age in the early to mid 1800’s. Both are young women on the cusp of womanhood. One is Emma Heard who is the daughter of a self-made lawyer and the other is Oenikika. Oenikika is the daughter of Chief Little Crow and a member of the Dakota tribe in Minnesota. Their stories sort of run in parallel with the exception of a young missionary man by the name of Riggs who has lived with the Dakota and is a white man by birth.
Emma and her family live in a small prairie town called New Ulm in Minnesota. Their farm is on the outskirts of town. Circumstances were rather harsh and often unforgiving back then. Winters are long and cold. Families needed to grow and cultivate or hunt most of what they could in order to eat, survive, and hopefully thrive.
Emma has an older sister named Ida who has not spoken and she believes her to be mute as does their family. Emma is protective of her and loves her very much. Emma’s older brother has joined the army. And the two younger siblings are under all of the children and parents care.
Emma was enthralled with school while she was able to attend and her teacher has led her to believe that she should pursue a future of teaching. She keeps this to herself but secretly writes a letter to her teacher who has moved to another state inquiring as to what steps she must do to make this dream a reality. She frets for weeks that turn into months about the letter not arriving when finally she gets a reply. What will she do?
Situations change and the dream job of teaching is on the back burner. Emma ends up working with her father in his law in New Ulm. She begins doing small tasks for him and then moves into recording deeds and other documents before becoming a formal recorder for the courts. She loves learning and this is very satisfying for her. Will she stick with this or go teach?
The town of New Ulm has a fall dance and everyone from neighboring villages and towns has come to enjoy a bit of fun and frivolity for one night. Emma meets Riggs, the missionary, there and she feels like they are somehow destined to become more. Will they or won’t they?
Oenikika has been the only daughter of Chief Little Crow since her mother died in childbirth to which she feels eternally guilty. Her grandmother, the Chief’s mother, lives with them and helps take care of the Chief. Oenikika is a healer and helps keep their tribal wounds or sickness at bay. There are many in her tribe vying for her affections for marriage. She dismisses them all for different reasons and hopes none approach her father. She instead finds herself mesmerized with an outsider in their insular tribe, but a Dakota nonetheless. His name is Tashunke. Their eyes meet and she feels an instant spark but is unable to act on it as this would be quite inappropriate. Will they get together?
President Lincoln has signed a treaty with the Indians whereby they are removed from their lands and given reservations with boundaries instead of roaming free as they had been since forever. They were promised stipends of money and food, both have never come to fruition. The Dakota cannot survive this way so many come together to decide whether or not to wage war against the white man. Is it war? Is it peace in their false realities? Will the white man ever make good on their deal?
I really loved this book and believe you will too. Mrs. Specks has a wonderful way of writing which I almost never see while reading for review and I have been a reviewer for more than twenty years. I found the characters believable and engaging. Their struggles were heartbreaking. Bravo on your first novel. I am sure we will see more from her in the future!
Dovetails in Tall Grass
Spark Press, ISBN 978-68463-093-6
Fiction –Minnesota, Dakota Indians, Western migration, Settlers, romance, family, Indian Chief, War cries
310 pages
September 2021 Review
Reviewer-Michelle Kaye Malsbury, BSBM, MM
Review
Samantha Specks, author of Dovetails in Tall Grass, works as a clinical social worker. She enjoys drinking tea while reading a good book or watching television with her dog. This is her first novel. She lives with her husband and new baby girl in Texas, but longs to be in her home state, Minnesota. (2021, p.305)
The book flashes back and forth between two diametrically opposite main characters and their coming of age in the early to mid 1800’s. Both are young women on the cusp of womanhood. One is Emma Heard who is the daughter of a self-made lawyer and the other is Oenikika. Oenikika is the daughter of Chief Little Crow and a member of the Dakota tribe in Minnesota. Their stories sort of run in parallel with the exception of a young missionary man by the name of Riggs who has lived with the Dakota and is a white man by birth.
Emma and her family live in a small prairie town called New Ulm in Minnesota. Their farm is on the outskirts of town. Circumstances were rather harsh and often unforgiving back then. Winters are long and cold. Families needed to grow and cultivate or hunt most of what they could in order to eat, survive, and hopefully thrive.
Emma has an older sister named Ida who has not spoken and she believes her to be mute as does their family. Emma is protective of her and loves her very much. Emma’s older brother has joined the army. And the two younger siblings are under all of the children and parents care.
Emma was enthralled with school while she was able to attend and her teacher has led her to believe that she should pursue a future of teaching. She keeps this to herself but secretly writes a letter to her teacher who has moved to another state inquiring as to what steps she must do to make this dream a reality. She frets for weeks that turn into months about the letter not arriving when finally she gets a reply. What will she do?
Situations change and the dream job of teaching is on the back burner. Emma ends up working with her father in his law in New Ulm. She begins doing small tasks for him and then moves into recording deeds and other documents before becoming a formal recorder for the courts. She loves learning and this is very satisfying for her. Will she stick with this or go teach?
The town of New Ulm has a fall dance and everyone from neighboring villages and towns has come to enjoy a bit of fun and frivolity for one night. Emma meets Riggs, the missionary, there and she feels like they are somehow destined to become more. Will they or won’t they?
Oenikika has been the only daughter of Chief Little Crow since her mother died in childbirth to which she feels eternally guilty. Her grandmother, the Chief’s mother, lives with them and helps take care of the Chief. Oenikika is a healer and helps keep their tribal wounds or sickness at bay. There are many in her tribe vying for her affections for marriage. She dismisses them all for different reasons and hopes none approach her father. She instead finds herself mesmerized with an outsider in their insular tribe, but a Dakota nonetheless. His name is Tashunke. Their eyes meet and she feels an instant spark but is unable to act on it as this would be quite inappropriate. Will they get together?
President Lincoln has signed a treaty with the Indians whereby they are removed from their lands and given reservations with boundaries instead of roaming free as they had been since forever. They were promised stipends of money and food, both have never come to fruition. The Dakota cannot survive this way so many come together to decide whether or not to wage war against the white man. Is it war? Is it peace in their false realities? Will the white man ever make good on their deal?
I really loved this book and believe you will too. Mrs. Specks has a wonderful way of writing which I almost never see while reading for review and I have been a reviewer for more than twenty years. I found the characters believable and engaging. Their struggles were heartbreaking. Bravo on your first novel. I am sure we will see more from her in the future!
October 22, 2021
This is great historical fiction and an incredible first novel. Having grown up in Mankato, MN, I often saw the historical marker for the 38+2 Dakota Indians hung/executed there on Dec 26, 1862--the monument was first along the Blue Earth River and then placed in front of the library--and I wondered why more hadn't been written about it. You'd think the largest mass execution in US history would merit more interest. I also remember feeling shame when I read through the monumental language at how arrogant the governmental language was--presenting the Sioux Uprising as a time when whites fought for and protected the land that is now MN (as if it was ours to begin with).
I remember asking a librarian about why more information wasn't written about it, and she said, "Who is there to write about it? The natives are mostly gone and white writers would take great risks getting it right--and if they didn't, it would do more harm. No one wants that!" From my white perspective, I appreciate the risks Specks took to tell this story. Her decision to have two young girls (16 yrs) as her main characters was wise as they are both on the cusp of independence in their families and cultures, and yet still dependent enough to want the acceptance of parental love and approval. What follows then when they see the injustices and unfairness is the confusion, Shame, uncertainty--outsiders--until they understand and accept who they are in the world despite the opinions of those around them. The language and thought processes of each young woman seems dramatic at times, however, it is very much the demeaner of 16 year old girls, so I found it endearing rather than overdone. Had the characters been older, it would have been a very different story, as we see with her other, older characters when they express their entitlement and racism.
I'm glad I came across this book and want to thank Samantha Specks for taking the chances she did to bring the story to life. It's history we need to be aware of, and because Specks did not use the brutal or horrific details she could have, the book is appropriate for young readers as well.
I remember asking a librarian about why more information wasn't written about it, and she said, "Who is there to write about it? The natives are mostly gone and white writers would take great risks getting it right--and if they didn't, it would do more harm. No one wants that!" From my white perspective, I appreciate the risks Specks took to tell this story. Her decision to have two young girls (16 yrs) as her main characters was wise as they are both on the cusp of independence in their families and cultures, and yet still dependent enough to want the acceptance of parental love and approval. What follows then when they see the injustices and unfairness is the confusion, Shame, uncertainty--outsiders--until they understand and accept who they are in the world despite the opinions of those around them. The language and thought processes of each young woman seems dramatic at times, however, it is very much the demeaner of 16 year old girls, so I found it endearing rather than overdone. Had the characters been older, it would have been a very different story, as we see with her other, older characters when they express their entitlement and racism.
I'm glad I came across this book and want to thank Samantha Specks for taking the chances she did to bring the story to life. It's history we need to be aware of, and because Specks did not use the brutal or horrific details she could have, the book is appropriate for young readers as well.
October 7, 2021
Read my full review here: http://mimi-cyberlibrarian.blogspot.c...
This summer I was privileged to read several books about relationships between native peoples and white Americans in Minnesota. They included This Tender Land and Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger and also Dovetails in Tall Grass, by Samantha Specks. One of the troubling things that I have learned is that I was never taught anything about the Dakota Wars or anything about the treatment of Native Americans as Minnesota was being established and settled.
I learned nothing about any of this in any history class I took as a young person. However, I was very aware of native reservations that were prevalent in the Minnesota of my childhood. It seems ironic that I was so troubled when we all learned about the destruction of the “Black Wall Street” and the death of African Americans in 1918 Tulsa, Oklahoma, while I knew nothing about the thirty-eight Dakota men who were hung in 1862 in Mankato, Minnesota. ”To this day, this is the largest mass execution in United States history.” An article on Minnesota Public Radio discusses why the topic is not taught in Minnesota schools.
Specks does a remarkable job of telling the story of the Dakota Wars through the lens of two teenage girls, Emma Heard, the daughter of settlers in New Ulm, Minnesota, and Oenikika, the daughter of Chief Little Crow. I was particularly taken by Oenikika. She knew that she was born to be a healer. She notices the pull of the plants as she walks in the prairie: “My soul was listening as much as my ears. I was sensing it again—their pull. The plants of healing whispered through the rustling grasses.” Reminded me so much of Robin Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass. Emma thinks that she is called to be a teacher. Both are remarkable young women and great witnesses to the conflict that emerges.
This is a beautifully-written witness to Minnesota during the Civil War, the Dakota Wars, as well as an eloquent observation of teenage girls of any generation.
This summer I was privileged to read several books about relationships between native peoples and white Americans in Minnesota. They included This Tender Land and Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger and also Dovetails in Tall Grass, by Samantha Specks. One of the troubling things that I have learned is that I was never taught anything about the Dakota Wars or anything about the treatment of Native Americans as Minnesota was being established and settled.
I learned nothing about any of this in any history class I took as a young person. However, I was very aware of native reservations that were prevalent in the Minnesota of my childhood. It seems ironic that I was so troubled when we all learned about the destruction of the “Black Wall Street” and the death of African Americans in 1918 Tulsa, Oklahoma, while I knew nothing about the thirty-eight Dakota men who were hung in 1862 in Mankato, Minnesota. ”To this day, this is the largest mass execution in United States history.” An article on Minnesota Public Radio discusses why the topic is not taught in Minnesota schools.
Specks does a remarkable job of telling the story of the Dakota Wars through the lens of two teenage girls, Emma Heard, the daughter of settlers in New Ulm, Minnesota, and Oenikika, the daughter of Chief Little Crow. I was particularly taken by Oenikika. She knew that she was born to be a healer. She notices the pull of the plants as she walks in the prairie: “My soul was listening as much as my ears. I was sensing it again—their pull. The plants of healing whispered through the rustling grasses.” Reminded me so much of Robin Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass. Emma thinks that she is called to be a teacher. Both are remarkable young women and great witnesses to the conflict that emerges.
This is a beautifully-written witness to Minnesota during the Civil War, the Dakota Wars, as well as an eloquent observation of teenage girls of any generation.
March 18, 2022
This engrossing book uses archived documentation to provide a look at frontier life in the 1800s and the story shows how two women Emma and Oenikika, are connected by the fate of one man.
In setting the background for the story I have to note my interpretation of how the Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising or Little Crow's War got started.
In 1851, the United States government negotiated a treaty that forced Dakota-Sioux Indians to live on a 20-mile wide by 150-mile long reservation. The Dakota-Sioux could not leave to hunt for their families beyond their reservation.
The government said they'd pay them money that they could then use to buy food and supplies at trading posts. But it's reported that the payment was often late and that instead of delivering the money to the Dakota-Sioux, some government agents kept the money for themselves.
Due to crop failure, the Indians on the reservation faced extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope. Many on the reservation longed for something better than the present situation and experienced shock and grief as they became devastated by their circumstances and the lack of money promised.
On August 15, 1862, it's reported that the Dakota-Sioux went to their Indian Agent expecting their annual payment of money and weren’t given any. So, two days later, 4 young, hungry, Indian braves stole eggs and killed five white settlers. This then resulted in an armed conflict in the United States between white settlers and several bands of Dakota.
The outcome of the conflict was the largest one-day mass execution in US History. After military trials, thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men were hanged in Mankato Minnesota on December 26, 1862.
In setting the background for the story I have to note my interpretation of how the Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux Uprising or Little Crow's War got started.
In 1851, the United States government negotiated a treaty that forced Dakota-Sioux Indians to live on a 20-mile wide by 150-mile long reservation. The Dakota-Sioux could not leave to hunt for their families beyond their reservation.
The government said they'd pay them money that they could then use to buy food and supplies at trading posts. But it's reported that the payment was often late and that instead of delivering the money to the Dakota-Sioux, some government agents kept the money for themselves.
Due to crop failure, the Indians on the reservation faced extreme food shortages with a limited ability to cope. Many on the reservation longed for something better than the present situation and experienced shock and grief as they became devastated by their circumstances and the lack of money promised.
On August 15, 1862, it's reported that the Dakota-Sioux went to their Indian Agent expecting their annual payment of money and weren’t given any. So, two days later, 4 young, hungry, Indian braves stole eggs and killed five white settlers. This then resulted in an armed conflict in the United States between white settlers and several bands of Dakota.
The outcome of the conflict was the largest one-day mass execution in US History. After military trials, thirty-eight Dakota-Sioux men were hanged in Mankato Minnesota on December 26, 1862.
January 7, 2022
This was such a remarkable, heart wrenching, and moving story that was based on historical facts! This novel addressed the raw injustice and discrimination that was endured by the Dakato-Sioux people. There was an honest depiction of the hardships the Dakata-Sioux endured. Shamefully, prior to reading this novel, I was unaware of the saddening Dakota 38+2 riders hanging event that occurred in 1862. I feel that this novel has expanded my knowledge and awareness of the historical trauma suffered by indigenous communities - and the trauma/discrimination that continues to be experienced.
There was a mix of fiction and fact that was presented throughout this storyline. It was a stunning and well written story with strong likable characters. Insight and perspective was brought to the surface through the lens of these brave female characters - Emma and Oenikika (Oenikika was my absolute favorite). The author did a wonderful job with her vivid writing and well-developed plot. The strong emotions experienced by Emma and Oenikika were described so well! I highly recommend Dovetails in the Tall Grass to gain further knowledge and perspective into Minnesota indigenous history. I also look forward to future novels from Samatha Specks! She is talented and definitely an author worth watching!
There was a mix of fiction and fact that was presented throughout this storyline. It was a stunning and well written story with strong likable characters. Insight and perspective was brought to the surface through the lens of these brave female characters - Emma and Oenikika (Oenikika was my absolute favorite). The author did a wonderful job with her vivid writing and well-developed plot. The strong emotions experienced by Emma and Oenikika were described so well! I highly recommend Dovetails in the Tall Grass to gain further knowledge and perspective into Minnesota indigenous history. I also look forward to future novels from Samatha Specks! She is talented and definitely an author worth watching!
June 13, 2022
I didn’t expect to like this book because I thought it was going to show only the horrible treatment of native Americans by settlers. But there is so much more. Starts with the title—-I don’t know if this was supposed to be the image of dovetail joints in furniture, but that is what I thought if. Two pieces coming together from different directions building something strong and beautiful. That is how I felt about the characters in this book when I finished it. While telling the horrors that were done to the Dakota people, this story also demonstrates that some settlers cared about the Dakota people and were willing to help them at great cost. In the same way,some Indians were brutal murders and others saved the lives of white people in the midst of war. In all parts of the world and all eras of time there are good and bad that exist together. This book shows the love and hate and anger and support that exist on all sides different groups of people. It takes a strong person to stand up and do the right things when so many people close by want to do the opposite. A lesson for all people at all times.
December 12, 2021
I don't often write reviews, but I felt compelled to write about this book. I first heard about it on Lori and Julia's show on my talk radio and put it on my To Read list. When it finally came available at the library, I dove right in and finished it in a few of days. The history of this book is what pulled me in. I remembered when, a few years ago, the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden removed the Gallows sculpture from display but I didn't know the history of why. This fictionalized, yet well researched account of what happened in southern Minnesota in 1863, answered my questions as to why. I liked the way the lead-up to the US-Dakota war was told from 2 points of view: a settler's daughter, Emma and the Dakota chief's daughter, Oenikika. Both living in the same world, yet extremely different cultures. We see how each girl faces challenges unique to their lives. The author does a great job of creating empathy for both of them. I'm surprised there aren't more reviews for this book. It's an excellent debut novel and one of my favorite historical novels ever.
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