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Ghost Dancer
Eleanor Wilson lives trapped inside her parents’ marble mansion, held there by their bigotry and rules. A nightmarish vision shows her the way out. But first, she had to dance the Ghost Dance and die.
Ghost Dancer, set in the 1950s at the intersection of the supernatural with the racial intolerance of a small Midwestern town, is a mystical, coming-of-age story where a lonely, insecure teenager discovers in the realm of spirits not only the secret about herself but how to save our dying world.
It is an historical novel with themes relevant to the challenges we face today.
Ghost Dancer, set in the 1950s at the intersection of the supernatural with the racial intolerance of a small Midwestern town, is a mystical, coming-of-age story where a lonely, insecure teenager discovers in the realm of spirits not only the secret about herself but how to save our dying world.
It is an historical novel with themes relevant to the challenges we face today.
294 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2021
25 people are currently reading
5209 people want to read
About the author
Alan S. Kessler
10 books93 followersToday, 2/11/21, is the first time I am using this space to say a little about myself.
Shyness, a belief I would bore readers with my background or cause them to think I was using it to selfishly gain sympathy, prevented me in the past from sharing biographical information. However, because of my new novel, Ghost Dancer, I believe it is now appropriate to mention a few aspects of my childhood.
With Ghost Dancer I am a white male writing about a teenage girl, Native and African Americans, and a same sex, female relationship. So the question is, am I also “…a white liberal interloper, a cultural [gender] carpetbagger…” the criticism leveled at William Styron for writing The Confessions of Nat Turner? (William Styron’s Nat Turner: Ten Black Writers Respond.)
My mother was sadistic, my father--a murderer who sentenced to the electric chair died in prison--beat me. I know about childhood abuse and marginalized people. Because of my own childhood struggles I could write about Eleanor, the teenage protagonist in Ghost Dancer, with an insight transcending gender. I care about her. Although fictional she is authentic and I am grateful I could give her a voice.
I hope readers will find Ghost Dancer worthwhile and my treatment of the subject matter respectful. I know with this story I have walked on sacred ground. I have tried to do so with an honest and open heart.
Shyness, a belief I would bore readers with my background or cause them to think I was using it to selfishly gain sympathy, prevented me in the past from sharing biographical information. However, because of my new novel, Ghost Dancer, I believe it is now appropriate to mention a few aspects of my childhood.
With Ghost Dancer I am a white male writing about a teenage girl, Native and African Americans, and a same sex, female relationship. So the question is, am I also “…a white liberal interloper, a cultural [gender] carpetbagger…” the criticism leveled at William Styron for writing The Confessions of Nat Turner? (William Styron’s Nat Turner: Ten Black Writers Respond.)
My mother was sadistic, my father--a murderer who sentenced to the electric chair died in prison--beat me. I know about childhood abuse and marginalized people. Because of my own childhood struggles I could write about Eleanor, the teenage protagonist in Ghost Dancer, with an insight transcending gender. I care about her. Although fictional she is authentic and I am grateful I could give her a voice.
I hope readers will find Ghost Dancer worthwhile and my treatment of the subject matter respectful. I know with this story I have walked on sacred ground. I have tried to do so with an honest and open heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
March 29, 2022
This is an exceptional book that spoke to me in many ways.
Eleanor Wilson is a young girl growing up in the 1950's USA - a time rife with racism, especially against Native Americans, African Americans, those of Jewish descent - actually, any color other than pure white. Oh, and let's not forget the Communism scare, when everyone was eyeballing everyone else sideways in fear of a Communist in their midst.
While other teen girls are dancing and swooning to Elvis, Eleanor just needs to get through, one day at a time.
It's hard enough to be a young woman in that era, let alone Native American adding to the usual trials and tribulations of growing up.
Others have described the writing as "clunky" or "odd". I found it relevant to the story the author was telling.
Eleanor Wilson is a young girl growing up in the 1950's USA - a time rife with racism, especially against Native Americans, African Americans, those of Jewish descent - actually, any color other than pure white. Oh, and let's not forget the Communism scare, when everyone was eyeballing everyone else sideways in fear of a Communist in their midst.
While other teen girls are dancing and swooning to Elvis, Eleanor just needs to get through, one day at a time.
It's hard enough to be a young woman in that era, let alone Native American adding to the usual trials and tribulations of growing up.
Others have described the writing as "clunky" or "odd". I found it relevant to the story the author was telling.
March 5, 2021
What an outstanding author. This is a spellbinding story that will get your full attention. I didn't want to put it down. Can't wait for your next book. Don't keep us waiting. A must read.
February 12, 2021
Poignant and relevant to what's happening in the US today, this is a well written book set in the 1950s, with an intriguing young protagonist whose journey to herself includes recovering from an overly controlling alcoholic mother, being bullied with racist and sexist remarks in school, and finally discovering her true identity and purpose. Eleanor is exposed to the truth about the early history of the US -- white settlers and the ongoing shameful treatment of Blacks and the indigenous peoples -- and how white wealth and privilege are used to marginalize them even further. Through a vision that she doesn't understand the meaning of until much later in her life, Eleanor overcomes and stands up to that discrimination in a very life-affirming way. It's important to enjoy the time spent with the main characters in a story, and Eleanor and her friends were great to spend time with.
February 12, 2021
I read the entire book in a few days – very unusual for me. The story of Eleanor drew me in. The author makes every character vivid and exposes greed and hatred in powerful and moving ways.
Also, the book helps one realize that, although we still have a lot to do toward racial justice, a lot has changed for the better over the last 60 years or so. So, it left me optimistic for the future of racial reconciliation.
Also, the book helps one realize that, although we still have a lot to do toward racial justice, a lot has changed for the better over the last 60 years or so. So, it left me optimistic for the future of racial reconciliation.
April 5, 2021
I won a copy of this one in a Goodreads giveaway. It was a quick read, very easy to get through, but that shouldn't be taken to mean that it's not complex. On the contrary, this book deals with a lot of themes that are quite pertinent to the questions of racial equality today, in spite of its historical context. It's definitely worth the read, and it's one that would have a solid place in a high school library.
May 21, 2021
There are two very clear and poignant issues this book deals with from the very beginning: racial injustice and bullying. Having to deal with the hatred that runs rampant in our world is difficult enough but doing it while also living a life where people put you down on a daily basis makes the heart break. When it comes to “Ghost Dancer,” however, author Alan S. Kessler not only shows the negative but is kind enough to show the power of inner strength; a way to stand up in a rotten world and find a way to love life.
Beginning in 1877, a glimpse is given at Rabbits Hollow. At one time this was Indian land, but after having most of the acreage stolen by a treaty that was rewritten by white settlers, the bulk of it became the prosperous town of Providence. Only a small piece of the original territory remains—a location that is ripe for hearing the voices of spirit guides from long ago.
Fast forward to 1950. Eleanor is a nine-year-old girl playing in the nearby Native American cemetery with a faceless doll she has created. Unfortunately, her alcoholic mother finds the doll horrid and decides to burn it. Eleanor hears words come from the damaged toy: “Cry for your mother.” This experience will be the first step on a journey that will grip Eleanor later in life. Growing up she finds herself taking the brunt of both racial and sexist bullying, as she also learns about the history of the U.S. and the horrible treatment that white settlers brought down on the heads of both Native Americans and African Americans. Eleanor uses her newfound knowledge, anger, and pain and goes on her own coming-of-age quest that has her talking to her very own spirit guides. And once she finds out that she has a power that can actually save others, Eleanor works to fight discrimination and hatred in order to be a hero.
As a reader, at the same time I was being absolutely angered by the meanness in this book, I was also being uplifted by the ‘fight for rights’ that came from the strong protagonist this author offers. This is a true battle and it crosses into reality quite easily, seeing as that no matter what news station you watch at night in 2021, racial injustice is still a headline. Some will call this an eclectic tale; however, being that it includes things like two-hundred-year-old forests, visions, ancestral voices, and being led and aided by the unknown, it actually has that awe-inspiring feel that can only come from the incredibly popular fantasy genre.
“Ghost Dancer” is not only relevant to our time, but it is a captivating book that will make you immediately want to run outside your door and fight for what’s right in this world. Perhaps if more books were written like this, with such incredible heart, the negative values and beliefs of others could be erased for good.
Beginning in 1877, a glimpse is given at Rabbits Hollow. At one time this was Indian land, but after having most of the acreage stolen by a treaty that was rewritten by white settlers, the bulk of it became the prosperous town of Providence. Only a small piece of the original territory remains—a location that is ripe for hearing the voices of spirit guides from long ago.
Fast forward to 1950. Eleanor is a nine-year-old girl playing in the nearby Native American cemetery with a faceless doll she has created. Unfortunately, her alcoholic mother finds the doll horrid and decides to burn it. Eleanor hears words come from the damaged toy: “Cry for your mother.” This experience will be the first step on a journey that will grip Eleanor later in life. Growing up she finds herself taking the brunt of both racial and sexist bullying, as she also learns about the history of the U.S. and the horrible treatment that white settlers brought down on the heads of both Native Americans and African Americans. Eleanor uses her newfound knowledge, anger, and pain and goes on her own coming-of-age quest that has her talking to her very own spirit guides. And once she finds out that she has a power that can actually save others, Eleanor works to fight discrimination and hatred in order to be a hero.
As a reader, at the same time I was being absolutely angered by the meanness in this book, I was also being uplifted by the ‘fight for rights’ that came from the strong protagonist this author offers. This is a true battle and it crosses into reality quite easily, seeing as that no matter what news station you watch at night in 2021, racial injustice is still a headline. Some will call this an eclectic tale; however, being that it includes things like two-hundred-year-old forests, visions, ancestral voices, and being led and aided by the unknown, it actually has that awe-inspiring feel that can only come from the incredibly popular fantasy genre.
“Ghost Dancer” is not only relevant to our time, but it is a captivating book that will make you immediately want to run outside your door and fight for what’s right in this world. Perhaps if more books were written like this, with such incredible heart, the negative values and beliefs of others could be erased for good.
February 11, 2021
This book so far has been extremely enjoyable I love it. The author is extremely talented and can't wait to see what happens. I can't wait to read the authors other masterpieces
January 29, 2022
I won this ebook through a Goodreads giveaway. A very complicated story with lots of emotions. It'd be a good book for schools
July 13, 2024
When I read the first few chapters of this book. I wasn’t for sure if I would like it. It was one of those that was recommended because of the last book I had read. I am glad I stuck with it. In my mind I imagined why I thought the characters looked like. It was interesting to see how/when/ and even where some of their characteristics came forth. The book keeps your attention, especially at the end. For me, at least. I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway and recommend it.
June 2, 2021
Kessler, Alan S. “Ghost Dancer”, Leviathan, 2021.
Coming-of Age and Understanding
Amos Lassen
Eleanor Wilson is not sure who she really is and struggles to find out in Alan S. Kessler’s “Ghost Dancer”. When we meet her, we see that she is a wealthy young daughter of an alcoholic mother and a father with a roving-eye and philandering spirit. Set in the 1950s, Eleanor is bullied with racist and sexist remarks in school, and finally discovering her true identity and purpose but finds her way to understand the history of this country’s truth about how Blacks and indigenous people were/are treated and how both wealth and privilege are alienating factors for the less fortunate. She has a vision from the world of Ghost Dancer spirits that but it takes her years to understand what she has seen and it brings her to take a stand against discrimination.
Eleanor grew up with privilege and it was not until she visited an Indian cemetery when she was nine-years-old that she had an inkling that people were different. She begins a search for meaning later and as she does, she becomes involved in relationships that are considered outside of the norms of society and her own station in life. It was through her vision that she learned about herself and how to deal with the world that she saw dying around her.
Eleanor discovers the secret about herself and how to save our dying world.
We live at a time when we face great issues about racial equality and while this novel is set at a certain period in history, it has a lot of relevance for today. A lot has changed since back then yet we still have a long way to go. Writer Kessler brings us wonderfully created characters that make us introspect and think about the important issues of bullying, racism, dysfunction and acceptance. We see here a side of how things were in the 1950s in regard to African Americans, Native Americans, the LGBTQ community, Jews and Asians and we see them through the eyes of a teen. Eleanor faces these issues and finds ways of dealing with them.
The novel is beautifully written and pulls us in on the first page. I grew up during the same period of time and as a Jewish gay youth, I experienced much of what I read so this became a very special book for me. When I decided to attend the first and then only racially integrated university in the South (where no other Jews would dare to study), I heard deriding remarks from the community.
Sure, we had been taught about the evils of slavery and the terrible treatment of Native Americans but only at a surface level. I am not happy that we still have not learned how to deal with and correct the problems of discrimination and even when we see to be learning how to do, we realize how much there is to do and never really do it so that the cycle seems to repeat itself every decade. The prejudices that we read about here are still with us in some communities. I can only hope that what we read here will help us make a better world for everyone,
Coming-of Age and Understanding
Amos Lassen
Eleanor Wilson is not sure who she really is and struggles to find out in Alan S. Kessler’s “Ghost Dancer”. When we meet her, we see that she is a wealthy young daughter of an alcoholic mother and a father with a roving-eye and philandering spirit. Set in the 1950s, Eleanor is bullied with racist and sexist remarks in school, and finally discovering her true identity and purpose but finds her way to understand the history of this country’s truth about how Blacks and indigenous people were/are treated and how both wealth and privilege are alienating factors for the less fortunate. She has a vision from the world of Ghost Dancer spirits that but it takes her years to understand what she has seen and it brings her to take a stand against discrimination.
Eleanor grew up with privilege and it was not until she visited an Indian cemetery when she was nine-years-old that she had an inkling that people were different. She begins a search for meaning later and as she does, she becomes involved in relationships that are considered outside of the norms of society and her own station in life. It was through her vision that she learned about herself and how to deal with the world that she saw dying around her.
Eleanor discovers the secret about herself and how to save our dying world.
We live at a time when we face great issues about racial equality and while this novel is set at a certain period in history, it has a lot of relevance for today. A lot has changed since back then yet we still have a long way to go. Writer Kessler brings us wonderfully created characters that make us introspect and think about the important issues of bullying, racism, dysfunction and acceptance. We see here a side of how things were in the 1950s in regard to African Americans, Native Americans, the LGBTQ community, Jews and Asians and we see them through the eyes of a teen. Eleanor faces these issues and finds ways of dealing with them.
The novel is beautifully written and pulls us in on the first page. I grew up during the same period of time and as a Jewish gay youth, I experienced much of what I read so this became a very special book for me. When I decided to attend the first and then only racially integrated university in the South (where no other Jews would dare to study), I heard deriding remarks from the community.
Sure, we had been taught about the evils of slavery and the terrible treatment of Native Americans but only at a surface level. I am not happy that we still have not learned how to deal with and correct the problems of discrimination and even when we see to be learning how to do, we realize how much there is to do and never really do it so that the cycle seems to repeat itself every decade. The prejudices that we read about here are still with us in some communities. I can only hope that what we read here will help us make a better world for everyone,
May 5, 2021
I really enjoyed this book a lot. I finished it about 2 weeks ago, but I wanted to take time to mentally digest all that it encompassed. The author does a wonderful job creating the characters in this novel. You definitely feel as if your going along with them while they discover themselves. It deals with some very heavy topics such as racism, bullying, alcoholism and dysfunctional relationships. All while set in the late 50’s world of sock hops and the Elvis era. It does a wonderful job of exploring the other sides of that white washed 50’s era we romanticized from tv, and portrays how a darker side of history was for many Native Americans, African Americans, people of Jewish faith, South Asians and LGBT people. At times, the darker themes can be pretty heavy as our young teenage protagonist deals with these social injustices around her, but through some of those darker scenes, comes through a tale of characters you will care about and how it will all unfold. This was an extremely well written book that I throughly enjoyed getting lost in the world the author created. The themes in Ghost Dancer are themes that are still relevant today. This is a book that will make you think and will still with you much later than the last chapter. I look forward to seeking out other books from Alan S Kessler.
April 15, 2021
This was an early reviewer book. To start, I had taken notes on paper and placed it inside the book for when I left a review but a tornado took out my house a few weeks ago and I lost the book to it. That being said, I'll do my best to review the book without my notes.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was a moving journey that touched me in many ways. It lead me down paths that I did not expect and I loved it. Thus far, it's my favorite book I have read this year. Set in the 1950's, much of it still touches on subjects that we are facing today-- sexism, racism, bullying, etc. Eleanor is a unique character and her coming-of-age tale is touching and interesting. There were many lines in the book I had written down that I wanted to share on social media. I feel like so many people could benefit from reading this book, or at least learn something. I highly recommend it. Thank you for the opportunity given to me to read and enjoy it.
I truly enjoyed reading this book. It was a moving journey that touched me in many ways. It lead me down paths that I did not expect and I loved it. Thus far, it's my favorite book I have read this year. Set in the 1950's, much of it still touches on subjects that we are facing today-- sexism, racism, bullying, etc. Eleanor is a unique character and her coming-of-age tale is touching and interesting. There were many lines in the book I had written down that I wanted to share on social media. I feel like so many people could benefit from reading this book, or at least learn something. I highly recommend it. Thank you for the opportunity given to me to read and enjoy it.
February 17, 2021
I thought this was a very good book. I liked following Eleanor from dealing with and alcoholic Mom, finding out she's adopted and then how she grew and found herself. It was frustrating to read about how they treated Blacks and Indians but good to know we are improving but still need improvement in their treatment.
February 24, 2021
Ghost Dancer is an extremely well written book. The prose is vivid, poetic and at times heart gripping. The characters, even the minor ones, are well drawn. The themes of racism, isolation, cultural displacement, and hypocrisy are timely and relevant. Eleanor is not just a vehicle for the author’s message but an engaging protagonist. I loved this book and highly recommend it.
October 7, 2021
Book was not what I was expecting. Book has many twist & turns that surprise. Girl adopted as a baby that was part Native American. Raised as white by wealthy parents. Parents are completely off the wall. Book has many twist & turns to her life at the end as an environmental activist.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2021
Entertaining and thought-provoking: Although this is a departure from my usual "thriller" reads, it was no less exciting. The author does a good job fleshing out the main characters in a way that makes them real, particularly Eleanor, the protagonist of the story.
The product of a wealthy mother and father, Eleanor lives in a huge mansion in the small town of Rabbits Hollow on what was once Native American land. She is allowed few friends, and spends much of her youth playing in an adjacent Native American graveyard. As for the town, former white settlers managed to essentially steal the land in unscrupulous agreements. Most of the whites in this book are very prejudiced against the Native Americans and Blacks represented in the story, whereas Eleanor seems to be one of the few who does not judge by color or race. This was a new concept for me and made me feel exceedingly fortunate to have parents who could truly be considered color-blind. Although successful by conventional standards, Eleanor's parents were deeply flawed. Trapped in a loveless marriage, her father's main addiction seemed to be sexually assaulting all females that he came into contact with, especially those that he considered subservient to him. Eleanor's mother, a closet alcoholic, was very strict with her, forbidding her to be a child, insisting that she dye her hair blonde, and essentially destroying all that Eleanor cared about.
I especially liked that the author did not depict all whites as bad while glorifying other races. For example, Eleanor's first love was a Native American boy - and a total user and creep. Her best friend, however, was a very decent young man who helped her to navigate her way through a school filled with bullies and those that go along to fit in - much like high schools everywhere.
Although this book was set in the last century, its themes remain relevant today. This would be a great addition for any book club, as well as school libraries and English classes. The book itself is an entertaining and quick read, and I highly recommend it.
The product of a wealthy mother and father, Eleanor lives in a huge mansion in the small town of Rabbits Hollow on what was once Native American land. She is allowed few friends, and spends much of her youth playing in an adjacent Native American graveyard. As for the town, former white settlers managed to essentially steal the land in unscrupulous agreements. Most of the whites in this book are very prejudiced against the Native Americans and Blacks represented in the story, whereas Eleanor seems to be one of the few who does not judge by color or race. This was a new concept for me and made me feel exceedingly fortunate to have parents who could truly be considered color-blind. Although successful by conventional standards, Eleanor's parents were deeply flawed. Trapped in a loveless marriage, her father's main addiction seemed to be sexually assaulting all females that he came into contact with, especially those that he considered subservient to him. Eleanor's mother, a closet alcoholic, was very strict with her, forbidding her to be a child, insisting that she dye her hair blonde, and essentially destroying all that Eleanor cared about.
I especially liked that the author did not depict all whites as bad while glorifying other races. For example, Eleanor's first love was a Native American boy - and a total user and creep. Her best friend, however, was a very decent young man who helped her to navigate her way through a school filled with bullies and those that go along to fit in - much like high schools everywhere.
Although this book was set in the last century, its themes remain relevant today. This would be a great addition for any book club, as well as school libraries and English classes. The book itself is an entertaining and quick read, and I highly recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2022
Reading this book is, in a way, like taking a part in the Ghost Dance - you hope to connect with what may seem today as the dead spirits: spirits of kindness, racial tolerance, sacredness of ancestral heritage, overcoming fear, loyalty to those you love, and a firm, uncompromising civic position on questions touching upon your principles. But, led by the author, you perform this dance with your eyes open to new possibilities that may present themselves and you turn towards them carrying with you what you may have taken from the dead.
No matter how deep we dig, we will never reach the bottom in understanding how different we all are from each other. We experience this in our lives, in our every-day encounters. We can never fully explain these differences but this is what makes life pulsate. This same feeling I got reading this book: your real life transitions seamlessly onto the pages of the book, you encounter real people with their differences colliding and giving Eleanor, the main character, a push for changing the course of her life. And we follow this course gladly.
It is an indisputable sign of maturity in Alan Kessler's writing that not only the new twists in the plot come unexpectedly like in life itself, but that the author does not nudge us to have this or that attitude to the new circumstances. This seems consistent for Mr. Kessler in this book as well as in his previous book The Butcher.
No matter how deep we dig, we will never reach the bottom in understanding how different we all are from each other. We experience this in our lives, in our every-day encounters. We can never fully explain these differences but this is what makes life pulsate. This same feeling I got reading this book: your real life transitions seamlessly onto the pages of the book, you encounter real people with their differences colliding and giving Eleanor, the main character, a push for changing the course of her life. And we follow this course gladly.
It is an indisputable sign of maturity in Alan Kessler's writing that not only the new twists in the plot come unexpectedly like in life itself, but that the author does not nudge us to have this or that attitude to the new circumstances. This seems consistent for Mr. Kessler in this book as well as in his previous book The Butcher.
September 25, 2021
What a great read this is. This novel chronicles the life of Eleanor starting as an adolescent living in a stone mansion in a small town where her father is the bank owner. The town is riddled with racist politics against the Indians on the a nearby reservation. Eleanor's mother Constance is a very controlling individual who schedules every minute of her daughter's time to the point that it borders on the ridiculous with certain body shaming rituals. As a young girl, Eleanor fashions a doll with no face and plays with the doll in the Indian cemetery not far from her home. She seems to find solace with this activity until her mother finds the doll and burns it. Eleanor is drawn to an Indian classmate and the Indian traditions and makes some bad decisions with Knute and Tom showing the divide between penalties for white people and Indians. In spite of everything Eleanor is drawn to the Indian ways and feels she can find remains of the deceased. It all comes to a head when she's 17 and after an Indian ritual when she returns home she finds out she is adopted and was born of a Lakota Indian women. This is a story of choices and where they ultimately lead and perseverance with help from very unexpected individuals along the way. I highly recommend this book. Thank you to Alan S. Kessler and Goodreads for the opportunity to read and review this book.
August 22, 2021
Cry for your mother
Young Eleanor Wilson sneaks out of the house to play in the spirit house of the Indian cemetery . A rich white girl in 1958, she is ruled by the schedules her mother insists upon and the ideal her mother has of her and Eleanor's future.
But, what her future holds has nothing to do with Mrs. Wilson's dreams.
Finding out she is adopted and her adoptive father laying hands on her is the deciding factor. She leaves town with the boy she loves, he eventiualy leaves her and she builds a new life, only to have that life change so she begins again.
Along the way, Eleanor finds herself and the reason she is here. The book ends when she is eighy-three and fighting for the future.
Eleanor and the other characters are alive, you grow to care for them and what they believe. The first few chapters were difficult for me to read - the racism, dirty politics, and hatred of those times are hard to remember. The last chapter gives me hope for the planet and the people.
Hope is always best.
Young Eleanor Wilson sneaks out of the house to play in the spirit house of the Indian cemetery . A rich white girl in 1958, she is ruled by the schedules her mother insists upon and the ideal her mother has of her and Eleanor's future.
But, what her future holds has nothing to do with Mrs. Wilson's dreams.
Finding out she is adopted and her adoptive father laying hands on her is the deciding factor. She leaves town with the boy she loves, he eventiualy leaves her and she builds a new life, only to have that life change so she begins again.
Along the way, Eleanor finds herself and the reason she is here. The book ends when she is eighy-three and fighting for the future.
Eleanor and the other characters are alive, you grow to care for them and what they believe. The first few chapters were difficult for me to read - the racism, dirty politics, and hatred of those times are hard to remember. The last chapter gives me hope for the planet and the people.
Hope is always best.
April 5, 2021
This is a very intricate coming of age story introducing Eleanor Wilson in the 1950's. She is a wealthy young daughter of a controlling alcoholic mother and father with a philandering spirit.
Prior to the prologue, Alan S Kessler notes "Youth isn't a prelude, it determines who we are."
I felt he effectively developed this theme.
This idea, set with a backdrop of this small town's prejudice, respectfully explores racial inequality toward African and Native Americans, anti-Semitic rhetoric and Cold War elements.
My comments are only an incomplete introductory note to the themes developed as Eleanor reaches out to find her true spirit and calling.
The novel is an eyeopener and a poignant life adventure.
The author notes his intent:
"I hope readers will find Ghost Dancer worthwhile and my treatment of the subject matter respectful. I know with this story I have walked on sacred ground. I have tried to do so with an honest and open heart. " Alan S Kessler
ARC
Prior to the prologue, Alan S Kessler notes "Youth isn't a prelude, it determines who we are."
I felt he effectively developed this theme.
This idea, set with a backdrop of this small town's prejudice, respectfully explores racial inequality toward African and Native Americans, anti-Semitic rhetoric and Cold War elements.
My comments are only an incomplete introductory note to the themes developed as Eleanor reaches out to find her true spirit and calling.
The novel is an eyeopener and a poignant life adventure.
The author notes his intent:
"I hope readers will find Ghost Dancer worthwhile and my treatment of the subject matter respectful. I know with this story I have walked on sacred ground. I have tried to do so with an honest and open heart. " Alan S Kessler
ARC
December 11, 2021
This is a story of a young girl finding out who she is and her place in the world.
I had some difficulty getting into the story, I can't put my finger on why. It wasn't until Eleanor left the town where she was raised I was able to settle into it, maybe because Eleanor's POV was the one I saw this world through.
Some of the characters seemed to arrive and leave the story in a convenient way. I found it disappointing in some cases since I had made an investment in them and their leaving seemed an easy way to exit them from the story. There were a couple of characters in the first half of the story I don't understand why their POV was used, it felt like a piling on that the people of the town aren't nice or honorable people.
I gave this three stars because I did enjoy the second half of the book.
I had some difficulty getting into the story, I can't put my finger on why. It wasn't until Eleanor left the town where she was raised I was able to settle into it, maybe because Eleanor's POV was the one I saw this world through.
Some of the characters seemed to arrive and leave the story in a convenient way. I found it disappointing in some cases since I had made an investment in them and their leaving seemed an easy way to exit them from the story. There were a couple of characters in the first half of the story I don't understand why their POV was used, it felt like a piling on that the people of the town aren't nice or honorable people.
I gave this three stars because I did enjoy the second half of the book.
March 7, 2022
an exact and perfect heartache
Is this book perfect? No, sometimes the dialogue is clunky and the prose seems unpolished. But this book scratches an itch I hadn’t recognized. At once acknowledging a sense of unhomedness I’ll never know and yet relate to deeply, this book also mirrors recent heartbreak, childhood yearning, and a religious loneliness I’ve only seen addressed once (in The Red Tent by Anita Diamanti). While it lacks the eloquence of The Red Tent or The Glass Castle, I still feel like this book belongs next to them on my shelf of life altering and heart affirming reads. Every time the author almost lost my attention, the plot slowing or evolving into a different story, a profound truth from the protagonist reeled me back in. The ending is unexpectedly hopeful, and works to sew back together old wounds torn open by previous chapters.
Is this book perfect? No, sometimes the dialogue is clunky and the prose seems unpolished. But this book scratches an itch I hadn’t recognized. At once acknowledging a sense of unhomedness I’ll never know and yet relate to deeply, this book also mirrors recent heartbreak, childhood yearning, and a religious loneliness I’ve only seen addressed once (in The Red Tent by Anita Diamanti). While it lacks the eloquence of The Red Tent or The Glass Castle, I still feel like this book belongs next to them on my shelf of life altering and heart affirming reads. Every time the author almost lost my attention, the plot slowing or evolving into a different story, a profound truth from the protagonist reeled me back in. The ending is unexpectedly hopeful, and works to sew back together old wounds torn open by previous chapters.
June 15, 2022
I won a copy of this in a Goodreads giveaway.
Set in the 1950's, we follow the life of Eleanor Wilson as she grows up in a life of privilege. However, Eleanor's life isn't all it's cracked up to be in her small, midwestern town.. Fighting the town's racism and bigotry is only half the battle but Eleanor also faces abuse and an uneasy feeling that there is more to her life than her mother is telling her.
While I was captivated with much of the story, I thought it tried to cover too many social issues at once. In doing so, some of the characters came and went in ways that felt unnatural in trying to drive home these issues. I would have loved for the story to stay focused more on one or two of the issues rather than try to touch on everyone. Still, the writing held my interest and I wanted to stay the course to find out what happens to Eleanor.
Set in the 1950's, we follow the life of Eleanor Wilson as she grows up in a life of privilege. However, Eleanor's life isn't all it's cracked up to be in her small, midwestern town.. Fighting the town's racism and bigotry is only half the battle but Eleanor also faces abuse and an uneasy feeling that there is more to her life than her mother is telling her.
While I was captivated with much of the story, I thought it tried to cover too many social issues at once. In doing so, some of the characters came and went in ways that felt unnatural in trying to drive home these issues. I would have loved for the story to stay focused more on one or two of the issues rather than try to touch on everyone. Still, the writing held my interest and I wanted to stay the course to find out what happens to Eleanor.
March 29, 2022
I won this book in a giveaway. I liked the fact that the book talked about racism, homophobia, classism, and included real life examples of events that have happened (treaties, boarding schools). I like the perspective of Eleanor and being surrounded of all the hate and coming to the point of realization that she does not agree with the majority of those around her, and starts to stick of for what she believes in. This story delves into each character enough to learn a bit of backstory and allows the reader to see the thought process of why each person is the way their are today (in the book). I also really enjoyed that Eleanor ends up being in a lesbian relationship once she kind of comes to the realization that that is an option.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2021
Ghost Dancer would be a great book for school libraries. I grew up in the 50's in an all white community. We were taught about the evils of slavery and the awful treatment of Native Americans, but we didn't learn about the prejudices that prevailed in most of our country. This book is very enlightening. I realize that we have made many improvements since the Civil Rights Movement. I hate it, but I know the prejudices written about in this book are still pervasive in some communities in our country.
August 10, 2021
This is a powerful story of Eleanor, adopted and treated poorly by an overbearing, prejudiced mother,growing up with little self confidence, to turn into a person not to be reckoned with when she singlehandedly takes on a powerful petroleum company to keep them from running a pipeline over native American land. This is an intense story, a true page Turner. I knew when I was reading it that it was a work of pure fiction, but after I read it, I wished that it was not, because we need more people who will stand for the downtrodden, underdogs, and forgotten.
August 18, 2021
In short this is a very well written and compelling story of a woman beaten down so much by an overbearing hag of a "mother", who later finds her niche in life and grows to be a champion who will not give an inch in the face of adversity to save something precious for someone else. It's a good, good read. It's very difficult to believe this is not a true story. It grabs your heart from the first, and holds it till the end. If you feel downtrodden, misunderstood, or bullied, READ THIS BOOK. I won this book from Goodreads giveaways and I'm so, so glad I did.
October 27, 2021
Having read the reviews, I jumped at the chance to enter a Giveaway for this. Fortunately I won.
It isn't an easy read as it deals with such topics as Bullying, Racial Discrimination, Dysfunctional Relationships, as well as Social Injustices, and other issues so relative to our current social environment. I do highly recommend it.
From the perspective of a coming of age teenager as she moves through life and finally comes to terms with the cause of her unrest.
A big thank you to the author.
It isn't an easy read as it deals with such topics as Bullying, Racial Discrimination, Dysfunctional Relationships, as well as Social Injustices, and other issues so relative to our current social environment. I do highly recommend it.
From the perspective of a coming of age teenager as she moves through life and finally comes to terms with the cause of her unrest.
A big thank you to the author.
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