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Crimson Sky: A Novel of Early America
With meticulous attention to historical detail, Crimson Sky brings to life the clash of two great civilizations. In 1598 when the Spanish come into the land, the Puebloans fight for their faith and their culture, and in the end, for their lives.
Zia's world has been shattered by her husband's loss, by murderous marauders, and by drought. To save her child from starvation, she accepts the protection of a Spanish conquistador, but is the love and security he provides worth abandoning the sacred gods and even her identity as a woman of the pueblo?
Diego Ortiz yearns for a home and a family in this strange new land. When he meets a beautiful woman of the pueblos, he offers her not only protection for her child and herself, but also his everlasting love.
Ashka, left for dead after an ambush in the forest, challenges death itself to achieve his two heart's desires, returning to Zia, and exacting revenge against his greatest enemy, the Spaniard Diego Ortiz.
Zia's world has been shattered by her husband's loss, by murderous marauders, and by drought. To save her child from starvation, she accepts the protection of a Spanish conquistador, but is the love and security he provides worth abandoning the sacred gods and even her identity as a woman of the pueblo?
Diego Ortiz yearns for a home and a family in this strange new land. When he meets a beautiful woman of the pueblos, he offers her not only protection for her child and herself, but also his everlasting love.
Ashka, left for dead after an ambush in the forest, challenges death itself to achieve his two heart's desires, returning to Zia, and exacting revenge against his greatest enemy, the Spaniard Diego Ortiz.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 13, 2010
138 people are currently reading
28 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 1, 2010
This is a very good novel, a fictional historical about life for America's native peoples before and during the Spanish Conquistadors arrival and "takeover." The location is the American Southwest, namely New Mexico, the time is the late 1500s or early 1600s.
Zia is part of small tribe that is facing year four of a drought. Hers are a peaceful people so when a neighboring and very hungry tribe attacks her village while the men are off hunting, they try but fail to save all their food from the hungry pillagers. They now face starvation. The vigilantes underestimate the power of an angry mother though. Zia has a baby and rather than allow her baby to go hungry, she becomes a warrior and sets out to get back her baby's food.
Zia is a tough woman. I wouldn't want to mess with her.. Meanwhile, her husband is having his own adventure and unfortuneately, circumstances cause Zia to presume he is dead.
After the fourth draught, her village once again faces starvation and there is only one thing left to do: go to the Spanish colony for help. In return for their labor, the Natives hope to earn food for the winter. Zia does not count on the allure of Captain Diego, however.
There's a big twist here involving Diego and Zia's husband and a foot amputation... I shall not reveal any more than that. Really really good stuff. Lots of intriguing twists and turns as Zia and Diego start a romance, Zia's husband searches fruitlessly for her, and Zia begins to suspect that Diego is not the kind man she has foolishly believed him to be.
Also in abundance: the Natives spiritual beliefs and customs, superstitions about withcraft, the Spanish peoples attempts at converting the "heathens", measles, and lots of situations between characters. There is love, hate, jealousy, revenge, fear, and shame.
I really enjoyed it, but I struggled with it in the last half because Zia becomes a woman I don't like much there for a while. I wanted to jump into the book and slap her silly. Could she really be so blind and naive? However, she does redeem herself in the end. Four stars.
Zia is part of small tribe that is facing year four of a drought. Hers are a peaceful people so when a neighboring and very hungry tribe attacks her village while the men are off hunting, they try but fail to save all their food from the hungry pillagers. They now face starvation. The vigilantes underestimate the power of an angry mother though. Zia has a baby and rather than allow her baby to go hungry, she becomes a warrior and sets out to get back her baby's food.
Zia is a tough woman. I wouldn't want to mess with her.. Meanwhile, her husband is having his own adventure and unfortuneately, circumstances cause Zia to presume he is dead.
After the fourth draught, her village once again faces starvation and there is only one thing left to do: go to the Spanish colony for help. In return for their labor, the Natives hope to earn food for the winter. Zia does not count on the allure of Captain Diego, however.
There's a big twist here involving Diego and Zia's husband and a foot amputation... I shall not reveal any more than that. Really really good stuff. Lots of intriguing twists and turns as Zia and Diego start a romance, Zia's husband searches fruitlessly for her, and Zia begins to suspect that Diego is not the kind man she has foolishly believed him to be.
Also in abundance: the Natives spiritual beliefs and customs, superstitions about withcraft, the Spanish peoples attempts at converting the "heathens", measles, and lots of situations between characters. There is love, hate, jealousy, revenge, fear, and shame.
I really enjoyed it, but I struggled with it in the last half because Zia becomes a woman I don't like much there for a while. I wanted to jump into the book and slap her silly. Could she really be so blind and naive? However, she does redeem herself in the end. Four stars.
March 23, 2013
"Crimson Sky" is the heart-felt story of Zia, a strong woman, mother and wife living within a traditional tribe in New Mexico in the late 1500's. The story explores her struggles and her heartaches when, after she believes her beloved husband, TapanAshka, to be dead, she must do unthinkable things in order to survive the unforgiving weather and lack of food to keep her young son, TyoPe, safe and ensure his survival.
At this time, the Spanish have settled in New Mexico looking for development opportunities and are offering the tribes of the pueblos food and homes, in exchange for their labour.
Zia feels this is her only option. To leave her home and her freedom behind and start again in a bid to keep herself, her baby and her family safe through their time of desperation.
"Crimson Sky" explores the issues and compromises made when these two highly different cultures are forced to come together as one.
Will the traditional, spirit worshiping people of the tribes be able to feel at home within the settlements of the Spanish, with their new animals, new tools, strange crops, and deadly weapons?
Will the Spanish be able to make the newcomers feel at home, or constantly view them as unequal, as slaves?
Will Zia find new love and a new life with the strong, powerful, seemingly kind and loving Spanish conquistador, Captain Diego Ortiz? Or will their differences, and his brutal treatment of her people prove they can never be together?
I thoroughly enjoyed "Crimson Sky".
The characters are very well developed, and the plot is fast paced and exciting. I liked that I was able to "look into" real historical events and look at a snippet of how people at this time may have lived.
At the start of Chapter 17: "The March", I had a little "Oh No" moment, and I had to force myself to put the book down and stop reading for a while. This was only because I felt I knew the direction the plot was going to take...and I didn't want to see what I thought was going to happen actually happen!!
I couldn't stop myself reading for long though, and I enjoyed every page!
Oh - and I got the EXACT ending I wanted too. :)
A recommended read.
At this time, the Spanish have settled in New Mexico looking for development opportunities and are offering the tribes of the pueblos food and homes, in exchange for their labour.
Zia feels this is her only option. To leave her home and her freedom behind and start again in a bid to keep herself, her baby and her family safe through their time of desperation.
"Crimson Sky" explores the issues and compromises made when these two highly different cultures are forced to come together as one.
Will the traditional, spirit worshiping people of the tribes be able to feel at home within the settlements of the Spanish, with their new animals, new tools, strange crops, and deadly weapons?
Will the Spanish be able to make the newcomers feel at home, or constantly view them as unequal, as slaves?
Will Zia find new love and a new life with the strong, powerful, seemingly kind and loving Spanish conquistador, Captain Diego Ortiz? Or will their differences, and his brutal treatment of her people prove they can never be together?
I thoroughly enjoyed "Crimson Sky".
The characters are very well developed, and the plot is fast paced and exciting. I liked that I was able to "look into" real historical events and look at a snippet of how people at this time may have lived.
At the start of Chapter 17: "The March", I had a little "Oh No" moment, and I had to force myself to put the book down and stop reading for a while. This was only because I felt I knew the direction the plot was going to take...and I didn't want to see what I thought was going to happen actually happen!!
I couldn't stop myself reading for long though, and I enjoyed every page!
Oh - and I got the EXACT ending I wanted too. :)
A recommended read.
May 10, 2013
Wow. It has been years since I've read historical fiction this good. Margaret George, eat your heart out. Ms. Craig has managed to weave a tapestry of life in 1598 New Mexico, with the life of the Keres, Pueblo Indians. I could go into a synopsis of the story, with lists of characters, and a plot summary and all that. But I'm not. What I'm going to say is this: If powerful storytelling is your thing, if factual research is your thing, if three dimensional characters, both primary and secondary is your thing, if great story structure with interwoven sub-plots and few if any holes is your thing, then Crimson Sky is certainly worth your time.
This is not just a sensitive story about Native Americans, but their struggles through droughts, invaders (both foreign and domestic), and disease. Ms. Craig shows such an in-depth portrayal of this culture, that I feel like I've been living with them this past week. My heart has been torn out, put back, torn out again. She portrayed both the Native Americans and the Spaniards as humans, inherently weak, yet with an inner strength to survive.
When I was sixteen, my dad and I took a camping trip across Texas, to El Paso, New Mexico, and up to Pueblo, Colorado. These tiny cliff-dwellings fascinated me in a way that no place else in America has ever captivated me before. This book was a true treasure for me to find, as it reminded me of this vacation with my dad. If he were alive today, he would have read it, and enjoyed it immensely.
I loved this book. Period. It's now in my top ten.
This is not just a sensitive story about Native Americans, but their struggles through droughts, invaders (both foreign and domestic), and disease. Ms. Craig shows such an in-depth portrayal of this culture, that I feel like I've been living with them this past week. My heart has been torn out, put back, torn out again. She portrayed both the Native Americans and the Spaniards as humans, inherently weak, yet with an inner strength to survive.
When I was sixteen, my dad and I took a camping trip across Texas, to El Paso, New Mexico, and up to Pueblo, Colorado. These tiny cliff-dwellings fascinated me in a way that no place else in America has ever captivated me before. This book was a true treasure for me to find, as it reminded me of this vacation with my dad. If he were alive today, he would have read it, and enjoyed it immensely.
I loved this book. Period. It's now in my top ten.
April 22, 2015
A good historical, fictional story about a young native American woman coping with the harsh realities of drought, tribal raiding, death and jealousy. Zia is a strong and honorable woman who is content with her life until her husband does not return from a hunting expedition. Left alone with her infant son she struggles to survive with members of her tribe as they face one adversity after another. The story introduces Spanish conquistadors as they take over the land and its people. One captain is shown from two perspectives and stories, as a lonely and loving man who falls in love with Zia on first sight. But unknown to Zia he is also an obsessive, heartless conqueror who destroys villages and brutally punishes those who do not obey him. The story beautifully honors the native people, their traditions and their ways of worship while also describing the ways of the Catholic foreigners who are trying to convert them to Christianity. The tensions arising from these two worldviews are artfully woven into the story. The conclusion is powerful, sad and hopeful. This is the third book I have read by this author and I continue to be impressed by her story- telling gifts.
November 19, 2015
Crimson Sky is by Gretchen Craig. It is a different story in that it goes all the way back to the Spanish invasion of Mexico and the US. It is really an interesting look at Indian life
Zia has to take the role of warrior when her tribe is overrun by raiders while the men are out hunting. old life or will she be killed in the process? Where is TapanAshka? Is he dead? Their best warrior was left with the women and children but he was wounded and could not fight. There was not enough time for them to harvest enough to last the winter so their only choice was to go after the raiders. Zia led them and they got their food back as well as the one woman they took with them, Mitsa, Zia’s friend. Zia would like nothing better than to go back to her role as wife and mother; but the hunting party returns without her husband TapanAshka. His half of the hunting party did not come back either. Zia must make a life for herself and her son and she does not want to remarry. When the drought forces them to make the move to the Spanish settlement, she, her grandmother, and son are taken under the wing of the commander. Can she get out from under his protection and back to her
Zia has to take the role of warrior when her tribe is overrun by raiders while the men are out hunting. old life or will she be killed in the process? Where is TapanAshka? Is he dead? Their best warrior was left with the women and children but he was wounded and could not fight. There was not enough time for them to harvest enough to last the winter so their only choice was to go after the raiders. Zia led them and they got their food back as well as the one woman they took with them, Mitsa, Zia’s friend. Zia would like nothing better than to go back to her role as wife and mother; but the hunting party returns without her husband TapanAshka. His half of the hunting party did not come back either. Zia must make a life for herself and her son and she does not want to remarry. When the drought forces them to make the move to the Spanish settlement, she, her grandmother, and son are taken under the wing of the commander. Can she get out from under his protection and back to her
August 3, 2015
This was the quickest and easiest read from Gretchen Craig, that I have read. I really like the story and the character development. I learned a lot of the way of Native Americans, but I felt that so much of the person to person interaction was just lacking. I recommend this book to any reader who enjoys historical reads.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews