Review: Cherokee America

Cherokee America by Margaret Verble

Publication Date: February 19, 2019

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Hardcover & eBook; 400 Pages

Genre: Literary/Historical Fiction/Native American

From the author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist Maud’s Line, an epic novel that follows a web of complex family alliances and culture clashes in the Cherokee Nation during the aftermath of the Civil War, and the unforgettable woman at its center.

It’s the early spring of 1875 in the Cherokee Nation West. A baby, a black hired hand, a bay horse, a gun, a gold stash, and a preacher have all gone missing. Cherokee America Singer, known as “Check,” a wealthy farmer, mother of five boys, and soon-to-be widow, is not amused.

In this epic of the American frontier, several plots intertwine around the heroic and resolute Check: her son is caught in a compromising position that results in murder; a neighbor disappears; another man is killed. The tension mounts and the violence escalates as Check’s mixed race family, friends, and neighbors come together to protect their community—and painfully expel one of their own.

Cherokee America vividly, and often with humor, explores the bonds—of blood and place, of buried histories and half-told tales, of past grief and present injury—that connect a colorful, eclectic cast of characters, anchored by the clever, determined, and unforgettable Check.

MY REVIEW

When I first got this book, I was really excited. I wanted to love it, but the farther I got into the book, my excitement faded. In saying that, this book wasn’t terrible, it just wasn’t fabulous, for me.

Let’s start with what I really loved. I really enjoyed the descriptions in this book. Margaret Verble built such a vibrant world that I my lack of familiarity with Native American history didn’t feel insurmountable. I felt like I knew this world, could understand it, and really enjoy this story, simply because the author was so skilled at describing and weaving the settings and emotions.

I also LOVED Check. She had so much intelligence, strength, and determination. She was the epitome of life goals. I can only hope to have half of her courage during life’s challenges. Her story was beautiful, tragic, and inspiring.

What I didn’t like were the other characters. Honestly, there were just far too many of them for me. I couldn’t get invested in anyone other than Check, because I never got a sense of who they were and what their story was. I don’t know if this would be a problem for everyone, but numerous storylines with even more characters, tends to confuse me. I lose focus and don’t feel invested in any one person or plot. As with most entertainment, this is totally subjective, so this may not be the problem for others that it was for me. So, this book took me a little longer than normal and I needed a break to read it.

I felt compelled to continue this book because it feels like a story that I needed to hear. Sometimes books can give you a completely different perspective on life, and really make you consider a time and place you’ve never given much thought to. This book really did that for me. Even though it wasn’t my favorite book ever, I am really glad to have read it.

Praise for Cherokee America

“Highly recommended for readers of literary historical fiction in the vein of Lalita Tademy’s Citizen’s Creek and Paulette Jiles’s News of the World.”–Library Journal, STARRED review

“In Verble’s hands, this tale of a mother’s love and her gritty resolve in a shameful era of false promises and broken treaties makes for a rich, propulsive novel.”–Publishers Weekly

“An impressive, historical saga of Native American life in the mid-19th century.”–BookPage

“Cherokee America does what all the best historical fiction does—it vividly captures its particular time and place, yet simultaneously offers valuable insights about our own era. Margaret Verble is an exceptional storyteller, and this novel will enhance her already considerable literary reputation.”—Ron Rash, author of Serena

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About the Author

Margaret Verble is an enrolled and voting citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and a member of a large Cherokee family that has, through generations, made many contributions to the tribe’s history and survival. Although many of her family have remained in Oklahoma to this day, and some still own and farm the land on which the book is set, Margaret was raised in Nashville, Tennessee, and currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky.

Many of the characters of Maud’s Line are based on people Margaret knew as a child and the setting is land she roamed for many years of her life. In part, Margaret wrote this book to keep those people and that land alive in her heart.

Margaret’s new novel, Cherokee America, will be released by Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt on Feb. 19, 2019. A prequel to Maud’s Line, it is set in 1875 in the Arkansas River bottoms of the old Cherokee Nation West.

Margaret is a member of the Authors Guild and Western Writers of America.

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Blog Tour Schedule

Tuesday, February 19
Feature at Coffee and Ink

Wednesday, February 20
Review at A Book Geek
Feature at Myths, Legends, Books & Coffee Pots

Friday, February 22
Review at Creating Herstory
Feature at What Is That Book About

Tuesday, February 26
Review at Jennifer Silverwood’s Blog

Wednesday, February 27
Review at The Lit Bitch

Thursday, February 28
Review at Tar Heel Reader

Friday, March 1
Feature at View from the Birdhouse

Monday, March 4
Review at Amy’s Booket List

Thursday, March 7
Review at The Old Shelter
Feature at Donna’s Book Blog

Friday, March 8
Interview at The Old Shelter

Monday, March 11
Interview at Passages to the Past

Wednesday, March 13
Review at Passages to the Past

Friday, March 15
Review at bookramblings
Review at The Reading Woman

Giveaway

During the Blog Tour we will be giving away five copies of Cherokee America by Margaret Verble! To enter, please use the Gleam form below.

Giveaway Rules

– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on March 15th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.

Cherokee America