I have very mixed emotions about this book. On the one hand, it was nice to read about a book that embraced different types of religions rather than running from anything not "mainstream" or that readers might possibly be offended by. I like that in a book, to be courageous about "taboo" subjects.
On the other hand, while the romance part of the book was nice, it was a little bit predictable. The portrayal of Native American spirituality was way off, in my personal experience, considering that I grew up with a half Sioux/half Navajo grandmother who taught me a bit about our combined heritage on the subject of spirituality. It was as though the author had watched numerous movies like "Man Called Horse" and decided he was now an expert on the subject.
I think it might be just that I dislike books that try to tell me what to believe in; I sort of felt like the book was telling me in an oblique way that I was on the "wrong path" and that just doesn't sit well. One thing I did like was the dichotomy of the two characters: one was a free spirit and the other was a straight laced type. I sort of wish their roles had been reversed though; it would have made a much nicer romance element if the man had been the free spirit and the woman had been the straight laced person. I think that would have been a nice twist on played out stereotypes.
What I loved most about this book was the suggested reading. That may seem odd, since the book was something I was supposed to enjoy reading as well, but my favorite element was the references listed. I think this author had a great idea, it just needed a little more polish. As a writer, I can completely empathize with this author in wanting to get his story out there. I think it was a great first book, but not really my thing. I'd give it three out of five stars.
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