What readers think of The Removes, plus links to write your own review.

I love historical american history and couldn't wait to get started on this novel. It was very good and I couldn't put it down. The author does a fabulous job on describing Custer and his soldiers, his wife and the captured women by the Indians. The interaction between them all is written with such passion and detail. I didn't want the book to end.

I was fortunate to be selected to receive this book for participation in the Book Browse Book Club discussion. I am an avid reader of the American West, both fiction and non-fiction, but with a distinct preference for non-fiction. When I read that the author said she had taken some liberties with facts such as Libbie Custer's presence at events she was not actually at, I was somewhat dismayed. It ultimately did not diminish my appreciation of the book. If the author had not disclosed this, I believe my ultimate opinion of the book would have been dismissive, but because she revealed it, I could accept it.

I found the writing to be elegant and flowing. Some reviewers found it to be stilted and archaic, but did not. I did have difficulty with the ending and am still not sure of what happened. For this, I have rate it as good rather than excellent.

I too had mixed feelings about this book. It was interesting to read about Libbie Custer but with a historical novel of this type it is hard to know what is fact and what is fiction. My favorite part of this book was actually the illustrations. I really loved the end papers and the sketches on the first page of each chapter. These are based on the ledger art of Native Americans from the late 19th century. The photos added to the realism of the story too. In regard to stories of captured and returned females, I much preferred News of the World by Paulette Jiles.

I confess I have mixed feelings about this book. Generally speaking I don't like reading fiction that focuses on historical figures because I feel that the authors of such books manipulate reality to suit their own purposes. Such was the case with this book. Soli openly admits that she is no historian and her view of the Custers is almost totally predicated on their psyches or at least her interpretation of them. I found her writing to be choppy at times but, in many cases, that served the energy of the narrative. The two concurrent story lines didn't meld well and I often felt that I was reading 2 separate books, but the genuine descriptions of life on the frontier came alive with true authenticity and I appreciated the fact that the author never attempted to romanticize life on the plains for either of the protagonists, White or Indian.