What readers think of A Council of Dolls, plus links to write your own review.

This absorbing novel is narrated by three generations of Native American girls and their cherished dolls, who "speak" to each of them out of their own suppressed inner wisdom, guiding and protecting them, absorbing the racial trauma that the girls cannot yet comprehend. Their stories span the 20th Century, focusing on the experience of Indian children removed from their families, sometimes for years, to attend boarding schools where their keepsakes will be destroyed and they will be forced to speak a new language, take on new names, wear new clothing and adopt a new, false identity. Resistance will be crushed. Some will not survive.

Each girl's voice is distinct, each girl intuitive and precocious in her own way. Author Mona Susa Power manages the challenge of creating convincing young narrators while addressing a mature theme: the complexity of preserving tribal identity in a white world determined to criminalize it, the psychological damage that is done, and how that resonates from one generation to the next. Power wisely chooses to tell her story—the fictionalized story of her own mixed Lakota and Dakota family, with a connection to Sitting Bull—beginning with her own generation and moving backward in time. This allows her readers to find the connections between one character's troubling questions and the "answers" that lie waiting to be discovered in the past.

Her writing is pure poetry. At the heart of this powerful novel is her belief that language itself is power. As one character, Cora, puts it, "They treat our language like a sickness so contagious it must be cut from our tongues…" For her granddaughter Jesse, as for the author, in her afterword, putting the truth of this part of history into words is powerful healing. And powerful reading!

One of the most interesting aspects of A Council of Dolls is the structural framework of 3 generations of Dakota/Lakota women with 3 different childhood dolls who eventually form a council to speak their "truth" to the main narrator who experiences 3 changes in her own identity (Sissy, Lillian, and finally Jesse). The stories cover over a century of generational trauma in which the Dakota/Lakota women want nothing more than to "rescue our girls and change their stories." The final section of the book is so fascinating as Jesse learns the importance of the stories within herself that are meant to be shared with others. As her father said to her, "Keep noticing…Keep the heart open."

I selected this book because I love the language in the First Nations Version of the New Testament. It feels grounded. I was hoping to get a better feel for our Indigenous people by reading something written by one of their own about them. A Council of Dolls did not disappoint. I could feel the characters and what grounded each of them.

As I was reading, I thought of my Missy Sue. I decided she would have been friends with Ethel and Mae. I'm not sure that Winona would have fit in Missy Sue's circle of friends.

I found several phrases that I really appreciated. One of the early ones is "I'm careful when I'm dusting, try not to walk into a song in my head …". How many times have you been doing something and you ended up walking into a song? Another is "Your spirit isn't big enough to walk in our words." That phrase made me stop to do some soul searching about my own spirit and how I feel when I'm reading the FNV of the NT. There were many more phrases that made me stop and just reflect.

The last paragraph will echo in my head for a long time. All my life, I've worked closely with people. I wish I would have been the one to summarize all I've seen in the lives of people and written that last paragraph!

Everyone's life is a unique story which incorporates culture and memory to allow understanding of experience. In A Council of Dolls, three generations of narrators tell their stories, requiring the reader to interpret clues from the 1960s, 1930s, 1900s, and 2010 in order to understand the tragic events that have shaped this family. Their tragedies mirror the events of history: Sitting Bull, the Whitestone Hill Massacre, the children separated from their families and sent to Indian boarding schools, and by the final narration we understand how trauma has been passed through generations. Lillian states that she survived by learning to "clamp down on my heart until it freezes."

Elements of imagination and the supernatural are important. Each child has a doll who advises and protects her, somewhat like a spirit helper. Especially poignant is Winona's story, for after she is thrown on the fire at boarding school, only the black stone that is her heart survives. Using the metaphor of emptying a trunk filled with sacred objects from her childhood and permeated by her mother's Chanel No. 5 allows light to disperse the darkness of generations for Jesse. This is a powerful book which shows that healing can flow backward, breaking the chain of misery that is the past.

It's been a long time since I've read a book that I wanted to put in other people's hands. "A Council of Dolls" is that kind of book. The novel tells the story of three generations of a Native American family and the legacy -- and horrors -- of Indian residential schools. The story is told from the perspective of each woman as a child -- Sissy, her mother Lillian and her grandmother Cora -- and her relationship with her doll. But these aren't just any dolls. They are friends and confidantes and provide wise counsel. They get these girls through the hardest of times and give them strength to move forward. I would quote from the book but my copy has so many passages flagged (starting on page 1) that it's impossible to choose what to share. "A Council of Dolls" is a book I wish everyone would read. It's the best kind of historical novel - poignant, powerful and thought-provoking. I will definitely seek out more of Mona Susan Power's work.

"A Council of Dolls" is a beautifully written book. It was immersive into indigenous culture, which I'm sure I missed understanding much of it, but I still loved the book and gained much from reading it. It was horrifying at times, both from generational abuse and from the harsh treatment the children received at the Catholic schools. The dolls' experiences are mystical but were absolutely believable to me; I was able to just go with the flow. The only quibble I have with the book is the last chapter was written in a very different voice. I understand why, but it was difficult to get into Jesse's mindset in that part of the story. I could have used more of a segue, I think, but I probably should have just stopped and restarted the chapter. A great book!

I really enjoyed reading this remarkable book for several reasons. The writing is beautiful, evoking in me a wide range of emotions which included sadness, anger, sorrow and shame for the abuse inflicted on Native Americans. I also felt hopeful and proud for these 3 women who persevered and moved forward with such power and love. As a young child with a vivid imagination, I could relate to finding comfort and companionship within the world of dolls. Each of the women's characters are well developed and the use of metaphors throughout the book was magical to me. The final part of the book successfully filled in a few "gaps", completing any lingering questions for me.

This novel would be a good choice for a book group, providing many interesting discussions.

I liked this book so much that I couldn’t decide whether to read it slowly and make it last longer, or to read it quickly and think about it more deeply after I read it!

The first three sections of the novel are told in the voices of three young, related Lakota girls, with the final fourth section in the voice of the first girl, now as an adult. Each girl receives a very special doll, who becomes like a guardian spirit, helping each child to get through some very difficult and traumatizing experiences. In the last section, we learn more about the missions of the dolls. Throughout the book, the author, herself a Native American, weaves imagery and dreams into the reality of the characters’ daily lives. We see the vast differences in the world view between Whites and Indians.

The book highlights the tragedy of efforts by the American government to separate Native American children from their families and tribes to educate them at boarding schools. While some sources say this was done to help the Indians assimilate and prosper in White Society, the actual experiences of the children were terrible and abusive. They tried to hold onto their knowledge of their languages, traditions, and ancestors despite the efforts by the schools to strip all those memories away from them.

This book also highlights the importance of good historical fictional writing. Most of us have read or seen news reports of the mistreatment of American Indians, from the early colonies into the late 20th century and beyond. The impact on our emotions is so much greater when the information is presented as stories happening to characters with whom we care about and understand.

This is an important work of fiction which deserves a wide audience to help us realize that each ethnic group in our country should be respected and cherished.