BOOK REVIEW: She Who Remembers

I wanted to like Linda Lay Shuler’s SHE WHO REMEMBERS. It was publicized as doing for America’s prehistory what  Jean Auel’s Clan of the Cave Bear  did for prehistoric Europe. Since I had  enjoyed Auel’s series and I am fascinated by our early Southwest. especially the mystery surrounding the Anasazi tribes, SHE WHO REMEMBERS seemed to be a good choice.

The brief Prologue sets the scene of an Indian watching god-like beings in an area known to be occupied by spirits. These gods had unusual clothing and a long bow that actually held the arrow in place. They had hair not only on their head but also on their faces. The hair was the color of falling leaves and their eyes were blue.

Years later, in 1279, blue-eyed Kwani has been accused by her tribe of being a witch. Her mother helps her to escape death and tells her to travel the great distance to find the gods with blue eyes. They will accept her as one of their own. Kwani ‘s journey is full of hostile tribes, wild animals, and harsh weather.

Along the way she is found by Kokopelli, the flute player. Kokopelli is a well known trader who brings magic to the tribes and he takes Kwani to his next stop, the Eagle Clan’s cliff dwellings. In this village, far above the ground, Kwani meets the old wise woman, She Who Remembers. A large part of this elderly woman’s job is to teach the young girls all that women must learn. She sees something special in Kwani and at her death appoints Kwani the next She Who Remembers.

This, however, does not put a stop to Kwani’s troubles. After Kokopelli leaves, she has to face the jealousy of the Medicine Man and of the beautiful Tiopi who thought she would be the next wise woman.

If you think that the plot sounds a little like the Perils of Pauline set in the ancient Southwest, you are right. Never has a young girl been attacked by wild animals, raped, kidnapped, and generally been mistreated as Kwani. The character did show some growth, going from the frightened girl escaping the only home she has known to the self-confident She Who Remembers, but she also is unwittingly responsible for many of her own problems ...and she does have a lot of problems.

What I did like was the amount of research that the author did. There is evidence that the Norse were in America long before Columbus. What happened to the Anasazi and the cliff dwellers is still a mystery.  Linda Lay Shuler makes it very clear that this book is a book of fiction, but based on extensive fieldwork.

Kokopelli, the flute player, is still a large part of Native American artwork and stories. I found him to be the most fascinating character in the book. He was a trader, but also a bit of a con-man. I liked that he had convinced the people that his magic “seed” would guarantee that the tribe would have good crops. Each village had young girls waiting to be the chosen one to receive his seed and if she carried his child was treated as blessed by the gods until his next visit.

There were many likable parts of this book, secondary characters were well developed, the Native American way of life interesting, and the locations colorful. I did get tired of Kwani always  being in peril. The story could have moved as well without resorting to so many dramatic hardships for our heroine.

Although there are sequels to this book, I’ll pass.