Play Audiobook Sample
The Grass Dancer Audiobook
Play Audiobook Sample
(3.03) - 892 listener ratings
Quick Stats About this Audiobook
Total Audiobook Chapters:
Longest Chapter Length:
Shortest Chapter Length:
Average Chapter Length:
Audiobooks by this Author:
Publisher Description
Back in the 1860s, Ghost Horse, a handsome young sacred clown, loved and lost to death the beautiful warrior woman Red Dress. As their spirits seek desperately to be reunited, they influence the sometimes violent fate of those who have followed them. Now in the 1980s, Red Dress's teenage descendant Charlene Thunder has fallen hopelessly in love with Harley Wind Soldier, the dashing traditional dancer of Ghost Horse's lineage. When Harley's soul mate is killed in an accident, Charlene guiltily suspects her own grandmother, a notorious witch, of making it happen - just as she may well have caused the death of Harley's father and brother, which even today obsesses him. The Grass Dancer is a debut novel for Susan Power, an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.
Download and start listening now!
"Every once in a while, I stumble across a book in my mom's library--most of which I kept--that not only have I not read, but that we never discussed. I found this one recently while looking for something else. Given the wear it's seen, she obviously read it many times. I know I will, too. The narrative switches and it takes some time to piece it together, but it's just hauntingly beautiful. One of those where I find myself, when doing laundry or something mundane, wondering about the characters."
— Csillitoe (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
-
“Covering some of the same themes as Louise Erdrich but displaying her own distinctive voice and transcendent imagination, Power has produced an authentic portrait of Native American culture and characters who are as resilient and tangible as the grass moving over the Great Plains…This is a book that begs to be read at one sitting, and then again.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Each chapter can stand alone as a short story, but recurring characters provide unity, and the book takes on added depth and resonance as the stories unfold…Comparisons between Power and Louise Erdrich are probably inevitable, but Power has her own unique vision and voice.”
— Booklist -
“Despite the fact that many of these stories deal in the supernatural and that they intersect almost constantly, there is never a feeling that Power is forcing her hand…The non-chronological…graces the book with numerous small and large surprises and moments of recognition. Startling and complex, but always in the most natural way.”
— Kirkus Reviews -
“The strength of the novel lies in the meshing of the various stories of the descendants of Red Dress and Ghost Horse so that they all come together in one piece. The result is a passionate portrayal of universal human emotions and a vivid account of Native American history and culture.”
— School Library Journal
Awards
-
Winner of the 1995 PEN/Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award
-
Selected for the Barnes & Noble Discover Award
-
An ALA Notable Book Finalist for Fiction
The Grass Dancer Listener Reviews
-
" It felt a little too Dances with Wolves inspired, but wasn't altogether terrible. "
— Julie, 2/3/2014 -
" Beautifully crafted novel about Sioux culture. "
— Elizabeth, 1/20/2014 -
" One of my all time favorite novels. Gorgeous prose in a kind of magical realism plot set in one of the Sioux communities. Well worth tracking down. "
— Catherine, 1/18/2014 -
" Winner of the Ernest Hemingway Foundation Award for First Fiction. Creative in that it is told from the present backwards in time until it resolves itself again in the present. Loved the storytelling style that relates to the Sioux people and the beautiful prose. Hard to keep track of the characters and the relationships as the author goes back into the past. "
— Karissa, 1/16/2014 -
" This is my favorite book. It's a story of culture, family history and finding yourself. There is a myriad of characters to keep track of but in the end each story weaves a tapestry that links everyone together in one way or another. And in the end, it's about self-discovery. I try to read this book once a year - that is how much I love it. "
— Jenny, 1/14/2014 -
" A lovely novel depicting the lives of multiple generations of Plains Indians. My publisher, Sharmagne Leland St-John, has purchased the film rights and is working on a screenplay. I'm a little mystified how this can be made into a film, but I can't wait to see it! "
— Janet, 1/11/2014 -
" A favorite book. When Margaret Many Wounds dances on the moon, it takes my breath away! "
— Glenda, 12/14/2013 -
" I picked this book up without realizing that I had read it before. It was a well-written and interesting book, particularly for anyone interested in Native American culture, but I think the book suffered from too many point-of-view shifts. "
— Kelly, 12/8/2013 -
" I read this volume of loosely related short stories for a book group. Most of the members liked it better than I did. The characterization is weak and the plot is weaker. The metaphysical aspects were too facile. Good idea not fully developed. "
— Deborah, 11/22/2013 -
" I read this while traveling through europe. I traded in my copy of little women for this book at one of the youth hostels where I stayed. It was an engaging book. I enjoyed reading it, but since it was so long ago I can't really offer up too many details regarding plot line or characters. sorry. "
— Santos, 11/11/2013 -
" Loved the structure of the book ... multiple narrators/points of view and, for the most part, reverse chronology. If your a fan of Louise Erdrich, you will probably like this book. "
— Dennis, 8/9/2013 -
" Some of the experiences within the book were profoundly realistic and hit home. Looking foward to reading more of her books. "
— April, 6/3/2013 -
" I first read this when I was 15, the summer I was living in Japan. I love it. Need to own it. I've always been drawn to Native American stories and themes, and this novel is so entrancing, I gratefully step in and lose myself. "
— Keleigh, 4/23/2013 -
" Rereading for the humanities series. "
— Jo, 11/27/2012 -
" Pair with Sherman Alexie and Louise Erdrich for an amazing study of Native American lit. "
— Tamara, 10/29/2012 -
" Read this years ago- and recall it was a powerful gorgeous story about Native american tradition in a 20c res setting. Came up as a recommended contemporary- the author, I beleive, usually does childrens stories - this is a rare novel by her. WILL REREAD soon. "
— Linda, 6/15/2012 -
" this is remarkable as an audiobook "
— Mendy, 12/13/2011 -
" Good read...jumps around in time, but has lots of interweaved plots. "
— M, 10/22/2011 -
" This book is a wonderful illustration of a Native American world view. "
— Ben, 8/9/2011 -
" A little confusing at first because it plays with time frames. Once the reader "gets" the play on time, the story unfolds then relapes onto itself and it all comes together in the end. "
— Sharon, 3/15/2011 -
" Powers' writing is lyrical, and the stories here are beautifully woven together. My only disappointment with this book is the quick, neatly-tied together ending. After such a journey throughout the novel, the ending is a little too abrupt and "nice." "
— Valerie, 8/18/2010 -
" The first novel I ever read in English, when I started at university in Berlin- Awww, memories. I still love it- an utterly captivating read and a window into a different world. "
— Teresa, 8/12/2010 -
" I was really surprised by how much I loved this book. Wonderful characters, and just very interesting in general. Now i just need to write my essay... "
— Kendra, 7/16/2010 -
" A suggestion for American Literature - I'll have 4 sections of it next year. She's Sioux, the book is set on a North Dakota reservation, I'm curious to see as I haven't read much Native American literature. "
— Indira, 7/3/2010 -
" it was a somewhat depressing book. and it just kind of "ended". i would have liked some closure. <br/>but, it did wrap up, and i love that it gave many of the character's viewpoints in separate chapters. <br/> "
— Sam, 6/20/2010 -
" I first read this when I was 15, the summer I was living in Japan. I love it. Need to own it. I've always been drawn to Native American stories and themes, and this novel is so entrancing, I gratefully step in and lose myself. "
— Keleigh, 4/26/2010 -
" Pair with Sherman Alexie and Louise Erdrich for an amazing study of Native American lit. "
— Tamara, 12/24/2009
About Susan Power
Susan Power is a Standing Rock Sioux author from Chicago. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a JD from Harvard Law School. After a short career in law, she decided to become a writer, starting her career by earning an MFA from the Iowa Writer’s Workshop. Her 1995 novel, The Grass Dancer received the 1995 PEN/Hemingway Award for Best First Fiction. Her short fiction has been published in the Atlantic Monthly, Paris Review, Voice Literary Supplement, Ploughshares, Story, and the Best American Short Stories 1993. She teaches at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.