So Many Meanings

Quietly captivating, this story set in the 1950s tells about a bereaved Native American family and their individual attempts to cope with grief, as much as people were allowed to in days past. A father and daughter (Kit) live unassumingly in a rural setting, she, fishing to augment their food and he, working long weeks and carving little wooden huntsmen on Sundays. As a change to their workaday life, a pretty and kind lady moves into a cabin along Kit's fishing route, and they become friends. When a busybody blares misinformation about the nature of their friendship, a series of events is set into motion that seems impossible to undo. Kit's sagacity is front and center as she plans a reversal of her family's plight. Tense and with constant eyes to the blatant racism of the time, it was riveting to the end.

Enlightening

We often see parole officers as harsh, unfelling, or at best, benignly neglectful, at least in TV shows. After reading this book, my feelings have completely changed. Landing in the job between other gigs, the author gives us a view of the tremendous dedication and personal commitment it takes to hold this position, and the hoops through which they jump to make things happen for their charges. There are stories of parolees who made it, against all odds, and some who didn't. It's not a job I'd want; I can't imagine the stress, burnout and daily frustration, but somehow they keep going. Somehow there are people who can do it. Were I newly out of prison, I'd want someone like this author or his co-workers in my camp.

Instructive, and Ominous

This little book is best digested chapter by chapter, so as to ruminate a bit. The author gives historical references to illustrate his points, and you're left with the profound notion that people have a very hard time learning from their own, or others' mistakes. Snyder never mentions anyone by name, but I think we all know who is in question here. The real question is: Have we learned our lesson?