The Healing of Natalie Curtis by Jane Kirkpatrick - Book Review

 ABOUT THE BOOK

Classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis isolated herself for five years after a breakdown just before she was to debut with the New York Philharmonic. Guilt-ridden and songless, Natalie can't seem to recapture the joy music once brought her. In 1902, her brother invites her to join him in the West to search for healing. What she finds are songs she'd never before encountered--the haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories of Native Americans.

But their music is under attack. The US government's Code of Offenses prohibits American's indigenous people from singing, dancing, or speaking their own languages as the powers that be insist on assimilation. Natalie makes it her mission not only to document these songs before they disappear but to appeal to President Teddy Roosevelt himself, who is the only man with the power to repeal the unjust law. Will she succeed and step into a new song . . . and a new future?

Award-winning author Jane Kirkpatrick weaves yet another lyrical tale based on a true story that will keep readers captivated to the very end.

BOOK REVIEW

Jane Kirkpatrick takes the reader back to the early 1900s into Natalie's life. She was a trained pianist she was supposed to make her debut with the New York Philharmonic but didn't head up doing it. She lost her love of music. George, her oldest brother, decided taking her out the west might help her especially when it comes to music.  She found herself mesmerized by the music the indigenous people made. Natalie wanted to work to preserve their culture, customs, and their art/music. She began to record the music of the various tribes. She became a strong advocate for keeping indigenous history alive. She spoke to the President and wrote a book about her travels. By doing all of this her passion for music was restored. 

Jane Kirkpatrick did her research. The story moved at a slow pace. I believed it moved slower because of all the history and facts she tried to put into the story. After reading The Healing of Natalie Curtis" I did my own research because I found the book to be so fascinating. The book talked about their food, pottery and the way they lived, and all the struggles the government is putting on them. I have always been mad at how our government and Canada treated the ingenious people. I would love to see Ken Burns make a documentary out of this story. It is a fascinating story. 

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell Books. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jane Kirkpatrick is a New York Times best-selling and award-winning author of over 39 books and numerous essays for over 50 publications throughout the United States including The Oregonian and Daily Guideposts.

She received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Romantic Times in 2012, the Caldera Achievement Award from The Nature of Words in 2006, and the Distinguished Northwest Writer award in 2005 from the Willamette Writers Association.

Her works have sold over a million copies, and have won prestigious literary awards such as the Wrangler (National Cowboy Museum), WILLA Literary (Women Writing the West), Will Rogers Medallion (Will Rogers Foundation), and the Carol (American Christian Fiction Writers).

Her many historical novels, most based on the lives of actual people, speak of timeless themes of hardiness, faith, commitment, hope, and love.

Jane speaks internationally on the writing and the power of stories. Her presentations reflect stories of inspiration and courage believing that our lives are the stories other people read first.

She is a Wisconsin native and graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Communications and Public Address and holds a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Clinical Social Work.

Prior to her writing career, she worked with Native American families on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in Central Oregon as a mental health and early childhood specialist for seventeen years. She was also the director of the Deschutes County Mental Health Program in Bend, Oregon.

Jane and her husband Jerry now live on small acreage between Bend and Redmond in Central Oregon with their dog Ceasar.