Review: Mixed Feelings
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 23, 2011
This is a book of folksy tales written from the perspective of the pioneers of the westward expansion.  As such, there are two distinct underlying themes; one that the American Indians are better off as they are now, and the second that Europeans are better than Indians. The first two stories were particularly bad, (they're parts one and two of a single story), but the themes popped up in every other story or so--pretty much any tale where the pioneers and Indians came into contact. The other stories were mainly about anthropomorphized landscape features, such as a river or a tree.Aside from the antiquated values and themes, the stories were fairly well-written, though a few of them dragged at times.There is an active Table of Contents (though it is not officially linked). There are no illustrations. There is a glossary/pronunciation guide at the very end.The stories contained are:The Basket Woman--First StoryThe Basket Woman--Second StoryThe Stream that Ran AwayThe Coyote-Spirit and the Weaving WomanThe Cheerful GlacierThe Merry-go-RoundThe Christmas TreeThe Fire BringerThe Crooked FirThe Sugar PineThe Golden FortuneThe White-Braked PineNa Yang-Wit'e, the First Rabbit DriveMahala Joe