Waterlily

Written in 1944 by Ella Cara Deloria, a Sioux and an accomplished cultural anthropologist, Waterlily was the first novel to chronicle Sioux history from a female perspective and remains a classic of Native American literature. This poignant book centers on the parallel lives of Waterlily and her mother, Blue Bird, who make their home on the unspoiled Western Plains of the 19th century. Both women suffer ruinous first  marriages; are separated from and finally reunited with their families; and eventually find lasting passion and companionship. Mixing an entertaining story with provocative insights into her own culture, Deloria clearly explains how the intricate laws of obligation and respect that governed Dakota culture were passed on through the generations--as in Waterlily's elaborate hunka ceremony--and how Sioux women, far from being inferior to brave males, were valued as keepers of tradition. Told in the compassionate and knowing voices of two unforgettable women, Waterlily is fascinating chronicle of Sioux life.

244 pages - Paperback $12.95