Status
Checked out
Publication
Vancouver ; Berkeley : Greystone Books, [2018]
Description
"Buffy Sainte-Marie is an icon and inspiration. This book is necessary--an authorized insight into the making of a legend." --Terese Marie Mailhot, author of Heart Berries A powerful, intimate look at the life of a beloved folk icon and activist. Folk hero. Songwriter icon. Living legend. Buffy Sainte-Marie is all of these things and more. In this, Sainte-Marie's first and only authorized biography, music critic Andrea Warner draws from more than sixty hours of exclusive interviews to offer a powerful, intimate look at the life of the beloved artist and everything that she has accomplished in her seventy-seven years (and counting). Since her groundbreaking debut, 1964's It's My Way!, the Cree singer-songwriter has been a trailblazer and a tireless advocate for Indigenous rights and freedoms, an innovative artist, and a disruptor of the status quo. Establishing herself among the ranks of folk greats such as Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, she has released more than twenty albums, survived being blacklisted by two U.S. presidents, and received countless accolades, including the only Academy Award ever to be won by a First Nations artist. But this biography does more than celebrate Sainte-Marie's unparalleled talent as a songwriter and entertainer; packed with insight and knowledge, it offers an unflinchingly honest, heartbreakingly real portrait of the woman herself, including the challenges she experienced on the periphery of showbiz, her healing from the trauma of childhood and intimate partner violence, her commitment to activism, and her leadership in the protest movement.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member pomo58
Like one reviewer commented, this is not the usual biography where the biographer fills in gaps with what they "think" should be added. This is Buffy Sainte-Marie's life as she chooses to share it. If you believe, as that reviewer does, that she should be forced to share more than she cares to in
This is not all laughter and/or tears. The emotion some seem to find missing is very evident to some of us, probably because we find the events and beliefs that she sings about very emotional and personally impactful on our lives. Not just the music but the injustices she addresses for all of us.
If you're only familiar with her music then this book will give you a very good grasp of who she is and, more importantly, who she chooses to be. The hardships and the amazing ability to still seek a positive and goal-directed approach rather than simply a rage-filled confrontational approach. Make no mistake, the rage is there, but the desire to find solutions outweighs, for her, the need to simply rant and rave.
I would recommend this to fans of Buffy Sainte-Marie as well as those who like biographies. If you prefer a biography that uncovers the subject's secrets and fills gaps with gossip and pseudo-context, you might be middle of the road on this one.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
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order to please those who want gossip and filler, then you may be disappointed and, more importantly, you also neither understand nor care for Sainte-Marie.This is not all laughter and/or tears. The emotion some seem to find missing is very evident to some of us, probably because we find the events and beliefs that she sings about very emotional and personally impactful on our lives. Not just the music but the injustices she addresses for all of us.
If you're only familiar with her music then this book will give you a very good grasp of who she is and, more importantly, who she chooses to be. The hardships and the amazing ability to still seek a positive and goal-directed approach rather than simply a rage-filled confrontational approach. Make no mistake, the rage is there, but the desire to find solutions outweighs, for her, the need to simply rant and rave.
I would recommend this to fans of Buffy Sainte-Marie as well as those who like biographies. If you prefer a biography that uncovers the subject's secrets and fills gaps with gossip and pseudo-context, you might be middle of the road on this one.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers.
Show Less
LibraryThing member IsolaBlue
When a book includes "authorized biography" in its title, one can always expect to get something less than expected. Unfortunately, this is the case with Andrea Warner's "Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography." Fans of Sainte-Marie's music may simply be happy to learn more about Buffy's
Many of us will remember when we were first introduced to Sainte-Marie's music. It was magical. She was magical. Or perhaps the times were magical. So many great musicians and songs came out of that 1960s, early 70s time period. Reading Warner's book can easily motivate one to look through old LPs to find a favorite Buffy record or to look online for a sample of an old song remembered. Warner's book is important as it reintroduces us to an old friend, Sainte-Marie, and perhaps introduces her for the first time to a younger generation. It is interesting to read how Buffy started in music, how she taught herself to play the guitar, how she never learned to read music or felt it was necessary. There is something in Sainte-Marie's attitude toward music that speaks to the rebel in all of us.
The parts of the book that are not devoted to music, recording studios, and record labels are centered around Indigenous people, Indigenous rights, and the uneasy politics of such in North America. Buffy Sainte-Marie has always used her music as a political platform, and no one can speak - or sing - on behalf of Indigenous people as she can. She is the Queen of First Nation/Native American history, bringing forth the realities and politics in this area. Over the years, Buffy Sainte-Marie has educated many North Americans through her music. In many ways her politics ARE her music and her music plays out her politics. She has devoted her life and her musical talents to not only the people of her tribe, but to the people of all Indigenous tribes.
So what makes Warner's book feel more like reportage and less like true biography? Most likely, it is the simple fact that Buffy Sainte-Marie is very much alive. The best biographies are usually ones written long after a person is gone, ones that pull from the correspondence or journals of that individual as well as on interviews with friends and acquaintances. True biographers feel the need to fill in gaps, and often do with observations about what was going on in the country or the world during a specific time period in the subject's life. Biographers act as detectives and psychologists as they try to draw comparisons, analyze, and sometimes even speculate. Warner was not able to do all of that, of course. Her job was to write what Buffy wants us - her audience- to know.
Are there surprises in the book? Not many. Although some people might be surprised to know that Buffy grew up in Maine and Massachusetts, and was not from the Western US. She was from a Canadian First Nation tribe and was adopted by an American couple. Her adoptive father was white and her adoptive mother was said to be partially of MicMac descent. It would have been interesting if Sainte-Marie had talked more about her adoptive family and perhaps allowed Warner to do some genealogical research. Later in life, Buffy tried to track down who had given her up for adoption in the first place, and was accepted into the Piapot family on the File Hills Reserve in Saskatchewan. Only a couple of paragraphs were related to this whereas the entire story could have filled an entire book. Perhaps Sainte-Marie was protecting the privacy of others or perhaps parts of the past were too painful to revisit. Whatever the reason, the book is lacking something by leaving out this exploration into family history.
Buffy attended UMass/Amherst which may come as a revelation to some fans. She was going to become a teacher, and - in many ways - she did. She has taught generations of North Americans through her music. Her adoptive mother had wanted her to continue her education, and it appears that Buffy may have stayed in school in part to please her. Buffy's adoptive mother comes across as an inspirational, warm, and wonderful woman. Sainte-Marie says that they had a good relationship. But after a few mentions in the beginning of the book, the mother mostly disappears from the narrative. One wonders about their relationship over the intervening years. Readers will undoubtedly want to hear more about the woman who raised Buffy. Saint-Marie did talk with Andrea Warner about her adoptive brother who bullied and sexually abused her when they were young. Again, there is brief mention of this, but one senses that there might be enough material there for another entire book.
Some of the best parts of the the biography are when Warner quotes Sainte-Marie in her own words. A few times, notably toward the end of the book, Buffy's sense of humor comes out, and that is refreshing. It is refreshing because there is something emotional lacking in this biography. At the end of it, we don't feel as though we know its subject. Yes, we know her music and we know her politics, but somewhere the person disappears. Living in rural Hawaii, surrounded by the animals she loves, Saint-Marie is a bit of an introvert. She may not want any of us too close to her life, and that is understood. Still, one finishes this book and feels a bit empty, wanting more . . .
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life, but those who read deep in the area of biography will be disappointed. Andrea Warner is a perfectly good writer, and no one wants to take away from her talent or the time she spent preparing this book. It is apparent, however, that her subject - Sainte-Marie - was only prepared to release a specific amount of information. She was the source, and it is very obvious that she wanted the book to be about her music and her politics - and very little else. Many of us will remember when we were first introduced to Sainte-Marie's music. It was magical. She was magical. Or perhaps the times were magical. So many great musicians and songs came out of that 1960s, early 70s time period. Reading Warner's book can easily motivate one to look through old LPs to find a favorite Buffy record or to look online for a sample of an old song remembered. Warner's book is important as it reintroduces us to an old friend, Sainte-Marie, and perhaps introduces her for the first time to a younger generation. It is interesting to read how Buffy started in music, how she taught herself to play the guitar, how she never learned to read music or felt it was necessary. There is something in Sainte-Marie's attitude toward music that speaks to the rebel in all of us.
The parts of the book that are not devoted to music, recording studios, and record labels are centered around Indigenous people, Indigenous rights, and the uneasy politics of such in North America. Buffy Sainte-Marie has always used her music as a political platform, and no one can speak - or sing - on behalf of Indigenous people as she can. She is the Queen of First Nation/Native American history, bringing forth the realities and politics in this area. Over the years, Buffy Sainte-Marie has educated many North Americans through her music. In many ways her politics ARE her music and her music plays out her politics. She has devoted her life and her musical talents to not only the people of her tribe, but to the people of all Indigenous tribes.
So what makes Warner's book feel more like reportage and less like true biography? Most likely, it is the simple fact that Buffy Sainte-Marie is very much alive. The best biographies are usually ones written long after a person is gone, ones that pull from the correspondence or journals of that individual as well as on interviews with friends and acquaintances. True biographers feel the need to fill in gaps, and often do with observations about what was going on in the country or the world during a specific time period in the subject's life. Biographers act as detectives and psychologists as they try to draw comparisons, analyze, and sometimes even speculate. Warner was not able to do all of that, of course. Her job was to write what Buffy wants us - her audience- to know.
Are there surprises in the book? Not many. Although some people might be surprised to know that Buffy grew up in Maine and Massachusetts, and was not from the Western US. She was from a Canadian First Nation tribe and was adopted by an American couple. Her adoptive father was white and her adoptive mother was said to be partially of MicMac descent. It would have been interesting if Sainte-Marie had talked more about her adoptive family and perhaps allowed Warner to do some genealogical research. Later in life, Buffy tried to track down who had given her up for adoption in the first place, and was accepted into the Piapot family on the File Hills Reserve in Saskatchewan. Only a couple of paragraphs were related to this whereas the entire story could have filled an entire book. Perhaps Sainte-Marie was protecting the privacy of others or perhaps parts of the past were too painful to revisit. Whatever the reason, the book is lacking something by leaving out this exploration into family history.
Buffy attended UMass/Amherst which may come as a revelation to some fans. She was going to become a teacher, and - in many ways - she did. She has taught generations of North Americans through her music. Her adoptive mother had wanted her to continue her education, and it appears that Buffy may have stayed in school in part to please her. Buffy's adoptive mother comes across as an inspirational, warm, and wonderful woman. Sainte-Marie says that they had a good relationship. But after a few mentions in the beginning of the book, the mother mostly disappears from the narrative. One wonders about their relationship over the intervening years. Readers will undoubtedly want to hear more about the woman who raised Buffy. Saint-Marie did talk with Andrea Warner about her adoptive brother who bullied and sexually abused her when they were young. Again, there is brief mention of this, but one senses that there might be enough material there for another entire book.
Some of the best parts of the the biography are when Warner quotes Sainte-Marie in her own words. A few times, notably toward the end of the book, Buffy's sense of humor comes out, and that is refreshing. It is refreshing because there is something emotional lacking in this biography. At the end of it, we don't feel as though we know its subject. Yes, we know her music and we know her politics, but somewhere the person disappears. Living in rural Hawaii, surrounded by the animals she loves, Saint-Marie is a bit of an introvert. She may not want any of us too close to her life, and that is understood. Still, one finishes this book and feels a bit empty, wanting more . . .
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LibraryThing member Marlane
I was happy to receive this book from Early Reviewers because I thought Buffy Sainte Marie, with her long history of songwriting and activism, would be an interesting person. This proved to be correct, but the biography was disappointing. The author's admiration of her subject borders on hero
I found the first half of the book rather boring. It is easy to tell the author is also a music critic because so much of the singer/songwriter portion of the book reads like a music review. Once Buffy Sainte Marie takes a break from performing, the book becomes more interesting. I am impressed with her efforts to include indigenous people not just in history lessons but across all curriculums. I did not know about her involvement with Sesame Street or her Cradleboard Project. This part of the book is well done.
Devoted fans of Buffy's music or readers interested in her activism will appreciate this book. For readers looking for a well written, insightful biography, this is not a good choice.
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worship and it really interferes with her ability to produce a quality biography. I got really tired of all the superlatives. Although a very talented and remarkable woman, Buffy Sainte Marie is not the best, the first, or the only in everything she did.I found the first half of the book rather boring. It is easy to tell the author is also a music critic because so much of the singer/songwriter portion of the book reads like a music review. Once Buffy Sainte Marie takes a break from performing, the book becomes more interesting. I am impressed with her efforts to include indigenous people not just in history lessons but across all curriculums. I did not know about her involvement with Sesame Street or her Cradleboard Project. This part of the book is well done.
Devoted fans of Buffy's music or readers interested in her activism will appreciate this book. For readers looking for a well written, insightful biography, this is not a good choice.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jotoyo
I have always admired Buffy Sainte-Marie as a performer. Whenever I would catch one of her rare appearances on television, I would always be surprised, by her choice of material and by her performance style, and I was never disappointed. Her authorized biography is about the same. I was surprised
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by the personal depth of the biography. It was refreshing to read a biography about a famous performer and not have the feeling it was one long advertisement for product. Obviously the person who wrote this book is a big fan, and if there is a weakness in the book, that is it. But it is not meant to be a critical examination of her life and times. I will seek out more of her recordings as a result of this book, and listen with a different "ear". On the whole a worthwhile read. Show Less
LibraryThing member bayleaf
Buffy Sainte-Marie, The Authorized Biography, was such a pleasant surprise. Not only did I learn a lot about her as an artist, I learned about her as a person and that, I think was the eye-opening and the best part. In addition, this book is not only a biography, but provides Indigenous history and
Thanks to LibraryThing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
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self-help as well. To explain what I mean about the latter concerns Buffy Sainte-Marie’s Cradleboard Teaching Project. She tells the students to imagine people on the plains, picking up dried buffalo chips and putting them in a bag. You should not hate them because they’re stinky. You shouldn’t throw them away because they have many uses. You can build a fire with the chips and read a book, keep warm, fall in love. You can fertilize your garden. “Guilt and bitterness and a lot of things in life are like that. Don’t just hate it because it stinks; let it dry out and then use it… there are gifts in everything, even in the shit.” I absolutely loved Andrea Warner’s excellent biography of Buffy Sainte-Marie. Thanks to LibraryThing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
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LibraryThing member gpangel
Buffy Sainte- Marie: The Authorized Biography by Andrea Warner is a 2018 Greystone Books publication.
Between the ages of five and seven, I liked the am pop radio stations that came in clear enough in my small rural location. Those stations were more apt to play ‘These Boots are Made for
I never really connected to folk music in the same way again, until I was much older. But, folk music was never a genre I was well versed in. I knew the heavy hitters from the sixties and seventies, but never scratched too far beneath the surface. So, to be perfectly honest, I had never heard of Buffy Sainte-Marie- although now, I realize I was marginally aware of one or two of her songs. Therefore, this is really my first introduction to her and her background.
For anyone else like me, who are mostly unfamiliar with this artist, Buffy is a Cree member- one of the largest groups of First Nations in Canada and has an Indigenous heritage. Her background has led her to focus on the rights and freedoms of the Indigenous people.
Her musical abilities are natural and self-taught, and her songs, while ever changing, usually stuck with themes of peace over war and the individual’s responsibility in helping to prevent further bloodshed. Her message truly resonated with the anti-war sentiment in the sixties and her signature song, ‘Universal Soldier’ became an anthem.
Yet, Buffy never did cross over into the mainstream the way her white counterparts did. She remained out of the public glare, while commanding the respect of many other folk musicians. Her songs were recorded and covered by Elvis, Glen Campbell, and Donavon, just to name a few. But, her personal life remained an enigma- maybe even to some of her biggest fans.
This book takes the reader back to Buffy’s troubled childhood, which explains a lot about her aversion to socializing and publicity tactics. We follow her through her early years in the music business, her struggles with publishing rights, and her activism. She was even a regular on Sesame Street for a time until budget cuts forced her out. Her private life was also examined, which was not always easy to read about, so be prepared for a few uncomfortable passages.
However, once most of these bad patches were behind her, Buffy carved out a niche for herself and although still active musically, she put a lot of her energy behind teaching and education, paving the way for indigenous people in more ways than she is credited for, opening doors for them in many areas, including music.
I liked the fact that this was an authorized biography. The author has the permission to print and publish anything she wished with her subject’s permission, which to me, says a lot. One thing I always look for in a biography is organization. This book has a nice presentation, mostly done in the traditional chronological way. She named each chapter after one of Buffy’s songs, which was a nice touch, I thought.
While Buffy’s life has certainly been extraordinary, her music important and emotional, the book, at times, is a bit dry. It is also rather brief, and I’m not entirely sure how well it fully captured Buffy’s persona or spirit.
Other than that, the book is certainly worth checking out. I knew little or nothing about this artist and am glad to have discovered her. I learned more insights into the music business, how Buffy survived on the fringes of major, household name, success and was impressed by her musical abilities after watching a few YouTube videos. However, I also learned a lot about First Nations and the many challenges facing Indigenous people.
From a personal standpoint, I admired Buffy’s forthrightness, and her boldness and courage. I see in her a little bit of a kindred spirit in that she sees through a lot of smoke and mirrors and refuses to play the required games. She was a true pioneer and a real life rebel- which always comes at a cost. She lives her life on her own terms and is someone who seems to need space away from the crowds and too much peopling. I can relate to that, but I’m happy she still performs, records, writes and is still a strong advocate.
This is a quick and easy read, but also an interesting outline of Buffy Sainte -Maire’s life and times.
4 stars
*I was provided an advance reader’s copy of this book as a part of LibraryThing’s early review program.
Between the ages of five and seven, I liked the am pop radio stations that came in clear enough in my small rural location. Those stations were more apt to play ‘These Boots are Made for
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Walking’ by Nancy Sinatra than anything remotely folk sounding. However, folk music was all over the television in prime time variety shows, the news and other mediums and we even sang some generic folk songs in our music class at school. I loved it, to be honest. My mother allowed me, at the ripe old age of seven to buy Judy Collins and Joan Baez records, and I nearly wore them out- before I fell in love with David Cassidy, Bobby Sherman and The Osmond Brothers, that is. 😊I never really connected to folk music in the same way again, until I was much older. But, folk music was never a genre I was well versed in. I knew the heavy hitters from the sixties and seventies, but never scratched too far beneath the surface. So, to be perfectly honest, I had never heard of Buffy Sainte-Marie- although now, I realize I was marginally aware of one or two of her songs. Therefore, this is really my first introduction to her and her background.
For anyone else like me, who are mostly unfamiliar with this artist, Buffy is a Cree member- one of the largest groups of First Nations in Canada and has an Indigenous heritage. Her background has led her to focus on the rights and freedoms of the Indigenous people.
Her musical abilities are natural and self-taught, and her songs, while ever changing, usually stuck with themes of peace over war and the individual’s responsibility in helping to prevent further bloodshed. Her message truly resonated with the anti-war sentiment in the sixties and her signature song, ‘Universal Soldier’ became an anthem.
Yet, Buffy never did cross over into the mainstream the way her white counterparts did. She remained out of the public glare, while commanding the respect of many other folk musicians. Her songs were recorded and covered by Elvis, Glen Campbell, and Donavon, just to name a few. But, her personal life remained an enigma- maybe even to some of her biggest fans.
This book takes the reader back to Buffy’s troubled childhood, which explains a lot about her aversion to socializing and publicity tactics. We follow her through her early years in the music business, her struggles with publishing rights, and her activism. She was even a regular on Sesame Street for a time until budget cuts forced her out. Her private life was also examined, which was not always easy to read about, so be prepared for a few uncomfortable passages.
However, once most of these bad patches were behind her, Buffy carved out a niche for herself and although still active musically, she put a lot of her energy behind teaching and education, paving the way for indigenous people in more ways than she is credited for, opening doors for them in many areas, including music.
I liked the fact that this was an authorized biography. The author has the permission to print and publish anything she wished with her subject’s permission, which to me, says a lot. One thing I always look for in a biography is organization. This book has a nice presentation, mostly done in the traditional chronological way. She named each chapter after one of Buffy’s songs, which was a nice touch, I thought.
While Buffy’s life has certainly been extraordinary, her music important and emotional, the book, at times, is a bit dry. It is also rather brief, and I’m not entirely sure how well it fully captured Buffy’s persona or spirit.
Other than that, the book is certainly worth checking out. I knew little or nothing about this artist and am glad to have discovered her. I learned more insights into the music business, how Buffy survived on the fringes of major, household name, success and was impressed by her musical abilities after watching a few YouTube videos. However, I also learned a lot about First Nations and the many challenges facing Indigenous people.
From a personal standpoint, I admired Buffy’s forthrightness, and her boldness and courage. I see in her a little bit of a kindred spirit in that she sees through a lot of smoke and mirrors and refuses to play the required games. She was a true pioneer and a real life rebel- which always comes at a cost. She lives her life on her own terms and is someone who seems to need space away from the crowds and too much peopling. I can relate to that, but I’m happy she still performs, records, writes and is still a strong advocate.
This is a quick and easy read, but also an interesting outline of Buffy Sainte -Maire’s life and times.
4 stars
*I was provided an advance reader’s copy of this book as a part of LibraryThing’s early review program.
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LibraryThing member EllieNYC
Buffy Sainte-Marie is a native Canadian singer-songwriter, member of the Cree First Nation, and a social activist. She has fought for the rights of indigenous people for the last 50 years. I grew up listening to her music in the early 1960s (early in my life and her career). I remember hearing her
Sainte-Marie was born on a reserve in Canada, but was taken from her indigenous family and adopted by a family in Massachusetts. This was apparently a common event back then. I knew such things had happened in the past but I didn’t realize this was still going on in the 1950s. Sainte-Marie knew nothing of her birth family; she didn’t even know her birth date.
Living with abuse, Sainte-Marie turned to music from an early age. She taught herself to play the piano and expressed all her feelings through music and being in nature. She writes of how miserable she was at home and at school but how free she felt in nature and when making music. These things saved, if not her life, then at the very least her sanity. They kept her whole when the rest of her life would have fractured her.
I used to wonder why I didn’t see or hear her as much as my other favorites, Judy Collins or Joan Baez. I knew a little about her social activism but learned much more from this book. This book helped explain why she was lesser known then some of her counterparts. Partly because of her troubled childhood and partly because of her dedication to other causes, Sainte-Marie has not been comfortable being the focus of public attention for herself. Much more than the other singers I knew about, Sainte-Marie’s dedication to her causes, to the indigenous peoples, has driven her life—and continues to do so. She is now in her 70s and her voice is still beautiful. She gives concerts in which people are moved in a very personal way and seek her out to tell her. She says she is touched by how her songs express the feelings of so many. But she has dedicated herself as much to the cause of the indigenous peoples as she has to her career, one reason why she may not be as well known as some of her peers. But she has helped many others, particularly indigenous peoples, to better lives and, sometimes, to careers in music.
Her passion for both music and social justice remain strong. She is a singer/songwriter I have long loved and admired but, after reading this book, my respect and admiration for her has grown exponentially.
The biography is an easy read but full of information and insight. Buffy Sainte-Marie emerges as a fascinating, talented, and dedicated woman who has lived life (despite many difficulties) on her own terms.
I received this book from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.
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first album, It’s My Way featuring the haunting protest for peace song, “Universal Soldier” and falling in love both with her voice and with her message.Sainte-Marie was born on a reserve in Canada, but was taken from her indigenous family and adopted by a family in Massachusetts. This was apparently a common event back then. I knew such things had happened in the past but I didn’t realize this was still going on in the 1950s. Sainte-Marie knew nothing of her birth family; she didn’t even know her birth date.
Living with abuse, Sainte-Marie turned to music from an early age. She taught herself to play the piano and expressed all her feelings through music and being in nature. She writes of how miserable she was at home and at school but how free she felt in nature and when making music. These things saved, if not her life, then at the very least her sanity. They kept her whole when the rest of her life would have fractured her.
I used to wonder why I didn’t see or hear her as much as my other favorites, Judy Collins or Joan Baez. I knew a little about her social activism but learned much more from this book. This book helped explain why she was lesser known then some of her counterparts. Partly because of her troubled childhood and partly because of her dedication to other causes, Sainte-Marie has not been comfortable being the focus of public attention for herself. Much more than the other singers I knew about, Sainte-Marie’s dedication to her causes, to the indigenous peoples, has driven her life—and continues to do so. She is now in her 70s and her voice is still beautiful. She gives concerts in which people are moved in a very personal way and seek her out to tell her. She says she is touched by how her songs express the feelings of so many. But she has dedicated herself as much to the cause of the indigenous peoples as she has to her career, one reason why she may not be as well known as some of her peers. But she has helped many others, particularly indigenous peoples, to better lives and, sometimes, to careers in music.
Her passion for both music and social justice remain strong. She is a singer/songwriter I have long loved and admired but, after reading this book, my respect and admiration for her has grown exponentially.
The biography is an easy read but full of information and insight. Buffy Sainte-Marie emerges as a fascinating, talented, and dedicated woman who has lived life (despite many difficulties) on her own terms.
I received this book from LibraryThing’s Early Reviewer program.
Show Less
Subjects
Language
Physical description
298 p.; 24 cm
ISBN
9781771643580
Local notes
Music