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"A book that radically changes our understanding of North America before and after the arrival of Europeans Encounters at the Heart of the World concerns the Mandan Indians, iconic Plains people whose teeming, busy towns on the upper Missouri River were for centuries at the center of the North American universe. We know of them mostly because Lewis and Clark spent the winter of 1804-1805 with them, but why don't we know more? Who were they really? In this extraordinary book, Elizabeth A. Fenn retrieves their history by piecing together important new discoveries in archaeology, anthropology, geology, climatology, epidemiology, and nutritional science. Her boldly original interpretation of these diverse research findings offers us a new perspective on early American history, a new interpretation of the American past. By 1500, more than twelve thousand Mandans were established on the northern Plains, and their commercial prowess, agricultural skills, and reputation for hospitality became famous. Recent archaeological discoveries show how they thrived, and then how they collapsed. The damage wrought by imported diseases like smallpox and the havoc caused by the arrival of horses and steamboats were tragic for the Mandans, yet, as Fenn makes clear, their sense of themselves as a people with distinctive traditions endured. A riveting account of Mandan history, landscapes, and people, Fenn's narrative is enriched and enlivened not only by science and research but by her own encounters at the heart of the world"--… (more)
User reviews
A lot of the information was interesting. I had never heard of the Mandans so
All of this information was interesting to me, but I was hoping for more insight into their way of life before the interruption of Europeans. I suppose its still just not really available and may never be. That was disappointing though. However, my main complaint was not with the information provided but the writing style. Fenn has broken her book into tiny sections within each part, severely impacting the flow of the prose. Within each chapter, there are headings starting every few paragraphs, most of which I felt could have been summed up in a topic sentence rather than separating out so many ideas. I also didn't like that she inserted herself into the book, referencing her own experience researching the book several times. I have enjoyed other books that make the author's journey a part of the text (I'm thinking of Tony Horwitz), but she didn't commit to it enough for it to make sense. By throwing in a few references only to herself, she just confused the issue and interrupted the flow.
Overall, I think this is probably a good addition to the writings on the American Indians and I was glad to learn about a group of people I hadn't heard of, but the book had something lacking that made it rather unsatisfying to me.