Title: Stone Song by Win Blevins
Genre: Currently Best Seller’s Rank #34 in Kindle Store, Literature & Fiction, Native American
Publisher: WordWorx
Publication Date: December, 2016
Amazon introduction: “Nominee for the Pulitzer and winner of the Spur Award, ‘Stone Song’ is the classic, and extraordinarily told, story of the Lakota Sioux mystic warrior, Crazy Horse. Of all the iconic figures of Native American history, Crazy Horse remains the most enigmatic. To this day he strides across American history as a man who lived—and died—on his own terms.” This is the 20th Century anniversary edition of a book originally published in 1995.
You don’t have to own a horse to get on this one for a wild ride in history. While “Stone Song” by Win Blevins combined a lot of fact with the fiction, it is to Blevins credit that you’d swear he was personally there to share the story (some 553 pages long), intimately involved in an individual so deeply spiritual that it governed his entire life to a tragic end.
Who is This Strange Man?
This is the deeply moving account of His Crazy Horse (often shortened to Crazy Horse as is the wont of Americans, changing the meaning or intent of the original name of Tasunke Witko). Lighter skinned and fairer of hair than his brothers, this warrior of the Hunkpatila Oglala, their “Strange Man” was always regarded as different, rendering him somewhat separate while he pursued his vision.
His Crazy Horse Proves His Prowess
The narrative begins when he is a young boy and follows his rise to the status of “shirt wearer,” a revered position within the tribe. Proving himself a fearless and successful warrior, he refused the boastful adornments or accruements of the accomplished Lakota Sioux men and stayed true to the vision of his childhood, which foretold a tragic tale.
Hawk Governs His Heart
Even the unabashed and unrequited love for Black Buffalo Woman could not dissuade him from the spirit guide, Hawk, and that of the destiny he foresaw in his vision. He fought long and hard, seeing the ever-increasing white population scourge on his land, forcing the wane of wild life, buffalo, and the very existence of the Lakota.
His Battle With General George Custer
The continual failure of the wasicu (white man) to honor their promises compelled His Crazy Horse to execute the battle that would go down in the history books, The Battle of Little Bighorn and General George Custer, himself a rebel of authority–and it cost him big.
Divisive Factions Within the Tribe
Set up for betrayal by jealous Sioux rivals, His Crazy Horse was mistranslated, misunderstood, and cruelly and ignominiously eliminated from the equation, removing the last stand of resistance to the reservation for his people.
My Take
This is a long novel, but one that can’t be told well in fewer words. The story is related eloquently with emotional nuance. It is touching and resonates.
I received this book offering through BookBub and greatly enjoyed; heartily recommend. Five of Five Stars
An interesting video regarding the life of His Crazy Horse can be found on the web, but read the book first!
The Author: Win Blevins quit his job as critic for two big LA newspapers to write his own stories and has now published over three dozen books, including one on the New York Times Best Seller List. In addition, he has sold screen plays and won lifetime achievement awards. He is married and living among the Navajos in the “wilds of Utah canyonlands.” They enjoy their children, grandchildren, writing, music, and hanging out with their neighbors, white and Navajo. ©2017 Virginia Williams 
Rosepoint Publishing 
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