Crow Mary

A Novel

By: Kathleen Grissom

Narrated by: Carolina Hoyos

Length: 11 hrs and 5 mins

Publisher's summary

The New York Times bestselling author of the book club classics The Kitchen House and Glory Over Everything returns with a sweeping and “richly detailed story of a woman caught between two cultures” (Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author) inspired by the real life of Crow Mary—an Indigenous woman in 19th-century North America.

In 1872, sixteen-year-old Goes First, a Crow Native woman, marries Abe Farwell, a white fur trader. He gives her the name Mary, and they set off on the long trip to his trading post in Saskatchewan, Canada. Along the way, she finds a fast friend in a Métis named Jeannie; makes a lifelong enemy in a wolfer named Stiller; and despite learning a dark secret of Farwell’s past, falls in love with her husband.

The winter trading season passes peacefully. Then, on the eve of their return to Montana, a group of drunken whiskey traders slaughters forty Nakota—despite Farwell’s efforts to stop them. Mary, hiding from the hail of bullets, sees the murderers, including Stiller, take five Nakota women back to their fort. She begs Farwell to save them, and when he refuses, Mary takes two guns, creeps into the fort, and saves the women from certain death. Thus, she sets off a whirlwind of colliding cultures that brings out the worst and best in the cast of unforgettable characters and pushes the love between Farwell and Crow Mary to the breaking point.

From “a tremendously gifted storyteller” (Jim Fergus, author of The Vengeance of Mothers), Crow Mary is a “tender, compelling, and profoundly educational and satisfying read” (Sadeqa Johnson, author of The Yellow Wife) that sweeps across decades, showcasing the beauty of the natural world, while at the same time probing the intimacies of a marriage and one woman’s heart.

©2022 Kathleen Grissom (P)2022 Simon & Schuster Audio

Please write more novels!!!

I enjoyed this novel so much and never wanted it to end. It was well written.

Love her voice and her powerful story

I haven’t come across many books that embodied the culture and spirit of the native perspective, really well written!

This missed the mark for me…

I had such high hopes for this but was left feeling so let down. (The Kitchen House is one of the most powerful stories I’ve ever read, so I was eager to read this author again!).
I must begin with comments on the narrator; she sounded bored and more uninvolved than any audio book I’ve ever listened to. At times her cadence was so “off” that it was actually distracting. But even so, I’m not sure the story without bad narration is strong enough to recommend even on its own. I am one who laughs and cries and even weeps and cheers through a great book, and I’m eager to dive into the pull of the characters…but this version of Crow Mary’s story was missing all of that. I did finish it but can not recommend. I’m sorry.

One of the best Native American Novels I’ve read.

Such a beautiful story and beautifully written. Both author and storyteller excellent. I feel satisfied yet a loss at its ending.

Good story

Writing has too many he said she said, sort of amateur style and choppy. Story is good but ending just ok.

Crow Mary

Great Read. Crow Mary was a strong woman she managed to live her life her way. Great book.

We want more!

Best book I read in years. Finally, the story gets out! We enjoyed reading this book in our book club.

Fantastic

Kathleen Grissom has done it a third time! Her books are life-changing. Riveting, eye-opening storytelling at its best.

Outstanding

What a great read. This book was written about the life of a female Crow Indian who had to overcome being born during the time of the white man and how they influenced her life. Crow Mary was an outstanding book and I would highly recommend it. Kathleen Grissom is an outstanding author. Every book of hers that I've read has been excellent.

Enjoyable

I enjoyed the story but the performance was lacking, just to dry with little passion. Worthy story