This is an interesting look at a somewhat unusual occupation. The unnamed narrator is a funeral cryer. She is paid by relatives to lament the loss of their loved one. She is provided personal information by the family to make the visitors feel how respected the deceased one was by the family. There are a lot of subplots in this focusing on the narrators relationship with her also unnamed emotionally and physically abusive (no one is given a name just identified by their role or what they like) overall I thought this was an interesting look at a totally foreign concept.

I wanted to like this, I really did. I never connected with the characters or the story and I’m not sure why not. It was a struggle for me to finish. With all the great reviews I’m sure I missed something.

I tried I really did with this one I got lost trying to keep up with the various changes in perspective. I just couldn’t do it.

Dolls have been an integral part of many childhoods. They can be sources of comfort, a companion, someone to cuddle up with a night and an avid listener when problems need to be discussed.

This intricately detailed novel talks about the roles dolls played in 4 Native American women’s lives. For each woman the dolls served all those roles admirably. There’s an interconnectedness in the stories as one doll bridged the gaps between generations.

I enjoyed learning about Native American customs and practices and enjoyed the book. I think the non Native American reader would benefit from a glossary of unfamiliar terms but that’s a small point