Discovering Wealth Beneath Tribal Lands - an Editorial Review of "Daughter of Warriors"

Book Blurb:

"As haunting as it is beautifully written, this sweeping yet intimate story of a woman’s love and loss in a world that both envied and shunned her is at once heartbreaking and triumphant—a moving testament to the imperfect resilience of the human spirit." -- PAUL MARGOLIS, AUTHOR, SCREENWRITER, AND PRODUCER

Lucy Eagleton is a “Daughter of Warriors,” but even the strongest Osage lineage cannot shield her from the evils the white conquerors brought to them: deadly disease, the atrocities of indian boarding schools, and the Osage Reign of Terror. With oil gushing from their reservation land in Oklahoma, her people become the targets of a murderous conspiracy born of white greed. As she inherits seven headrights—a fortune that makes her one of the wealthiest people in the country—Lucy watches as her family and friends are killed.

Seeking sanctuary in 1920s Kansas City, Lucy marries Edward Walsh, an Irish lawyer who promises protection amidst the city’s thriving jazz scene and the powerful Pendergast political machine. But safety is an illusion, and the shadows of Oklahoma follow her, claiming those she loves and threatening her young daughter, Nevie. Caught between her spiritual heritage and the sophisticated wickedness of a world that views her as a “savage,” Lucy must make an agonizing choice to ensure her daughter's survival.

In this gripping tale of loss and legacy, one woman must navigate the quicksand of corruption and bigotry to protect her heritage—and her child.

"…Seidman’s meticulous prose balances [a young Osage woman’s] compelling and disturbing history with heartbreaking melodrama…A small but diverse cast of secondary characters—Osage, white, and Black—add elements of joy to this compelling, if painful, historical drama with…[its] strong female protagonist." -- Kirkus Reviews

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/9Aqz1

Editorial Review:

Title: Daughter of Warriors

Author: Kimberly Kirkland Seidman

Rating: 4.4

“Daughter of Warriors” by Kimberly Kirkland Seidman follows the life story of Lucy Walsh, a woman of Osage origin who inherited enormous wealth from the oil discovered beneath her tribe’s land in Oklahoma. Her story is told by her friend Loula Long Combs, who later came to discover that there was nothing kind or gentle about the way the Osage were treated. She also discovered that a sinister crime happened in plain sight leaving Walsh dead before she had even reached thirty in an incident that in the larger picture, pointed to tragedy inflicted on the Osage people, one largely ignored by the white press.

““I don’t understand,” the little girl whimpered. “Why would they want Mama to die? And why Susannah?” Lucy

Looked up at her father from the safety of Everett’s embrace. “Do they hate us so very much? Why?”… “I don’t know why they hate us.”

Soaring Eagle told them. “I don’t know.”But Lucy knew most white people still thought the Osages were all savages… Because they had no souls.”

This passage which follows an incident where a smallpox vaccine is withheld, captures Lucy as a child trying to make sense of something that left her confused and afraid. The reader sees her innocence stolen away by forces she cannot comprehend, forces that the father knows very well about, but is helpless as far as revealing them to her is concerned. The passage sets the stage for events that follow suit, made possible by a belief system that saw indigenous people as subhuman.

““Lily was here,” Lucy whispered softly to Hawk, pointing at the ground at the edge of the woods. “Right here. When they caught her.”… “With two men. One was heavy, one was small.”… “The ground says that she fought them…” “See the disturbances in the dirt? Deeper than some-one walking. She was fighting them here.”… “Someone tried to brush away the turmoil. With twigs.” One more dead Osage didn’t matter to the white sheriff or the white governor or the white oil men or…the white anyone at all…””

Years later when Lucy has finished school and married, her best friend Lily is murdered in Salt Creek. Here, the reader knows that she has found the answer she was looking for at a young age on why they are hated so much. She has grown into a woman who will not look away, and one who knows all too well that the white authorities will not investigate the murder, she starts to read the ground like a detective. The passage prepares the reader for a revenge mission, one that rides on the question of what one does when the law refuses to protect them.

“So many other Osages were murdered for their headrights, along with a few white men who were murdered for trying to help them. But maybe Edward is right, Lucy told herself. Maybe it really is over. Maybe not. White still seemed sure that some of the killers had escaped. As long as they were out there, Lucy would not feel safe.”

Here, the reader sees the magnitude of the coordinated effort to murder the Osages, as well as the lingering fear and doubt among those left behind, regarding a possible permanent safety. The passage prepares the reader for a grand detail, a revelation that will tell why all the men who marry Lucy end up dead. They will also understand why she pushes everyone away, and why eventually, her fear grows into a prison that eventually consumes her.

“Daughter of Warriors” is rich with details that ground the reader in Osage culture and the sensory world of the characters. It also uses symbolism for example horse riding as a metaphor for the protagonist’s life where she is constantly in search of partnership, freedom and a way to move forward without being controlled. It brilliantly and consistently connects her personal story to the broader history of indigenous survival. You find that everything, from the smallpox vaccine incident, to the boarding school scheme designed to kill the Indian, and lastly to the systematic murder of wealthy Osages, ties together as a continuous pattern of genocide.

This novel manages to cover three decades of the protagonist’s life, from her childhood in Oklahoma to her death at twenty-nine, through a pacing that feels carefully calibrated to build emotional investment, create suspense, and allow moments of devastating impact to land with full force. It often hints at future tragedies for example, before Edward’s trip to Fairfax when he is summoned by Father Archtergael who claims to have information about two of the murderers who haven’t been caught yet. Notable is how it alternates between joy and horror, one moment giving the reader moments of happiness and then shattering them just as quickly.

“Daughter of Warriors” will appeal to readers interested in indigenous history and experience in America. Those readers who love strong female protagonists will appreciate Lucy’s resilience, complexity and refusal to give up even as she descends into an unforgiving addiction. And since the novel is deeply engaged with questions of race and justice, readers who appreciate profound critique of systematic racism and depiction of the white press’ indifference will find much to engage with.

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