Amazing story packed into this audiobook! The reader does a fantastic job brining this book to life and I think they were perfect for this story.

3.5-4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley for this audio arc.

This is the oral memoir of a queer two spirit indigenous woman. This book made me uncomfortable. It made me uncomfortable not because it was bad, but because it was different. This look into her life gave a unique view into her culture and the way she see's the world. I felt weird about certain points because I have a different way of approaching certain things in life. However, this book wasn't really for me. This book was her story. It is about her, and for me, it is a window into her life. It's that window that made this book so valuable to me despite it being a bit challenging at times.

One Bead at a Time by Beverly Little Thunder is an oral memoir following the life of Beverly Little Thunder. This memoir is powerful, insightful and at times heartbreaking as you see through Beverly Little Thunder's eyes what she had experienced. It is also a gift because this memoir gives you a small look into one part of a world that colonization is trying to destroy.

Beverly Little Thunder is a Lakota two-spirit elder and activist. Métis author Sharron Proulx-Turner transcribed and edited this memoir. This audiobook details her life and her struggles, her activism and her accomplishments.

This was, at points, a difficult listen as Little Thunder endured childhood sexual abuse and physical abuse. She also dealt with pushback and homophobia when she came out to her indigenous community. But she also talks about moving past her traumas, and her continued efforts at building an open and accepting community for all Native women.

This is an excellent listen for anybody wanting to know more about Lakota culture. Little Thunder gives us insights into the practices of her culture. Her book also discusses cultural taboos, intergenerational trauma, motherhood and community. Little Thunder shows how her traditions and upbringing harmed her. She also shows how she found peace and healing and joy in breaking those cycles and creating a space for women in the Lakota community.

The narrative of this memoir was a little difficult to follow, as it jumps around in time a lot. Although, it didn’t bother me too much, as this is a transcription of a born storyteller from a culture that places great importance on oral tradition. It actually reminded me of how my grandfather would tell stories. This was a powerful and inspiring listen for anybody interested in Lakota culture and Native activism.

Beverly Little Thunder is a beautiful story teller. This book is different because there is not that much that I knew about the Lakota Tribe and the metaphors and the point of view that she describes in her stories is truly unique. I really recommend this book to anyone who wants to spread their wings into a different culture.

The narrator did a great job of bringing alive Beverly's story, which was originally recorded as an audio diary, turned into a written memoir, and then given voice once again in this audiobook as it had beenoriginally documented.
Learning about the culture, traditions, beliefs, and other aspects of the natives was richly rewarding. I recommend this audiobook to everyone with an interest in learning about other cultures.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book to listen to and enjoy. The opinions expressed here are my own honest opinions written voluntarily.

“Placing one bead at a time, planting one seed at a time, and taking one step at a time... I know I can make a difference in each life I touch: one person at a time.”

A riveting memoir about the inspiring Lakota elder, Beverly Little Thunder.

One Bead at a Time, vividly illustrates the extremely full life of Native American Activist, Beverly Little Thunder. A woman who has endured so much pain and hardship, Beverly doesn’t shy away from sharing all of her story, both the good and the bad.

While a lot of the book’s content is heavy, the material is also extremely enlightening. From dealing with addiction and various forms of abuse, to shedding light on the taboo nature of queerness in Native American communities and the toxic gender dynamics that are prevalent in Indian Country, Beverly shares the many struggles that both she and so many other Native Americans continue to face.

What I Loved:
✨Glimpses into Lakota beliefs and practices.
✨The memoir’s emphasis on the importance of storytelling.
✨How actively Beverly seeks to empower women through her work.
✨ The power of resiliency being so beautifully depicted.

I personally enjoyed listening to Beverly’s story and would highly recommend the audiobook. Not only does Jules Koostachin do a fabulous job at narrating, but there’s something to be said about being able to hear Beverly’s story out loud. One Bead at a Time, was an orally relayed memoir that was ultimately transcribed verbatim. To be able to hear Beverly’s words spoken as they were originally uttered is just so special.

I truly found so much to love about this moving memoir. However, at times I did find the book hard to follow due to the constant jumping back and forth in time. So much happens within the text of this book and Beverly introduces so many important people, that it was oftentimes hard to keep the timeline and names straight. Due to this book also being an orally dictated memoir, the book felt long at certain moments because of some wandering narratives.

Overall, I’m so incredibly grateful to have been able to listen to Beverly’s story. As a Pueblo woman, I found so much of Beverly’s story to resonate with me and the experience of many of my family members. I strongly believe that Beverly’s story is one that everyone would benefit from hearing.

A big thank you to ECW Press Audio and NetGalley for the copy of this audiobook!

One Bead at a Time by Beverly Little Thunder but told by Sharron Proulx-Turner is a painful and hopeful recording of of two-spirit Lakota elder. In this memoir, Thunder opens her heart as she retells painful parts of her past. Proulx-Turner leaves no details out, documenting every part of Thunder's story about sexuality, abuse, and trauma. It is clear that Thunder has found deep healing and celebration in her culture. The tribal celebrations, bead weaving, and supporting her community is all deeply important to Thunder. It also helps the reader recognize that where there is deep pain, there is sometimes an even deeper love.

Rating a book which is so innately intimate is difficult, as One Bead at a Time lets the reader in on Thunder's entire way of life as well as the events in her past which have shaped her as a unique individual. There are deep discussions of homophobia and gender expectations for women-coded persons within Thunder's community. Rape, sexual assault, and the long lasting trauma surrounding these events are also discussed. Alcoholism, child abuse, and emotional abuse are also unraveled in this very deep narrative. Despite all the true and horrible events discussed, such as real life, there are often very little solutions. While reading one event after the other, I found myself in awe of Thunder's determination to make a bolder and positive source of representation and love for her community. It would have been far easier to become jaded and full of hurt, and this speaks volumes about who Beverly Little Thunder is.

From a transcription and audiobook perspective, One Bead at a Time is nearly flawless. Proulx-Turner did a remarkable job transcribing Thunder's story, and in the notes before the memoir, Proulx-Turner emphasizes the care taken in ensuring that every word was written correctly from Thunder's oral stories.

I could not stop listening to ONE BEAD AT A TIME. This is an oral memoir that was told by Beverly Little Thunder to Métis activist Sharron Proulx-Turner, shortly before Proulx-Turner passed away. The story is about identity, about family and inter-generational trauma - and how we disrupt those patterns, it’s about community and healing. Yes, there is a lot of trauma here, from childhood sexual, physical, verbal abuse and violence to addiction to homophobia and transphobia, but there is also SO much focus on the strength of community, the power one person’s actions can have.

There are also strikingly profound messages about Lakota culture and traditions, as well as what has been so damaging about western culture. Little Thunder dedicated herself to the Sun Dance, and getting to immerse myself in her journey of participating in the events, and then hosting the events and supporting all of these women around her, was inspiring and informative. I’m really grateful that I listened to this; the narrator told Beverly’s story with conviction and heart.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this audio galley!

This was an eye-opening memoir that was equal parts beautiful and gut-wrenching. I wanted to read it because I have very little experience with Indigenous American people and even less with the two-spirit identity. I feel that overall I have come out of this with more knowledge and understanding. The introduction is, in my opinion, vital to the understand of this memoir. We are told that this was an oral memoir told by Beverly Little Thunder and then transcribed verbatim by Sharron Proulx-Turner. This is also Sharron Proulx-Turner's last work after a cancer diagnosis. This information changes the way I experienced the book and I think this is likely for others as well.

I think audiobook was the best format of this for me. My only comment is that I wish Beverly Little Thunder could have read it herself, I think that would have created a more intimate experience. That being said, I think the narrator--Jules Koostachin--did a wonderful job and I was very enamored by her storytelling style.

As a trigger warning, there is quite a bit molestation, sexual abuse, and physical abuse mentioned. It is never *super* detailed but it is quite frequent. Additionally, there is some animal death. So..just some things to be aware of.