First of all this is one of the most beautiful covers I have seen in some time. It greatly reminds me of my time spent living in Yuma,Arizona.
What I love about this author's work is she brings to the forefront people from history we may have never heard of or have been long forgotten.
This story is remarkable and based on the true story of Natalie Curtis.
This is a very intelligent woman, a woman who is classically trained singer and pianist . The joy goes out of her life though when she has a breakdown before she can fulfill a life's dream.
Travelling with her brother seeking healing she discovers the Native Americans and their haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories.
As she realizes the unjust restrictions on these American indigenous people from singing, dancing, or speaking their own languages all in the name of assimilation.
She appeals to President Roosevelt, he is the only one with the authority to repeal this unjust law. Will he have the interest in this matter or just brush her off?
Fascinating subject matter!

Pub Date 07 Sep 2021
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed the book but it did not draw me in. The characters were not very well developed and the plot was slow and dragging. In the end, I was skim reading just to finish the book. I usually enjoy Jane Kirkpatrick books but this was not up to her usual standards.
The book started well, and all the history was interesting but it bogged down and was more like reading someone's travel blog. I was also disappointed that this was not more of a Christian book. In fact, if you are looking for a Christian book, you will probably be disappointed. God is rarely mentioned, and I felt that she was approving of Indian rituals as being of God.
I give the book 3 out of 5-stars mostly for the depth of the history. If you enjoy clean, history books, you will probably enjoy this book.

If you like true life redemption stories, The Healing of Natalie Curtis is for you. It's well researched and thoughtful. I enjoyed learning about Natalie Curtis and Native American culture. A good story about pursuing what you love.

“The Healing of Natalie Curtis” by Jane Kirkpatrick is the real life story of classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis, who self-isolated for five years after a breakdown before her debut with the New York Philharmonic. Silent, songless and bewildered, Natalie just cannot recapture the lost chord, try as she might. It seems to be lost forever. In 1902, Natalie joins her brother in the West in her persistent quest for healing. What she finds are inspiring songs that highlight the lilting, haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories of Native Americans, whose music is under attack. Indigenous people are prohibited by law from singing, dancing, or speaking their own languages. Natalie makes it her heart’s mission to document these songs before they disappear and to appeal to President Theodore Roosevelt, the only man with the power to repeal the unjust law. Jane Kirkpatrick weaves a lyrical novel, a real life story that captivates everyone. She brings to life a real woman from history, someone who wrestles with startlingly contemporary issues. Natalie Curtis was a powerful force to be reckoned with. A musician, ethnomusicologist, advocate of social justice for Native Americans, this single woman boldly and bravely broke down the barriers of gender and culture to discover her own true self and chart out a unique life for herself in the American Southwest.

I have read Jane Kirkpatrick's books before. I can rely on her novels for rainy days curled up with hot cocoa. This book wasn't my favorite by her though. I felt the story dragged, especially at the beginning. I found myself skimming pages to get through it.

I did enjoy reading about Native American culture. It is fascinating! The author clearly did a lot of research for her story.

Another gem from Jane Kirkpatrick. She always gives us a story that teaches life lessons, a look at life and shows us depth of human character. This one includes life and beauty, taking something broken, mixing it with new clay, and making a new thing that is much stronger for the experience. Natalie Curtis was a real person, this is based on her life and fictionalized. She traveled the West with her brother and created a book of Native American songs and art, shining light on the people and their ways, the Code that restricted their lives. Through this she brought a change for them, even through President Roosevelt. There is so much wisdom within, both from the Native Americans she spent time with and from Jane herself. A worthwhile and enriching journey to read.

I received this book free from the publisher and NetGalley book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
#TheHealingofNatalieCurtis #NetGalley

This is not one of my favorite books but is well written. More of a history lesson on the oppression of Native American’s music. I received an advance ebook from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Instead of focusing on the violence of the early 190os turbulent time period, Kirkpatrick turns her attention to the beauty of the American Indian people and their hardships as they are “assimilated” into American culture. Punctuated by several meaningful encounters that led to lifelong friends during her travels, the story is often engaging, but did occasionally present itself more like a history textbook. Ultimately, the story follows Natalie and her brother during her mission to save the American Indians’ music and during the process, possibly save herself as well. The takeaway is a solid story where the reader will be educated on American Indian culture and music in a way that will likely stick with them.

While I found this book slow reading, the set-up for the historical background was necessary. Inspired by the real Natalie Curtis in the early 20th century, it is the story of a young woman deemed too delicate to travel who at her renegade brother’s encouragement went to the southwest to discover the art and music of Native Americans. Natalie was a musical prodigy, but her heath made her family assume she would live in her parents’ home forever. Her brother, whose asthma had improved in the dry climate of Arizona asked her to join him there. Not only does she become enthralled with the native cultures she encounters, she discovered how the US government’s Code of Offenses makes so much of the cultures illegal. She makes it her mission to preserve their songs and their heritage. She petitions President Theodore Roosevelt , a family friend, to support her cause as she fights for native equality.

This is one of the most tedious books I've ever read, but in spite of the slogging plot, there are necessary issues that Jane Kirkpatrick brings to the attention of her readers. Her historical novels remind me of books I've read by Irving Stone, but her way with words in this one is not quite as prosaic. That being said, there are interesting parts of this book.

Natalie is a classical pianist and vocalist who has had a heartbreak that has affected her health. Her brother has lived in the dry climates of the southwest for a while and his health issues have been resolved due to the drier air there. Natalie goes back west with him and learns of the natives on the reservations in the southwest and the government-sanctioned deplorable conditions they are forced to live in. They are not allowed to engage in their own cultural activities, like singing and dancing.

The one thing Natalie has going for her is her family's connection to President Teddy Roosevelt, whose aid she enlists in preserving the cultural treasures of the natives of the southwest. By recording the songs, Natalie is able to share the richness of the Native Americans with others who are sponsoring her work. By throwing herself into her work, she finds the healing she so desperately needs.

Natalie Curtis was a real woman who spent time among the various tribes on reservations, fighting for their rights, and this book chronicles her journey to find hope and healing for herself and for the natives.

Three Stars

Revell Publishing and NetGalley.com provided the copy I read for this review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Jane Kirkpatrick doing what she does best! She is a master historical storhtwller and I devoured this bo about Natalie Curtis. Based on real events, Natalie finds herself exoring the Southwest at a time when Native Americans were being stripped of their rights. A powerful book to read!

4 stars
The Healing of Natalie Curtis
Jane Kirkpatrick
Wow! What an incredible book. The story just flows as the narrative comes alive. At times it was hard to read about what the native Americans endured but this is truly a good book.

My favorite genre of books is Historical Christian Fiction. Jane Kirkpatrick should be the queen of this type of book. The time and research she devotes to her writing is very evident. I can't wait to read the authors information at the end of the story. I often do my own additional research. I often want to find out who was real or what was the author using her creative liberties. I had not read a lot about the American Indians from this time period so I found the information on their treatment appalling. There was a couple of places I found the writing slowing down, but I kept reading and it seemed to pick back up.
I would like to thank Revell through NetGalley

I really enjoyed reading this book and learning more about this time period with the indigenous peoples. I enjoyed how Natalie sought to learn more about each of the different tribes and try to record their heritage. The relationship between Natalie and her brother was also so encouraging to me.

Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Based on the true story and of Natalie's life in the west and her love of music, this novel provides a wealth of information about the Native American culture. Natalie's gift of music and her love for it shines throughout this book. Readers will want to make sure to read the author's note.