Based on a true story, this book is a reminder of the aspects of American history that we don't know, understand or appreciate; let alone from this perspective. At the age of sixteen, Crow Mary, or Goes First as she is know among her own people, goes off to marry Abe Farwell, a fur trader. From there we learn of life in the unsettled NorthWest and Canada and the "Yellow Eyes" treatment and overtaking of the indigenous people at the end of the 19th century. It's fascinating and truly disturbing.

Absolutely a 5 star read! I love Kathleen Grissom books, and this one rivals The Kitchen House. The subject was obviously well researched and as with all her novels, very well written. It touched on a subject that I don't have extensive knowledge of, yet I was still drawn in to every page of Crow Mary's life.

I plan to write a Goodreads review in the near future and possibly a Booktok review as well.

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

I love The Kitchen House and was excited to read this new book but I'm an outlier here... I didn't like the writing because it didn't grab hold of me at all (a lot of telling instead of showing) and especially after Goes First left her family. I dnf:ed it :( My apologies.

📖 Book Review 📖

📱”Crow Mary” by Kathleen Grissom

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Published June 6,2023

Thank you @netgalley for this early kindle edition.

A compelling historical fiction novel by the wonderful Kathleen Grissom takes readers to 19th century Montana/Canadian border. Goes First is a young Crow girl who marries a white man at age 16. Abe Farwell is a good man, and through his kindness Goes First falls in love. The story follows their lives over the next few decades as Goes First, now named Crow Mary, adjusts to her new life. Based on a true story, Crow Mary goes with Farwell, as he moves from the plains of Montana to his trading post in Saskatchewan, Canada. She deftly navigates the world of the "Yellow Eyes" while trying to hold onto the traditions of her people. Through new experiences, new friends, motherhood, and loss, Grissom reverently shares Crow Mary's story.

It’s also the story of a complicated marriage between two people with very different traditions and culture. I loved learning about the indigenous cultural practices and worldview. This well written novel tells of identity, unwavering bravery and the heartbreaking losses incurred in the name of assimilation and progress.

Because of the importance of stories like this, Crow Mary will forever have a place on my bookshelf. I love that the descendants of Crow Mary are so pleased with how her story was told by Kathleen Grissom, who worked closely for nearly a decade to capture the spirit of this remarkable woman.


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3.5 stars
Pro:
* Research/consultation with family descended from historical main character as well as Crow elders
* Deeply respectful telling of Mary’s story

Con:
* Prose/sentence structure could be more complex.
* Often reads like YA.

Thank you to Kathleen Grissom, Atria Books, and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Grissom has written a work so powerful it will leave you breathless. Goes First was a young Crow woman on the cusp of marriage. When circumstances changed her father arranged for her to marry Abe Farrell, a white fur trader. As she had the right to choose who she married, Goes First decided to try out the marriage and be the lynchpin for her husband's trade amongst the Native American tribes. In her new life as Mary she experienced extreme culture clash between everything that was familiar in her old life to everything that surrounded life living as a Native American woman married to a white man. Mary adapted and made friends. She and Abe grew to care for each other. Grissom expertly wrote of how difficult each and every step of Mary's journey with Abe was. Not one word was wasted as she described the travels through the Northern Plains into Canada, the rival trading posts, the rogue vigilantes who took the law into their own hands, and the desperation of Abe to prove the effectiveness of the justice system. Mary was able to disperse her own justice though.
Crow Mary is a book that will stand the test of time. It gives readers a strong female character who fought for her life and that of others. It tugs at the heartstrings with stories of families being ripped apart, tribes dwindling to nothing through the ferocity of forced reservation living, and children losing touch with their native heritage. Each character brought another level of wonder to this profound story.
I received a copy of this title via NetGalley.

Since I read and loved The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom, I was eager to read Crow Mary. When I saw the foreword was written by the real Crow Mary's great-granddaughter, I knew this would be a great read, and I was not disappointed.

Teenager Goes First (Mary's Crow name) marries Abe Farwell, a white fur trader, in 1872 and leaves her family to travel with him to Canada to open a trading post. This is the first of their many moves, and through the next decades, Mary is faced with many difficulties including loneliness and being forced to conform to a culture that was not her own. Mary handles these hardships with strength, grace, bravery and wisdom. I loved learning about the history of trading posts in this area, as this was a new topic for me. I had never heard of the Cypress Hills Massacre of 1873, and although difficult to read about, it is an important part of history to acknowledge.

Kathleen Grissom's writing was outstanding. Her descriptions of the land, people and their relationships made me understand what the time must have been like for Mary. I can't wait to read what she writes next.

I will recommend this to readers who like historical fiction, especially about indigenous history.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved this well researched historical fiction novel based on a true story of a Crow woman, Goes First. She married a white trader whom her parents selected due to the fact that he could provide well for her. This book tells us of the many struggles that the Native Americans had to live with.

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this eARC. I loved this book so much that I will buy myself a copy to read again.

As the wife of a Native American Creek Indian, this story made me both proud and sad. Crow Mary is a story told across many years and tells the triumphs of Crow Mary as well as her struggles. As a Crow, Crow Mary learned about the yellow eyes or white men and how their ways were definitely different than those of her people. However, finding love with a white fur trader named Abe she blends her worlds.
As a country the Native Americans have not been treated fairly and this story definitely doesn’t shy away from some of these instances.
Ultimately, this book is about strength and perseverance as Crow Mary holds her family dear and maintains her ties to her Native ways.

I absolutely loved this novel based on the true story of Goes First, a Crow Native woman who marries a white fur trader. This story follows their marriage and the struggles she faces as a Native woman thrust into a new way of life. In 1873 she witnesses the Cypress Hills Massacre and saves 4 captured Nakota women, and the aftermath of this massacre follow her and her husband throughout their lives. This is historical fiction at its best and I highly recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.

I loved this book! Great historical fiction, adventure, spirituality, an appreciation of nature and all living things come together to make this book wonderful. Not to mention characters that are so real, both good and bad.

Readers meet Goes First, a young Crow Indian girl when she is living with her tribe. She grows up with her family and eventually falls in love with a young warrior that she is soon to marry. Unfortunately that is not in the cards for her and after a time, her father introduces her to a white man named Farwell. He is a trader and her family believes he will provide well for Goes First.

Upon marriage, she is given the name Mary, but called Crow Mary to distinguish her from the other Marys in the village. Crow Mary faces her new marriage with a brave face and soon she proves herself to be a good wife and helper for her husband.

Farwell faces some demons in his life and has an old friend he feels indebted to that is a bad influence. Crow Mary takes an instant dislike to this man and for several years they harbor a hatred for each other.

The book tells of the struggle our Native Americans endured during America’s early years and details many instances of how unfair they were treated. Crow Mary, in spite of being an Indian and a woman, ends up with opportunities many women like her may not have had. She is a smart and patient woman and I loved reading about her victories in life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read an advance copy. I am pleased to recommend this to readers with a love of history and historical fiction.

Very well researched, this book is a gem for any historical fiction fan. I learned so much while reading this novel which is based on a true story. I definitely recommend!

This is a novel based on the real life of Crow Mary, a Native American woman who we follow starting in the 1860s. We see her life as she grows up and marries (at 16) a white fur trader, and the life they build together. The author explores the relationship between white Americans/Canadians and Native peoples so well and on so many different levels. From the personal in a marriage, to the court systems in both the U.S. and Canada during this time, to Native American children being forcibly removed from their homes.
Crow Mary was an interesting woman and I am so glad that I got to read about her life through this novel. I of course then went down a google rabbit hole after reading this book.
I absolutely recommend this if you enjoy historical fiction and/or learning new things about the past.

In the foreward, Nedra, the great grand daughter of Crow Mary, shares her endorsement on Grissom writing her families story. Right off the bat I loved knowing this was based on an actual historical even.

I truly enjoy reading about indigenous peoples and whatever land they are on. Being from Utah, I have visited many homes and markings of native peoples who once lived here. The way of life of the peoples that inhabited North America long before the Europeans came are a delight and fascinating to read about. Perhaps this was my favorite aspect of the book.

Crow Mary was married off to a white tradesman with the intent that it would be a good life for her and she would be valuable to her husband in trading with the Native Americans. This book focuses on one particular massacre between peoples that actually happened. While I found the story heart felt and interesting I would have liked more stories of life. We get a little bit of her children and their schooling, but clearly the focus was the Cypress Hill Massacre.

Grissom writes in a way that is so easy to follow along and be swept into the story. I truly felt as if I was a part of this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the advance e-copy of this book.

4/5

Being a fan of Grissoms’ previous works I had to dive into this one too! This book is based on a true story so I found myself looking up further information on the Cypress Hills Massacre. This book takes you on a journey with the Crow Tribe as you witness their way of life. My only complaints are I initially had trouble keeping track of the characters and the story lags at some points.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #NetGalley #CrowMary

Crow native woman Goes First marries Abe Farwell and travels to his trading post in Cypress Hills, Saskatchewan. Seeing a massacre by drunken whiskey traders, Mary (her husband's name for her) finds herself trying to save 5 Nakota women taken by the traders. The clash of cultures in this well written historical novel set in the late 1800s is explored with emotion and depth. Recommended reading.

Thanks to Atria for the free book.
I completely understand why other readers are loving this book. It’s full of rich detail and a moving plot. However, I could not get into the story with these characters. I sometimes find stories based on real life hard to get into sometimes. This deserves all the love and praise it’s getting because I know it’s a me thing, not a book thing with this one

Didn't like this one as much as Kitchen House, but it was still very good! The story was not one I'd heard before and that is what I look for in a historical fiction novel as I feel the whole WW2 genre is overdone.

Based on the true story of Crow Mary, an indigenous woman torn between two words in 19th century North America, this is an unforgettable story you won’t want to miss.

With great sensitivity and a staggering amount of research, Kathleen Grissom beautifully highlights this bold woman from history. Kathleen worked closely with Crow Mary’s descendants for nearly a decade to capture the spirit of this remarkable woman.

The cross-cultural marriage between Crow Mary and her husband was a fascinating dynamic. I also loved learning about the indigenous cultural practices and worldview. This is a story of identity, unwavering bravery and the heartbreaking losses incurred in the name of assimilation and “progress”.

READ THIS IF:
You enjoy meticulously researched books based on true stories
Grissom’s previous book, THE KITCHEN HOUSE, touched your heart
You love stories that highlight bold women from history

RATING: 4.5/5 (rounded up to 5 stars)

Many thanks to Atria and NetGalley for an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Great new book to open many eyes to unfamiliar history to many. Should be widely read to enjoy and learn