-Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage and NetGallery for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for my honest review.-

Mary Annette Pember takes a deep dive into a very difficult subject, Indian Boarding Schools in this book which is equal parts historical exposition and anecdotal narrative. Her background in journalism shone through in this book. Pember provides a detailed account of Indian Boarding Schools and the atrocities that occurred within those schools. Pember elucidates the immediate, deleterious effects these boarding schools had on Indigenous communities and the continued psychological and physical health outcomes.

My only gripe with this book is that I didn't have access to it while I was writing my dissertation on the subject! Pember's personal account made me reflect on my own family's history with Indian Boarding Schools which, at times, had me pacing myself. It was very emotional to read this book; my grandfather attended such a school in Michigan, as did his siblings and mother. I am so grateful to Pember for having the courage to share her truth and bring continued awareness to this subject.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Indian boarding schools is a part of history that isn't as well known as it should be. This book is well researched and provides a lot of information.

It’s rare I give a 5 star rating, but here it is. The author has done an amazing job weaving the profoundly personal with sweeping movements of US history. Most Americans are unwilling to claim this story, but Pember tells it with clarity and authenticity. She is an extraordinary storyteller, especially for a story as complex and blood drenched as this one. As a US history teacher, I think this should be required reading for anyone with a teaching endorsement in Social Studies. It’s a story we get wrong altogether too many times. Essential reading. Compelling.

The fact that I learned about Canada’s residential schools before I learned about the United States’ system of Native American boarding schools speaks volumes about just how much this particular part of the country’s history has probably never been given its just share of attention - like so many other aspects of the nation's past. To say the least, we need plenty more books (and other media) to educate and remind us of what has happened, and of the lasting effects that continue to be felt into the present day.

Medicine River" doesn’t just go a long way to helping others fill in this major gap left by our respective history educations - it could almost be considered a gold standard for reads on this subject. Marie Annatte Pember expertly blends both general history with her family’s own history, and together these two combined narratives go a long way in both teaching and really bringing home the scope and reach of the damage and trauma that was wrought.

As an academic librarian, this is one of those titles that I definitely consider a must-have for my university’s library history section.

I really didn’t know a lot about Indian Boarding Schools so this was a great education. It was written perfectly and had that overall feel with what it was trying to tell. It told the story that it needed to and thought Mary Annette Pember does a fantastic job in the research and stories being told.