I think most of us know of him from the stories we are told in school—the myths of Thanksgiving and a peaceful feast. While we know that “The First Thanksgiving” is a myth, Squanto was a real person and I love how this book discusses him but in a mich different way than other narratives.

With this book we get a whole slew of background info along with cultural info so you get to learn about Squanto almost in situ. I loved reading about how he fit into his culture and how that shaped who he was while also placing his life in the context of other Indigenous men who were taken or claimed for the white purpose of exploring and conquering the New World. I don’t think this book presents any new data or information but the way it presents both the New World and Squanto in context is brilliant!

Title: Squanto: A Native Odyssey
Author: Andrew Lipman
Narrated by: David Colacci
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: Approximately 8 hours and 59 minutes
Source: Review Copy from NetGalley. Thank you!

What historical personage would you like to learn more about? With Thanksgiving coming up, I decided to listen to an audiobook about Squanto, as I did not know much about the true historical figure.

Historian Andrew Lipman researched and describes Squanto’s childhood, kidnapping, career, downfall, and death using historical records. Squanto had much more of a fascinating life than what is depicted in children’s books about Thanksgiving.

My thoughts on this book:
• Squanto is known as both Squanto and Tisquantum in historical record. He was part of the Patuxet Tribe of the Wampanoags.

• Squanto’s childhood was told in general of how his tribe was known to live at the time.

• The book also discussed the meaning of the Manitou and how the name is passed down in place names such as the down the road town from me, Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

• He was kidnapped by explorer, Captain Thomas Hunt, and sold in Spain. By the time he made it back to his tribe, they were gone. They had all died from a disease brought over by the European explorers. Hunt had been exploring the Northeast with Captain John Smith. They parted ways when Hunt decided he was going to make money by tricking Native Americans to board his ship to trade and sailing away with them to sell them as slaves. Afterwards, explorers were instantly attacked when they appeared.

• The Pilgrims of history are so different from what I learned in school. As Squanto’s tribe had all died, the Pilgrims just showed up and settled on the tribes cleared land and stole other tribes’ corn to survive. The Pilgrims had a hard time surviving, but it would have been even harder if they would have had to clear their own land and were not able to eat the Natives’ corn,

• The last part of the book was about how the history of Squanto was passed down and how the story was “reimagined” and retold through modern day. It is interesting when the real history doesn’t match the simplified tales that are told. I’ve noticed that people will say this is “rewriting” history, when it is just going back to the historic record rather than inaccuracies that were passed down.

• I thought it was interesting that there were native pirates. They taught themselves how to sail ships that they overtook and surprised European explorers.

• I didn’t realize that Squanto died so young and so soon after the historical Thanksgiving.

• David Colacci, the audiobook narrator, had a newsperson type of voice and made the audiobook interesting.

Overall, Squanto: A Native Odyssey by Andrew Lipman is an informative book and interesting audiobook experience which tells the fascinating history behind the myth of Squanto. I highly recommend it.

Andrew Lipman’s Squanto offers a fascinating and nuanced look at the life of the iconic Native figure, challenging the simplified holiday narrative most Americans are familiar with. The book delves into Squanto’s harrowing journey, from his kidnapping and forced exile in Europe to his eventual return to a devastated Patuxet, where he helped the Mayflower colonists. Lipman expertly unpacks the complexities of Squanto’s relationships with both the English and his fellow Native people, questioning his motivations and the true nature of his interactions with the Pilgrims. Through meticulous research, Lipman paints a picture of a man who navigated a turbulent world with agency and survival instincts, revealing a much more layered figure than the legend suggests. This compelling biography not only sheds light on Squanto’s remarkable life but also offers new perspectives on early American history.

Unfortunately, I didn't get to listen to this audiobook before it was archived.

But I was so interested in it that I looked it up on Libby after the publication date.

It's a very worthwhile read. I've read a lot about Native American history, heroes, culture, folk heroes, mythology, etc. A LOT! And even so, this book still managed to give me information that I've never heard before. I, of course, did my due diligence and did some outside research. I wasn't able to verify all of the new information I was provided. But I was able to verify most.

So, if you're interested in Native American history or the story of Squanto, I highly recommend it. HIGHLY.

This was a very thorough and well researched history of Squanto's background and life. I really enjoyed David Colacci's narration, as he made it easy to take in a great deal of information. This book was well structured, beginning with a larger context of what Squanto's childhood and moving through his abduction and return to the colonies. Andrew Lipman does a great job of gathering together a wide range of resources and historical artifacts to create a complete picture of Squanto's life. The writing was focused on the information, and read largely as a textbook which was harder to follow as a member of the general public. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this time period of US history.

Thanks to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for providing an ALC for my honest review.

This audiobook was made available for me to listen to and review by Andrew Lipman, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley.

I'm unfamiliar with this time period in the history of the Indigenous Peoples of the Americas. As a result, I am unable to judge the accuracy of the historical information shared. I have an audiobook copy and not a digital copy, so I am unsure if this history accurately portrays the sources used. Since this was published before I requested the audiobook I did try Hoopla & Libby for a library copy of the digital book so I could verify the sources used but neither library had a copy of the digital book. Hoopla does have the audiobook for any interested. That said, the sources mentioned in the text check out and seem to be used accurately. The author is a professor, and so his resources in this field are probably accurate or at the least based on the latest research. The text indicates this to be so, and I am unable to verify independently otherwise.

This was a treasure trove of information on the Wampanoag peoples in the early stages of European colonization. I learned so much about living situations, family settings, women's roles in society, children's roles and activities, family life, and just wow. I was so thoroughly engrossed in these details. I had no idea so much information was available to researchers. I truly need a digital copy of this book so I can mine the resources for more information. I need more than what this book offers.

This is structured in such a way that the reader really learns about early colonization of the Americas by multiple European colonizing peoples. This is important because this period in European history, with which I am very familiar, is fraught with complicated history and inter-country struggles. That said, some of the information given on European nations at this time is slanted.

The author takes great pains to point out that the Wampanoag engaged in slavery adjacent practices and pointed out Arabic and other European slavery adjacent practices at this time. I don't like this. This author is the descendant of the Europeans who committed this genocide in the Americas; less than 3% of the current US population is Native American, and about 5% of Canada is First Nations. Indigenous peoples in these nations live on Reservations & Reserves, they aren't allowed political power, and their population is not represented in the federal government of either colonizing nation at population percentage rates. In many respects, they live in 'ghettos' in which they don’t have access to clean water and food is not affordable. They live under apartheid. We simply don't use those words to describe their treatment because it would reflect badly on our respective countries. They aren't the only marginalized group in North America treated this way, but considering this is their land, it's especially heinous.

I take issue with the author pretending that Captain John Smith who was briefly captured while he was a mercenary soldier and comparing that to Squanto's capture and expulsion to Europe. Squanto did not hire himself out as a soldier, nor was he fighting a war when he was captured. His captors stole him when he was engaged in regular trade. If John Smith had been stolen from the London wharf while unloading his ship, maybe that would compare. What was done to Squanto and other Indigenous Peoples of the Americas was something that Europeans would never consider doing to other European nations. Such behavior would be considered cowardly, anti-christian, and deeply shocking. Other European nations would've declared war on a European nation that was moving in this manner in Europe. This behavior was only considered okay because it was done to non-Europeans. Early racism is why these horrible practices were carried out, and greed is why they became normalized. Historians need to say this explicitly and not waste time trying to negate the genocidal behaviors of their klancestors. This pretense that everyone was behaving badly is a very colonizing viewpoint. Squanto and the Wampanoag deserve better.

This audiobook is narrated by David Colacci. David did a decent job with this. His tone was educational but not droning or boring. It's fairly good for an information dense text like this.

Thank you to Andrew Lipman, Tantor Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.

Thank you Tantor Audio for allowing me to read and review Squanto, A Native Odyssey, by Andrew Lipman on NetGalley.

Narrator: David Colacci

Published: 09/17/24

Stars: 3.5

Detail driven.

The author begins the book with stating there is not a lot of information on Squanto. He went on to explain that Historians research and develop theories from pieces found. In addition, he stated he would have to say probably, maybe, could be, etc. while telling Squanto's story.

I found the book written in more of an academic manner and less in a storytelling biography fashion. I cannot put into words how hearing repeatedly probably, etc grated on my nerves. I couldn't focus on what information Lipman had to make his assumptions or in some cases disqualify others for all the maybes. There is a lot of information provided.

I have not read another biography written like this. I feel like this would be better marketed academically.