🎹🎼🎶🎵 “The Healing of Natalie Curtis” (2021) 🎵 🎶🎼🎹 – Book Review
MY REVIEW
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800736133
ISBN-13: 978-0800736132
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“Classically trained pianist and singer Natalie Curtis isolated herself for five years after a breakdown just before she was to debut with the New York Philharmonic. Guilt-ridden and songless, Natalie can't seem to recapture the joy music once brought her. In 1902, her brother invites her to join him in the West to search for healing. What she finds are songs she'd never before encountered--the haunting melodies, rhythms, and stories of Native Americans.
But their music is under attack. The US government's Code of Offenses prohibits American's indigenous people from singing, dancing, or speaking their own languages as the powers that be insist on assimilation. Natalie makes it her mission not only to document these songs before they disappear but to appeal to President Teddy Roosevelt himself, who is the only man with the power to repeal the unjust law. Will she succeed and step into a new song . . . and a new future?”
Thank you in advance to publisher, Revell (a division of Baker Books), for providing a complimentary review copy of the book through Interviews & Reviews. A positive review was definitely not required or requested in any way; all words are my own.
This was the first book I read by the author, and I have to agree with some reviewers – it can be a tedious read despite having short chapters. There is a LOT of narrative detail. Given the complexity of the novel and its ties to a historical figure, a review will be a bit on the lengthy side.
I chose this because the premise sounded interesting and the cover is insanely gorgeous. Living in the Nevada desert, I can almost feel the scorching heat by looking at the cover. The rough texture of the cover is a reminder that while beautiful, things are rough and never as they appear, a metaphor for what is being told in this book by Kirkpatrick.
To be honest, I had never heard of Natalie Curtis (Burlin). As a result of reading the book and doing this review, I learned quite a bit. However, there is controversy in her work and her accomplishments. The author only covers the period of 1902-1917 in this story and it is mainly centered on Natalie’s research for The Indians’ Book.
The Healing of Natalie Curtis is compelling, git-wrenching, poignant, devastating. Curtis’ desire to preserve the “culture” is beautiful and inspirational, reminding us that we can be both be in and of when it comes to two separate worlds.
Given the topic – this has themes of racism (towards Native Americans), forms of cruelty, some questionable terms. It does have some political tones as well. The language and dialogue are for accuracy given the time period.
Most of the characters here in this book are all real characters except for: Mary Jo Brigand (Co-Owner of Bar X Ranch), Bonita (the burro), and Mina (Hopi girl at Oraibi).
Since this is based on actual events, spoilers are easy to find online. This is a fictionalized account of a real story. It is told over two parts with seven (7) interludes by some real and some fictional Native narrators in what appears to be second person format. The chapters are always from Natalie’s POV in third person.
The story begins in 1902 as Natalie is “recovering”. Apparently, Natalie suffered a mental breakdown that severed her lifelong connection with performing, which is revealed in the author’s notes in the back. Readers will have to read the notes to get the entirety of the story.
It is after she reads a book by George Lummis that Natalie learns about the Code of Indian Offenses.
She and her brother stay with the Lummis’ and learn of what is being done to the Indians. Howard and Gertrude Gates reveal the atrocities committed by Charles Burton, an Agent/Superintendent at one of the “villages”.
Gertrude reveals that the day school atrocities are unjust:
🎼No Music
💃🏻 No Dances
🎨No Art
✂️ Hair Cut
👚👕 “White Man” clothing [No Tribal Clothing]
Most of this is committed by Christians who Howard claims is not professing the faith he was taught. And, it is the government’s desire to “assimilate” the Indians to be good Americans, though that means losing their culture in its entirety.
George and Natalie travel to Yuma and where Natalie meets Chiparoapi, a Yuma woman. She knows something is wrong with Natalie and would “sing” for her if it was allowed. It is here that Natalie runs afoul of Burton.
There is a definite and noticeable hypocrisy about the businesses who exploit the culture while punishing those who wish to practice it as part of their identity.
There is an offensive part when Burton tells Natalie that her being at Oriabi as a convalescing woman is better than a university student as “they agitate the Indians, make them think their history is important, while we’re trying to wipe it away, encourage them to become good American citizens”.
Natalie learns there is a price to pay for disobedience – cut rations despite the fact the people are barely given enough to eat.
In part two (2), Natalie is putting into motion what she needs to do to perhaps getting the Indians better treatment.
Using her connection to President Theodore Roosevelt, Natalie gets permission to record and preserve the songs, dance, and arts. She travels and gains extensive knowledge of the tribes and their customs.
Along her journey she meets several influential people.
Natalie, between 1902-1906, gathers information from 18 tribes and compiles over 500+ pages of material for her book. Rather, as she puts it, it is the Indians’ book and she is merely the pencil. It is her hope that by doing so, “the code” can be changed. Lummis is also hoping to dismantle the code as well.
In 1907, Natalie is able to publish the book. Though the code wasn’t muted until 1920/1921 shortly before/around the time of her death. It wasn’t until Franklin Roosevelt’s administration that the code was amended. The book, and Teddy Roosevelt’s involvement merely reduced enforcement.
This book ends in 1917 just as Natalie meets Paul Burlin who was 11 years younger than she was.
In the author’s 9-10 pages of notes at the end, she goes into more detail and explains certain parts of the book along with more facts. I honestly feel that the best parts of the book were the towards the end.
Natalie and Paul married in 1917. She was tragically killed in Paris in 1921 when she was struck by an automobile. Ironically the car was being driven by a doctor responding to an emergency. Curtis was, before her death, able to complete the projects also mentioned in this book.
I enjoyed the story as I read it, but it was a bit bland for me. It did prompt me to do some research and certainly appreciate Curtis’ work and perseverance to do what was right.
Curtis wasn’t an overwhelming figure as Kirkpatrick’s book would have had me believe. Even according to the website dedicated to Curtis – “But symphony orchestras don't play compositions by Natalie Curtis Burlin. Indian and black activists don't laud her as a contributor to their causes. Books on the accomplishments of American women seldom list her, much less devote chapters to her.”
I personally visited the prison Natalie and her brother toured in Yuma. In February 1990, my mother and I traveled to Yuma where her best friend from high school lived. This woman took my mother and I (along with her own sons) to visit the prison which has been a museum since 1961.
More information can be found here:
https://azstateparks.com/yuma-territorial/about-the-prison/park-history
I feel there was a lot of narrative that could’ve been left out. And, while I often enjoy some historical fiction based on real life people/events, I feel this could’ve worked much better as a biography rather than a fictionalized novel. However, it does spark some interest. I think the author did a tremendous amount of research and found the book was mostly accurate.
Today Curtis’ book is still available. I found a version online at Amazon; link and image are below.
Despite being distributed by Revell, a primarily Christian/faith-themed publisher, there are very little references to Christianity. There is mention of Jesus and a few bible quotes; they are not integral to the story’s main plot and are very minor. It is a clean read – no foul language, and since this isn’t a romance per se, there are no real intimate scenes.
Here are some notes from other sources:
“A period of study at Hampton (Virginia) Institute enabled her to produce the four-volume Hampton Series Negro Folk-Songs (1918–19), unretouched transcriptions of great musicological value, and Songs and Tales from the Dark Continent (1920), transcribed from tape recordings made of two African students at Hampton.” (Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2021, April 22). Natalie Curtis Burlin. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Natalie-Curtis-Burlin).
From the website (http://www.nataliecurtis.org):
“… we should look critically at Curtis's attitudes and approaches to her work. Some of these, while progressive for her day, may prove misguided when looked at with hindsight. Her writings cry out a persistent lament over the vanishing Indian and his fading culture. This is not to minimize the danger that did exist and still does today. But Curtis seems to accept the disappearance of traditional culture as inevitable. In fact, native cultures have endured. And, though Indian peoples may appreciate the efforts of white friends, it is Indian peoples themselves who have seen to the continuance of their cultures.
Curtis also liked to paint a romantic and idealized picture of Indian life. She was no doubt sincere in this approach. Yet her 1907 book and other writings, her public appearances and lectures, the persona she created for herself by adopting native dress and the Hopi name "Tawi-Mana" (Song-Maid) -- all this certainly contributed to the exodus of a generation of Anglo "Yearners" to the Native American Southwest in pursuit of an alternative to a mechanized, violent civilization. This class of escapists or aficionados has been described by critics as intrusive, tactless, patronizing, overweening, and a nuisance. Some of this invasion can certainly be credited to the efforts of Natalie Curtis.” (Simmons, Marc. "History of the Pueblos Since 1821." In Vol. 9, Handbook of North American Indians, edited by W.C. Sturtevant (Washington: Smithsonian Institution, 1979), 218-220.)
No matter how people may think of Curtis-Burlin, there is no mistaking the fact her work has had an impact since The Indians’ Book was published in 1907; 114 years ago. Even Teddy Roosevelt felt she was a force to be reckoned with, even stating she was “who has done so very much to give Indian culture its proper position”.
RATING:
4 (3.8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Goodreads
4 (3.8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – BookBub
4 (3.8) ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – Personal Rating (see rating explanation in this blog: https://readingexcursions.blogspot.com/2020/01/rating-system-2020-changes.html)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jane Kirkpatrick is the New York Times and CBA bestselling and award-winning author or contributor to thirty-nine books, including Something Worth Doing, One More River to Cross, A Name of Her Own, All Together in One Place, A Light in the Wilderness, The Memory Weaver, This Road We Traveled, and A Sweetness to the Soul, which won the prestigious Wrangler Award from the Western Heritage Center. Her works have won the WILLA Literary Award, the Carol Award for Historical Fiction, the 2016 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award and 2021 Silver award. They have been short-listed for the Christy, Oregon Book Awards, and the Spur Awards. A clinical social worker and former consultant to the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs Early Childhood programs, Jane now divides her time between Bend, Oregon, and Rancho Mirage, California, with her husband, Jerry, and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Caesar. Learn more at www.jkbooks.com.
You can find her on the following social media accounts:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theauthorjanekirkpatrick
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JaneKirkpatrick
The Indians’ Book as featured in The Healing of Natalie Curtis
Paperback: 696 pages
Publisher: Forgotten Books (April 28, 2017)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1332163505
ISBN-13: 978-1332163502
⬅️ Click Photo for Purchase Information
“A book created wholly by the American Indian - songs, myths, drawings and decorations based on traditional designs - The Indians’ Book is a treasury of lore for general readers, for teachers, for folk singers. Its musical and folk material derives directly from the Indian oral tradition and is presented exactly as Miss Curtis recorded it.
The 149 songs - the traditional music of 18 tribes - are today irreplaceable; so much of this material has disappeared since Miss Curtis collected it. Songs of war and love, hunting songs, barter songs, songs to cure the sick, corn-grinding songs, "hand game" songs, cradle songs, holy or "medicine" songs and ceremonial songs were collected by Miss Curtis from Plains, Lake, Northwestern, Southwestern, and Pueblo Indians: Wabanaki, Dakota, Winnebago, Pawnee, Kwakiutl, Acoma, Navajo, Apache, Pima, Hopi, Yuma, Arapaho, Kiowa, Mojave-Apache, Zuñi, San Juan, Laguna, Cheyenne. The texts are written out in both the native language and English, and the melody for each song is provided.
Indian myths have been faithfully taken down directly from Indian story tellers. There are creation myths; myths explaining the origin of corn, the sun and moon, the four winds, and other natural phenomena; folktales and animal stories of unusual charm. Full-age drawings, designs for title pages, and decorations all created by the Indians themselves, and 23 photographs (rituals in progress, families, individuals) taken by the editor illustrate the book.”
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