This is the first book I’ve read by Tatjana Soli. It won’t be the last. Starting with an Indian raid of a Kansas homestead, she paints an in depth story where you can see the entire narrative play out like movie scenes.

The novel bounces between Anne, one of the few survivors of the raid, Libbie Custer, her husband George and Tom, George’s brother.

I’ve said it before and will reiterate the sentiment again, a good historical novel teaches you something as it tells its story. Soli explains George Custer. A poor farmer’s son, he is quick to learn the lessons of war from the generals he serves under during the Civil War. When Libbie joins him on the war campaign trail, she learns both the good and bad about her husband and about what war can do to one’s sense of morals. In fact, in each of the sections, it quickly becomes apparent there are no “good guys”. If anything, over and over again, it is the women and children that are the victims. Some of the scenes are graphically cruel and hard to stomach. But such is war and Custer has taken his lessons to heart. By the end, he has more respect for the Indians than for those in power in DC. And he understands, that both the Indians and the cavalry are not long for the world.

The title references not only the removal of the Indians from their lands, but each woman’s removal from family and the only world she knew. “Wilderness lay impenetrable in every direction, civilization a forgotten dream. Could the great cities of the world still exist simultaneously with this primitive world?”

The writing here is flat out gorgeous and just captures each moment. This would have been a five star book for me but there are places were the tempo drags and feels drawn out. As would be expected, this is a sad novel. There are no happy endings.

My thanks to netgalley and Farrah, Strauss and Giroux for an advance copy of this book.

Thank you, NetGalley, Farrah, Straus, and Giroux, and Tatjana Soli for a free advanced copy.

I was so looking forward to this read. But, I am sorry to say it just did not work for me. I am blaming myself as I thought the prose would read differently.

I enjoyed Anne's story so much more than that of Autie and Libbie. There was more time spent in the beginning of the story following Anne's sufferings and life among the Indians, it just wasn't enough for me. The descriptions of frontier life I believe are very accurate, very descriptive and brutally honest. Although, I may have not enjoyed this well written story, I believe others will.

A wonderful book cover holds an emotional and meaningful story about how this country expanded westward and what the cost was to settlers and native people. The book focuses on three characters: George Armstrong Custer, his wife Libbie and the fictional Anne Cummins a white teen-age captive of the Cheyenne. The land, the environment, and people they encounter test all three. For Custer the challenges are the politicians, the Army, his family, his sense of duty and loyalty to the mission before family. For Libbie the challenge is leaving her home, separation from her husband and the duty to rise to the role of a general’s wife. For Anne the challenge is leaving her destroyed “civilized” world, surviving in captivity, and anticipating what freedom could be. Solti’s narrative swings through the eyes of Custer, Libbie and Anne in alternating chapters that propel the story to the inevitable reckoning.

I found the title to be of great importance throughout this book. The removes signify the places/ areas where Anne travels with her captors. Yet they are also psychological removes taking her further from the person she was before captivity. The removes also indicate the loss of land, sustenance and wildlife that enabled the tribes to pursue a traditional lifestyle. For Custer the removes takes him further into “military” life, his focus dwelling less on his wife or the natural world around him. Lastly, the removes can be seen as casting Libbie as a more independent person not the flirtatious, carefree woman of her youth. Separation, fear and the harsh environment has removed her from her former self.

This is the second Soli title I have read (The Lotus Eaters, which I also recommend). Once again I was blown away – the characterizations, descriptions and interwoven narrative. Yes, the end of the book is well known, but the journey here is one worth taking. Highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

Let me begin by saying that, ultimately, I did not finish this book. There were certainly some moments of good writing in here. However, I found some of the scenes to be overly violent and graphic. And, the story just did not grab me. I think, for me, the idea of following "the removes", while an interesting idea, became too repetitive and just not terribly exciting. A danger, I think with writing fiction based on real events -- editing out some of those events and concentrating on just those that really lend themselves to being fictionalized.

This was a hard book to read as the content was so brutally, if accurately, depicted. The western, the cavalry, the Indians are all well researched and the points of view well-chosen. Told by battle, Libbie Custer or the imagined Anne, the story captures the beauty of nature vs the deceit and greed of man. The subject is not really for me but as a fan of the Author, I wanted to read this. The treatment of animals and the descriptions, although realistic, did me in. The atrocities of man vs. man not as hard to take. The image of Custer as hero and as man is captured and the narrative is paced evenly. Readers interested in the subject matter will find this more than satisfying.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

Merriam-Webster defines remove, a transitive verb, as: "to change the location, position, station, or residence of remove soldiers to the front." There are eighteen removes in this novel.

The setting: "Spanning the years of the first great settlement of the west ... the intertwining stories of fifteen-year-old Anne Cummins [abducted from her family homestead during an attack], frontierswoman Libbie Custer, and Libbie’s husband, the Civil War hero George Armstrong Custer [Autie]."

Though they move from place to place over the course of 13 years-- 1863-76, I found this book tedious and flat. Much of the same old same old [to me]. I got tired of the seeming repetition.

Anne's story was so much more interesting than that of Libbie and Autie. Though there was time spent at the beginning of the book revealing Anne's hardships and life among the Indians, it wasn't enough. The latter part of the novel did return to Anne, but by then too late for it to redeem my interest/appreciation of the book. Neha, a half-breed Anne befriends, also brought relief to the sameness of Autie's and Libbie's story. Also towards the end, Anne's distant uncle Josiah--a despicable, self-righteous Christian, brings life to the narrative.

Custer was a war hero. A West Point graduate and the youngest brigadier in the army. He was also a philanderer; Libbie his long-suffering wife was quite aware of his trangressions. And though he strayed, in his own way he was devoted to her and theirs was truly a love match. Her brother-in-law, Tom, was enamored with her--did she marry the right brother--she wondered? But. I just didnt care.

What was done well. Descriptions of frontier life--for example, the scarcity of food, and being at the mercy of the weather. A remove. Warfare [gruesome]. Horses. Campaigns. Indian folklore and customs in particular [what I most enjoyed]. How the Anne and Neha banded together and battled for survival in their captivity--particularly Anne as a white among Indians. But, also the role of women among the Indians. Sections on Custer and Libbie in New York City--a man out of place.

Well-written. Some phrases in particular captured my attention:
"... he lay in his man-sized earth depression..."
"... horizon glowed like a penny"

So, not an overwhelming endorsement.

This is an amazing historical fiction depicting the life of General George Armstrong Custer and his loyal wife, Libbie. Told on a parallel course is the story of Anne Cummins, a young girl on the cusp of womanhood who is capture by the Lakota Sioux and integrated into the life of the tribe.

We all know how this story ends but it is a tantalizing look at this time in our history and also into the complex character of General Custer and his wife. If you love historical fiction, this is the book for you.

Highly recommended!

Go west, young man. Settle in the wide open spaces. Yes, settlers experienced freedom and liberty but were arguably unprepared for unmentionable hardship and violence. The nation's policy of Manifest Destiny with the intention of expansion and conquest fueled the Indian Wars on the frontier.

In 1866 Kansas, the Cheyenne frequently rode to homesteads demanding charity, not necessarily freely given. It was "necessary to work the fields with a hoe in one hand and a rifle in the other". Fifteen year old Anne Cummins witnessed an unspeakable raid and the slaughter of her entire family. She was part of a group of women and children taken captive. Deprivations included lack of food, clothing and shelter. During the first snow, Anne tore her apron in half to wrap pieces of cloth around a child's bleeding feet. Anne learned to eat anything she was given immediately or risk having it stolen. This created a pattern of starvation, satiation, then starvation which sapped her physical strength and endurance.

Libbie Bacon was the only surviving child of a judge. She was indulged by her father and stepmother. At the age of nineteen, it was her job to be "husbanded". Independent Libbie turned down proposals, instead, devoured books. At a party, she encountered George Armstrong Custer "Autie". He was the son of a farmer and did not travel in the same social circles. Autie, a Civil War hero six years later, exuded extraordinary confidence. Once married, Libbie Bacon Custer became a presence on many military campaigns. At times though, long absences occurred with communication solely by letter.

George Armstrong Custer was much admired for his strictness. He was a fearless leader in battle, admired and loved by his men. During the Civil War, soldiers petitioned to serve under Autie's command. The Indian Wars were completely different. Autie's worst nightmare was to die unknown. Some newspapers hinted that he was not the same high caliber leader when compared to his Civil War days.

"The Removes" by Tatjana Soli was told in alternating sections. The characters were well developed displaying their inner thoughts, trials and tribulations. The reader was privy to their longings, dreams and heartbreaks. The crime, violence and cultural genocide occurring during the building of the railroads and the settling of the west were achingly brought to light by the sensitive, well researched and eye-opening writing style of Tatjana Soli. I highly recommend this tome.

Thank you Sarah Crichton/ Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review "The Removes".

This is the 4th novel I’ve read by Tatjana Soli. I absolutely love her books.

“The Lotus Eaters” was an extraordinary debut that resolved around three characters who were affected by the Vietnam War.

“The Forgetting Tree”, takes place on a ranch in Southern California.

“The Last Good Paradise”, a comic/ tragic tale, takes place on an island resort in the South Pacific.

“The Removes”, historical fiction, is definitely - by far - Tajana’s most ambitious novel to date......an epic story of the Indian Wars on the western plains.

In every book I’ve read by Tatjana Soli, I’ve walked away having learned new things about the greater world.
Tatjana also develops characters so well, I could live inside her books for days, and never want to come up for air.

In “The Removes”, ( I lived inside ‘this’ book long full days - passing up exercise- and normal life responsibilities). I don’t usually choose to read books with a lot of bloody killings. If I had not loved, trusted, respected, and admired Tatjana Soli as much as I do....I would not have chosen to read this book by ‘subject matter’ alone.

As it was, I dived in with great determination, to read every word with vigor as a fully active reader. Given that Tatjana wrote it, which I just want to say, now,: “WOW”..... INCREDIBLE...... I can’t begin to imagine how much work was involved. It’s really an Extraordinary book.....
I figured I could ‘at least’ take this novel on and do everything I could to comprehend it - ( look up things if needed- which I did) - and give her book my full attention.

The first 5 to 10 % had me nervous. It definitely started right out...but a little ‘too’ much for my comfort. WE WERE SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF UGLY WAR....with LOVED ONES. I was afraid I couldn’t go on. I didn’t want to be so sad so fast. I was sad - right away. But then I relaxed - the entire book couldn’t be pages of loved ones killed. It’s still not a fluffy easy-breezy read.....yet it sure becomes all encompassing.

I had to put the book down several times - to have conversations with my husband.
He was helpful. I wanted moral support. I sincerely wanted to read this - learn - grow - and even be proud of myself. ( silly and embarrassing mentioning this in a review). I feared I might not understand something - or my mind would shut down.

I just needed to talk about the history and the characters with someone ‘while’ reading this. Paul was a wonderful partner and support of my process.
I started picking up my own natural rhythm and became deeply involved. I really didn’t need Paul any longer- but it was still nice to know he was near by.

I was home alone when I put the book down ( about half way)....when a scene was not only devastating graphic - but combined with the conflicted emotions between two brothers - George Custer and his younger brother, Tom, - two military soldiers- I just felt sooooo sad. I cried - and needed a break.

This novel was deeply affecting. As the two main women in this story discovered their inner strength- when their lives were changed forever - I stretched and strengthen alongside them in ways too. Their story -( Anne Cummins and Libbie Custer), and Civil War Hero George Armstrong Custer’s story will stay with me forever. The supporting characters are also memorable. And as I took this journey- I kept being floored of how the changes kept occurring- never knowing what was coming down the pipes next.


The combination of intimacy among the characters - of intertwining stories - ( Anne who is captured by the Indians- the Cheyenne - and Libbie who married Custer ....nicknamed Autie), with intoxicating luminous narrative —we experience dark corners of history - [crazy mad tumultuous times] - but we also experience remarkable resilience, breathtaking imagery, and transformation out on the battlefield.

With tenacity and sensitivity.....Tatjana Soli walks us back into the past...it’s haunting - heartbreaking- a book that will linger a long time.

A few quotes and/ or tidbits .... to give small flavors of the characters:

Libbie:
“Libbie became quite the flirt. She was surprised how much she enjoyed it, both the pleasure it gave to the days and how it took the sting from Autie’s neglect. With the protection of a wedding ring, she could be more bold than she ever dared as an eligible young lady”.

Autie: George Armstrong Custer
“Men craved leadership and this he performed ably. Each man wrestled with private
torments in the deepest night; that was the only place that human was allowed in war. He had been wrong to chastise Tom for covering the Indian woman. Tom was still a boy, tenderhearted. That had all been squeezed out of Custer. Only Libbie fed the little bit of gentleness left him”.

Anne:
Tribal life was defined by constant movement. In Anne’s second year of captivity there was much suffering from lack of food. She had already had two miscarriages – and buried Elizabeth - the young girl she watched over from the day they were both captured and both lost their families.
At age 17 - Anne was pregnant again. She had a little baby girl - named her Solace, after Elizabeth.
An old grandmother, Unci told Anne: “You are now part of the Cheyenne. You must keep your eyes open to find your place”.

Horses and Dogs:
Many had died of starvation… Their bellies immediately sliced to eat. It was never enough to satisfy too many empty bellies.

Scarcity, suffering, excruciating heat, or horrendously freezing cold and windy, the elements were a war in themselves.

Libbie & the Prairie:
“The prairie wind howled ceaselessly, bending the will of them all. Yet she had grown a liking for it over the last months. She had been weaned, developed a hunger for the chalky bite of freedom - the most irresistible elixir once developed a taste for it. She loved Autie, but also what was beyond him, the whole untamed world out there in its infinite liberty”.

Soooo much more I could say - write - express about this wonderful book!

Thank You Farrah, Straus, and Giroux, Netgalley, and Tatjana Soli ( so much to be proud about!!!)