I love historical fiction and this did not disappoint. I have not read much Native American historical fiction, so I learned a lot. There are many characters, and in books where they throw many characters at you in the begging, a cheat sheet helped!
I thought it was thought provoking. I also felt a connection with the main character, Check. Normally when one thinks of a story taking place after the civil war, they don’t think it’s going to be something focused on a Cherokee family.
It was one of those stories that will stay with me for a long time.

Fans of gritty historical epics or whatever will probably like this, and it's always great to have more #OwnVoices books about Native Americans, especially when a lot of other American historical fiction has uhh problematic portrayals of Native Americans.

But it's just not for me!

How to describe Cherokee America... it is one one hand a serious work of historical fiction that explores grief, race, and belonging. It is also a rollicking and hilarious adventure, that turns the classic western on its head by featuring a female protagonist. It is also a compelling mystery, swirling around the clever and courageous Check. I dare not give too much away... you have to read it yourself! It is well worth your time.

An epic historical novel with a host of characters. I did find it hard to keep track of everyone and had to keep referring back to the list which want easy. I found it very interesting and well researched but not intirely gripping it felt a bit like an enjoyable piece of homework. I enjoyed it but I didn’t get excited by imthe book

Check Singer is a character who grows on you, getting right under your skin. Her husband is very ill and she has children ranging from school age to grown. She worries and manages all of them as she does her farm and the people working it. Puny works for her and has got himself in a heap of woman trouble. I love the women in his life, especially Ezell. She has a heart of gold! Both she and Check (Cherokee) are strong, practical women with a sense of obligation to help other people and care for them. The story is fascinating in the disclosures about the manner in which the Cherokee people have acted as a glue and a bridge between the white, native and African American cultures in the USA. I can see why this is an award-winning author: Verble engages readers with problems we can relate to, whether we are women with grown children or young men who have suffered a disgrace. There are times when the story reminds me of the style of William Faulkner. Check is a survivor of her era and culture, and we in our era and culture will find much to relate to. I believe Verble will gain a truly wide audience. Thank you, #HoughtonMifflin Harcourt and #MargaretVerble! I am halfway through and thoroughly enjoying this book!

I wanted to really like this book as I enjoyed the way she told the story. However, the graphic sexual details were a HUGE turnoff for me. I reached a point I simply could not continue, so I reluctantly stopped reading it. I'm sure there are people who are not at all bothered by this type of content, but I don't see the point of the explicit sexual details.

From the start, this story grabs you and pulls you in. You see and feel Cheek standing on the porch or sitting in the stockroom waiting for her husband to die and her life to change. Margaret Verble has written an excellent book. Even though fiction, she has worked in enough of the history of the Indian Territory that a reader sees it through the characters eyes. Let's hope there are more books planned for this family.

I liked this book (the 2.5 to 3 range) and enjoyed learning a little bit about Cherokee Nation West. The tagline of "A baby, a black hired hand, a bay horse, a gun, a gold stash, and a preacher have all gone missing." is very intriguing but misleading. They have not gone missing nor are they all linked.

This is a novel that wants to be a family epic like The Son by Philipp Meyer but the novel is a little disjointed. I think it feels this way because there are way too many characters and sometimes it is hard to keep track of who each character is. I know from the Author's note that these are based on real people but some more combining of characters might have made the story easier to track.

I did like Check and Ezell. They are strong female characters that love the men in their live but do not rely on them. Check runs her farm and household with the expectation of being obeyed and without the men saying that she is a woman and these matters do not concern her. That being said the book is very male dominated and some of those characters are a little superfluous.

I always try to think about the type of reader I would recommend each book to and I am not sure that I know who that is for this novel.

This is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys tales of the Wild West, murder-mystery stories, or American history. It satisfies all three of those categories. I'd recommend it to readers who enjoyed "Maud's Line", "News of the World", or "10,000 White Women"

I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!! This book was so well written and the characters were well developed. This is one of those books that just has everything you are looking for, Historical fiction will always be one of my favorites because you are able to be immersed in history and "experience" it. I highly recommend this book!

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review!*

I was interested in reading this because of my Cherokee heritage, and even reading just 10% into the book, I learned a lot. However, this book is dense and I'm tabling it (for now) until I can get it on audiobook.

Cherokee America is a one-of-a-kind novel about the life of Aunt Check - a Cherokee woman raising her family in the post-Civil War west. Things and people are going missing and Check finds herself thrust in the middle of the action all while trying to take care of her 5 boys and her dying husband. There's and amazing cast of characters from Native American s forced to move West to former slaves struggling to make a living on Check's potato farm. Author Margaret Bernie paints a vivid picture of changing times and lives in early America. A great read