Touching story of the growing up and growing older of Yakima tribe member Eddie Clem, an intelligent, athletically gifted young man whose life course is severely impacted by a tragic accident. The echos of the event inform most of the decisions he makes from then on, effecting himself and all those he loves.

Intimately written, the author takes us into the minds of all the characters. We consistently read not only what they say out loud but also what they think. The time line runs from Eddie's birth through his becoming a grandparent and while covering much ground chronologically, the flow feels natural as we stop and pause to look closely at one segment and then fast forward to another later in life.

The first third of the book includes Eddie's time in Vietnam, which may be important for some readers to be aware of.

This book is written with an intelligence and sensitivity that left me feeling honored to have had such a personal look into the emotions of these characters and hopeful that love and life will go on for them.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed the storyline. It was a great journey to go through.

I received this from Netgalley.com.

"Eddie Clem was born in White Swan on the Yakama reservation in the 1950s."

Incredibly compelling, a story that draws you in and you must read until the end.

4.5☆

What an extraordinarily beautiful read this is. One of the books that I am genuinely saddened to finish.

White Swam is the place where Eddie Clem grows up, on a native Indian reservation in 1950s America. Eddie is king of the basketball court and king of the rodeo, and aside from that is a quiet, considerate young man.

Eddie falls in love with Evelyn the day she enters his class, and their relationship is the thread which holds the story together, while many other momentous things occur.

This is a story about love, about connections, about family, and about place. It's populated with strong, strong characters who leap off the page and demand to belong to you too. I loved it.

This was such a moving book, how anyone can move forward from the types of trauma Eddie has been through is beyond me!
I did struggle at the start with the pace and the timing of the incidents in relation to Eddie and his position in life.
The characters were strong, warm and immensely likeable and the connection between them was so heartfelt.

Eddie doesn't have the best start in life by any stretch of the imagination: his mother dies in childbirth and his devastated father leaves the Yakama Reservation in central Washington. Nevertheless, he is raised by a loving family who see his absent father in Eddie's every move. Keen to explore both his passions of horse-riding and basketball, he is initially flanked by his beloved cousin until a tragic accident cuts his life short, Destined not to live a solitary life though, he soon catches Evelyn's eye and so begins a life-long relationship that will impact both of them immensely.

Lono Waiwaiole captures the teetering balance that Eddie and his native community have to manage in 1950s America and deftly explores Evelyn's searching question, "Do we come from our culture, or does the culture come from us?" As Eddie's life unfolds his Grandfather's words, "A man can walk in every direction but can he change where he started from?" ring in his ears and the shadow of history echoes his every move.

Less successful for me, is the author's regular use of italics to reference the characters' internal monologues. For example, "Yes, Evelyn thought, but not like you do." or "It's kinda funny when you stop to think about it, she thought." I found the reflections jarring and an unnecessary interruption of the narrative's flow.

My thanks to netgalley, the author and publisher for sharing an advanced copy with me in return for my honest opinion.

This is a beautiful poignant story told tenderly as a series of moments or periods in Eddie Clem’s life that build together to make him the person he is.

Eddie was left alone when his mother died birthing him and his father couldn’t stay to care for him.

Love, excitement, danger and loss all parade through the book and the connections of life in a small community sustain Eddie’s ability to carry on.

There is a real sense of the Native American culture and beliefs gently woven into the story and providing a backdrop to events.

There are moments of love and resolution in the book which make the characters real and the story heartwarming.

This is pretty much a perfect book, thoroughly enjoyable, deeply moving and totally compelling. It’s the story of Eddie Clem, whom we get to know as he grows up and comes to terms with his destiny. He’s born in White Swan on the Yakama Reservation in central Washington in the 1950s and his future life is shaped by the death of his mother and abandonment by his father. Although he grows up with the love and support of his community, and has a relatively “normal” American boyhood, he never quite manages to get things right. It’s a heart-breaking intergenerational family saga and a vivid and unsentimental portrait of American rural indigenous life, always managing to avoid stereotypes and the many tropes that have grown up about Native American communities. It’s a gentle, slow read, the style plain and understated, with empathetic characters, authentic dialogue and a convincing narrative arc. Loved it.

After reading a bit of non-fiction concerning Indian America, I cautiously ventured into the realm of "Indian fiction". I wasn't let down. I sometimes forget how great authors can seemingly secretively connect readers to unforgettable characters. White Swan provides a wide scope of human relationships within an almost saga-like family history. The plot is captivating, the characters are memorable and the writing keeps drawing me back to read more...and the final one-hour session to finish rates the fifth star. I really enjoyed the emotional connections I felt with the characters and would recommend this highly as a feel-good fast-paced Summer read. Enjoy!

WHITE SWAN by Lono Waiwaiole

This book was supplied to me by the publisher in exchange for a review.

Not having been born in the USA I am not as familiar with its history as I would like to be (working on it) but I have traveled a fair amount and find most countries do not treat their indigenous people as well as they should (Israel, Canada, Australia, South Africa- two name a few). I recently toured the American West, beginning in South Dakota near Mount Rushmore and ending in Nevada. During that time, and with the recent political attention drawn to that area, I became more aware and sensitive to the history and current plight of these people.
White swan, where the hero Eddie clem is born and raised, is further west in the Yakima reservation or Washington state. Although there are references to how his people are treated and the reader is always aware of Eddie’s heritage, the author never uses this as an ‘excuse’ nor does he permit his characters to wallow in it.

Eddie’s first love Evelyn, somehow gets pushed aside as Eddie’s talent with basketball and rodeo are easier for him to express. Always unable to deal with the love he feels so deeply, Eddie is nevertheless one of the most lovable and likable literary characters one will discover in years of reading.

When his mother dies shortly after he is born, Eddie’s father vanishes, leaving him to be raised by the capable hands of his grandparents, where his mystical, stoic grandfather and the spirit of his dead mother lovingly guide him over the hurdles he must face.

The novel is filled with people who find connections with each other, bound by equal doses of love and sorrow.

The writing is what I call “exceptionally kind”: it is honest, clear, and moves the reader along without unnecessary verbiage as the story unfolds. The description of locations and settings are vivid, making them as much a part of the story as the characters who inhabit it. Like the proverbial onion, each layer of the writing peels away, leaving yet another layer of gentle philosophy and wisdom if the reader cares to partake of it. Although we may weep with Eddie and want to prod him along at times, we feel the humor and understand his very human responses even when we may not always agree with his actions.
This is one of the best books I have read in a long time. I award it five stars, full marks, and would not hesitate to recommend it.

White Swan, Lono Waiwaiole

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: | General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction

I wasn't sure about requesting this, but am so glad I did. Its more of a journey read, one to savour each sentence, every event, more than a story where you race through to get to the end.

Eddie is a wonderful character but losing his parents, and killing his much loved cousin in a tragic accident really impacted on him, and that carried through to adulthood. In some ways he destroys his own happiness, its as if he feels he doesn't deserve any. Yet he does, I so wanted that happy ending for him, for things to work out between him and his girlfriend. He faces such a barrier through life, his own circumstances, and of course the prejudice that always follows anyone in a minority group.

He loved Evelyn as soon as he saw her, still a child, and I feel that love never really left him, even though she married another, and he had other relationships. I was so angry with her even as I understood what she was doing, that she couldn't continue to be the only one working at their relationship. It almost feels like Eddie is unconsciously sabotaging his own happiness through that guilt.
That makes it sound as if its a doom and gloom read, and its not. There's so much going on, so much to see, a snapshot of life back in the sixties.
There are some interesting friendships, heartbreaking times when Eddie talks to his mum at her grave, when his father dips briefly back into his life, and of course his much loved grandfather who sees in Eddie a replica of his son, Eddie's dad. He worries for him knowing how hard his dad found life, and how much Eddie misses having parents.
Eventually it feels like life turns full circle and that lost little boy is a dad and granddad himself, and those childhood relationships become family.
It didn't have the ending I wanted for Eddie :-( but it was still a good ending, a content one if not the one I wanted. I felt Eddie finally found peace and a way to live.

Stars: Five, a fabulous slow read novel, one to enjoy each chapter, to soak in the life that's revealed and the way it affects Eddie.

Arc via netgalley and publishers