Wow, more stories like this one please. A Council of Dolls shows Native American history through multiple lenses such as heritage and trauma/grief. These women's stories were so deeply moving and heartwrenching and I absolutely believe everyone needs to read them. The humanity/inhumanity of it all was so potent. The characters were complex and so well developed. You couldn't help but feel the raw emotions of everyone here. I don't think there's anything I can say here that would really do this story justice so please do yourselves a favor and read it.

This story was a unique read. I admit, I didn’t really know what the story was about and I was pleasantly surprised. The author intertwined stories that her mother had told her and wrote this beautiful novel. Sissy was born in 1961, she has a doting father and a mother who was completely unpredictable. But she knows she is loved and has a very nice life. One Christmas she receives a beautiful doll, named Ethel. Ethel becomes the sister she never had, the soothing voice and a feeling of comfort. The doll and Sissy have many conversations together and Sissy couldn’t be happier. Lillian born in 1925 and is removed from the land she was born on and is moved to an “Indian” school, run by nuns. Lillian only has her sister and her doll, Mae. It is a tough life for the girls and there was very little peace. The nuns were terrible and mean. Mae, like Ethel, becomes a best friend. Just holding her, brings Lillian peace. Cora born in 1888 was born during the Indian Wars. She too is moved across the county to a new school. Where Indian children, will become civilized. Times are very hard and Cora had her doll, Winona, during her travels. The doll brings her such comfort and joy. When she arrived at her new school? They burn her doll and she is heartbroken. A young man gives her a piece of the doll and all is not lost.
All three women, are of Native American decent. They are all dealt very tough lives. They share the love of their dolls. Mona Susan Power, weaved the three stories together in such a great way. It is a sad tale but all is not lost. The three ladies made the best if there lives. I enjoyed the story and the characters. This was a four star read for me. I want to thank the author and Netgalley for my copy to read and review. It was my pleasure to review this book. Stories like this need to be told more often. I hope you enjoy it too..

This is a tender and thoughtful novel composed of three vignettes told from the point of view of Sissy, Lillian, and Cora. The common theme is that all three Native American girls (each born in a different era) discuss the traumatic effects of displacement, isolation, repressed anger, and undiagnosed depression as they grapple with the after-effects of the government's policies of forced relocation and assimilation tactics used at the “indian schools.” The mental, psychological, and emotional abuse is felt immediately and passed on for generations.

Some aspects were difficult to read - these are children and what they experienced and witnessed is heartbreaking. The balm in the stories are the dolls the little girls cling to – acting as confidants who can keep painful secrets, problem-solvers and dispensers of wisdom spawned from imaginary conversations, or personal totems that evoke the ancestor’s spirits for strength, perseverance, and protection.

Although a work of fiction, the stories are touching and laced with the truth of survivors' testimonies which make them more poignant and touching.

Thanks to the publisher, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for an opportunity to review.

Sissy, born in 1961, struggles with her relationship with her beautiful yet volatile mother. Her doll Ethel whispers kind words to help her through difficult situations until one fateful day. Lillian, born in 1925, clings to her sister while attending an "Indian school." But when tragedy strikes the sisters, her doll Mae finds her way to defend the girls. Cora, born in 1888, excels in the Indian school she was forced to attend with the help of her doll Winona. Even when the teachers burn her doll, Cora finds Winona's spirit with her.

Spanning three generations of women in a Dakhòta family, COUNCIL is a rich and multilayered narrative that explores the complexities of generational trauma and the profound impact of historical events on their collective journey. Through a masterful use of reverse chronology, Power weaves a tapestry of stories that focuses on the women's POV, offering a mesmerizing glimpse into the healing power of storytelling, language, and culture.

At the heart of COUNCIL is the profound influence of the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which over 10 thousand students attended between 1879 and 1918. Power delves into the violence of cultural erasure and physical abuse that occurred to these children during the period, highlighting the importance of preserving one's heritage and the role of storytelling as a means of reclaiming and honoring one's roots.

The concept o dolls serves as a captivating and symbolic motif, weaving together the characters' emotions and strengths. I love that these dolls represent the generational "power" instead of trauma, that binds a family, showcasing the interconnectedness of past, present, and future. Power deftly explores the idea that healing can emerge from storytelling and writing while using language as a means of catharsis and self-discovery. This aspect reminds me of THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B. DU BOIS (Honorée Fanonne Jeffers).

At its core, COUNCIL is a testament that even in the face of unimaginable loss, individuals have the inner strength to mend their wounds and reclaim their identities. The story beautifully illustrates how the process of survival often involves compartmentalization, but ultimately, it's never too late to return to tend to those old wounds and embark on a journey of self-restoration.

I loved everything about A Council of Dolls! I do tend to pick a book by its cover sometimes, and this one has a beautiful cover. The story of three generations of Dakota women, the trauma that they all faced, and the dolls that provided solace and connection, is breathtaking. The ending of the book was so satisfying. This book will be one of my top reads of 2023, I have no doubt! I learned a lot, and I will be reading more about the Indian boarding schools. I will also read more by this author. Thanks to # NetGalley and #Mariner Books for the copy of this five star book!

I really have to stop reading these heartbreaking books. This book is about three women three dolls in three eras it’s also about racism overcoming and the plight of the Native American. As the girls share their inner most thoughts with their dolls Ethel Winona and Sissy we learned their heart breaking story and what they do to overcome. When reading these books I really wish I had a time machine so I could go back and do something to ease the pain that so many people felt free to give to those that they deemed lesser than. You can really tell the character of a person when they wield their power and it’s attached to abuse this is the first book by the Native American author and I would definitely read another book by her. A Council Of Dolls is a book that any person who loved their dolls in kept secrets with them can understand but it’s also a book that anyone will be touched by and also embarrassed by the past and how those who were different were treated. If you love historical fiction that’s meaningful and moving then you definitely want to read this book. It is a book I highly highly recommend.I want to thank net galley and the publisher for my free art copy please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

A powerful and heart wrenching tale of three generations of indigenous girls. They navigate the pain of both their own trauma and intergenerational trauma as they grow up, seeking the counsel and friendship of their dolls as companions. This book delves into the forced re-education of indigenous children at residential schools and other issues faced by native people in the US.  An important, bittersweet, and lovely own voices fiction read. A beautiful cover and a volume that I plan on adding to my permanent personal library collection.

I read a digital copy, but I might recommend audio to capture the pronunciation of Dakota words.  Please note that I was provided an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Such a powerful book about multiple gens in the family and Indigenous women. A ton of trauma but I also a good balance of resilience. Not an easy read but def recommend

A COUNCIL OF DOLLS by Mona Susan Power is a multigenerational novel-in-parts about a Sioux family over the course of the twentieth century. Diving deep into intergenerational trauma, Dakhóta and Lakȟóta history, and healing, the novel opens with Sissy, a girl growing up in the 1960s in Chicago with her doll, Ethel. Sissy’s life is subject to the whims of her mother, Lillian, an activist whose flaring tempers make home a perilous place.

The novel then explores Lillian’s troubled girlhood in the 1930s before turning to the matriarch, Cora, as she is raised in the 1900s at the infamous Carlisle Indian School. In each section, a doll plays a powerful role in watching out for the protagonist. In the fourth and final section, Sissy, who is now well into her middle-aged years, reflects on her family’s stories and on her own untended scars with the help of this “council of dolls” that she’s kept but neglected for decades.

The book's structure of girls paired with dolls is so effective (Louise Erdrich called it “brilliant scaffolding”). The dolls are symbols, but they also are characters in their own right. While having young girls as first-person narrators can be tricky to execute in an adult novel, Power has imbued them each with a keen sense of observation and a knack for descriptive storytelling that pulls the reader in with immediacy and intimacy.

Although many of the events of this novel are harrowing, covering the Whitestone massacre, abusive family and Indian boarding school settings, and the death of Sitting Bull, the last section is like a breath exhaled, where the author-as-protagonist processes the deep griefs that she’s experienced and inherited. Ultimately, A COUNCIL OF DOLLS reminds us that restoration is possible. As Power writes, “We can’t heal the story by changing the plot…The story won’t heal until the players do.”

Fans of Oscar Hokeah’s CALLING FOR A BLANKET DANCE will likely enjoy this one as it explores the ways our ancestors pass down both wounds and tender care. I’m now eager to explore Power’s backlist!

4.5 stars rounded up

Beautifully told fictional history of 3 generations of Yanktonai Dakota women, 1888 to the present, and their experiences at Indian boarding schools and massacres of indigenous people in the US. Based on research and stories told to the author by her ancestors. Must read!

I cannot imagine how hard it must have been to tell this story. Over the span of 60+ years, the lives of three generations of Dakota/ Lakota citizens do not seem to have moved forward. There is little to no compassion shown by the care givers of these children. These three girls move through their childhood with a doll as their closest friend and confidant. Even when one girl's doll is destroyed while she watches, the girl and doll survive together. Children have always shown remarkable resilence but this degree of trauma leaves indelible scars.

Mona Susan Powers has shown herself a skilled author with the remarkable ability to make the girl's stories emotional without making them objects of pity. They LIVED and managed to pass on to their ancestors the abilities to survive. While Ms Powers' characters represent an indigenous people, history has shown that no race thrived without hardship. A very powerfully emotional read.

4.5 stars. Thank you to Net Galley and Mariner Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This wonderful moving story of three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women starts with Sissy in the 1960s. We go back in time and learn of the lives of each generation - Lillian in the 1930s and Cora in 1900s - back to the time. Each of them have a doll - Ethel, Mae, Winona - who are their companions, keep them safe and provide guidance, love and support. This book beautifully interweaves the painful history of Native people caused by the US citizens, military and government, much of it based on the author's own experiences and stories told to her, from wars, murders, Indian boarding schools and the consequences and hardships this caused physically, mentally and spiritually and ripples on through the generations. At many times, it was difficult to hear how they characters were treated but there is always a thread of hope throughout. The end is quite wonderful and really brings all the stories together in a beautiful way. I believe this is the kind of story that can change a person's perspective for the better, even if it's just by a few degrees.

This was one of the most unique, magical, and creative stories I have ever had the privilege to read. The style was so compelling and hearing these experiences told through the different perspectives was powerful and often heartbreaking. So much about this read will stick with me but the ending section's focus on healing from generational trauma was so beautiful and made an impact that I know I will be carrying forward for years to come.

A Council of Dolls is the story of three generations of Native American women within the same family who were forced to try to cut themselves off from their culture by whites determined to "reprogram them". Each of them had a doll who seemed real and powerful to them, offering them comfort and guidance as they try to understand the new world they've been placed in.

The novel beautifully describes the cruel and heartless plans and programs of the early American government to systematically kill as many Native Americans as possible, and to reprogram the young in government owned Indian schools to turn away from and against their heritage. It also stirringly writes of the deeply held beliefs of the Native Americans. It asks the question "Who has the right to say/dictate what another may believe?", a question relevant throughout all of the colonizations and wars which have occurred, and in our lives today.

A sometimes difficult but important read about a shameful time in America's early history.

My thanks to Mariner Books for permitting me to read and review a DRC via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are given freely. The book is scheduled for release on 8/8/23.

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking story of three women from different generations, their individual and interwoven stories and perseverance. I haven't previously read much about this history and appreciated the authors apparent research. Thanks #NetGalley

Little Witnesses

“Council of Dolls” gives personality to the inhumanity suffered by three generations of Yanktonai Dakota women at the hands of "civilized” America. They were victims of the Indian boarding school re-education travesty which sought to strip them of any trace of their culture. This fiasco resulted in irreparable damage to the psyches of these children.

Cora, Lillian, and Sissy are the girls we follow– but Winona, Mae, and Ethel are their companions, dolls who speak as confidants and protectors. These dolls have been witness to massacres and tragedies and their mission is to do what they can to heal the ones they love. Are they magic? Can they really speak? Author Mona Susan Power leaves just enough leeway for the possibility these dolls are mechanisms allowing the girls to deal with life.

When Cora first arrived at Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the early 1900’s, her group was herded together to be photographed in their native attire with the few precious belongings they had brought along. Then they were stripped down, had their hair cut, had their things seized, and were forced to watch as their past lives were burned in a bonfire. Among the casualties was Winona, Cora’s doll. It was not the last of Winona, though, it was just another hardship to overcome.

No one is ignorant enough to deny the atrocities committed here. It is hard to accept the lengths that people will go to in order to “convert” people considered inferior. The behavior of a nun in the story would be unbelievable if accounts like these were not relayed over and over again. It is not just an American quality, one only needs to see the parallels in the Magdalen Laundries in Ireland, where unmarked graves hold echoes of the voices of souls punished for not measuring up. It makes you question where this evil comes from.

“Council of Dolls” is not always an easy read. Not only is the brutality hard to witness, we also see the repercussions in these lives. Lillian is a wonderful and charming girl who watches an awful death and today call it PTSD, her personality changes so violently we hardly recognize her later in life. So, no, not always easy to read… but important for us to bear witness to.

Thank you to Mariner Books and NetGalley for providing the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. #ACouncilofDolls #NetGalley

This story covers the lives of three generations of young Dakhóta and Lakhóta women, girls, with their individual stories that connect them, as well as the eras that separate them. Beautiful and terrible and little bit creepy, all while being educational and fascinating.
Grandmother, mother and daughter all share council with their dolls and seem to be able to speak with them. A lovely story which I thoroughly enjoyed.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Mariner Books for this e-arc.*

I'm of two minds on this book. I went in pretty blind - I'm not sure how I heard of it, and had literally no idea what to expect. I loved reading about a Native American family's experiences across the 20th century - it was both educational and heartbreaking and learning about experiences different from my own is a big part of why I read. The author's note talks about how much of the experiences of the girls in the book and the historical context were based on her mother and grandmother, which definitely made it more impactful. I think this would work well for fans of Betty (there is definitely trauma and a lot of triggers in this book, but not nearly on the same level as Betty).

Unfortunately, there were a few things about this book that didn't work for me, which are definitely "me" things that I know I don't enjoy. The book follows three generations of women, moving backwards in time, and then circles back to the first. Each section of the book felt very separate, and on the whole made the book feel like interconnected stories, which I just don't enjoy (I don't like starting over with a new character as soon as I've settled into one). It was also a bit challenging because it follows each character as a little girl, and I found it a little hard to keep them straight. While I ultimately enjoyed each of the girls' stories, the last section of the book didn't feel like it really added to the book, and it was too long, so I found myself really antsy for the book to be over. Also, the premise of the book involves dolls who talk to the girls, and I just generally struggle with magical realism in books. Overall, I think this book will be perfect for a lot of readers, it just wasn't quite the right fit for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Mariner Books for the free copy in exchange for my honest review!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!*

This story is both devastating and healing. It follows three different Dahkhóta and Lakhóta girls and their dolls through key points in their childhood. Their stories are connected in ways that aren't entirely anticipated to tell one major story. A Council of Dolls is deeply rooted in the horrors of the residential school system and colonization tactics that took Indigenous lives. You see three girls and their dolls trying to navigate the world when not everything makes sense and they endure countless atrocities, some at the hands of their own family through intergenerational trauma.

My favorite point of view was Sissy. I really related to her character and flew through her chapter which starts off the book. Without spoiling, I wanted to mention that I love that we start here and the story progresses outward. It leaves a lot of questions into Sissy's mother and father, and how they ended up at that point. We see her dependence on her doll, Ethel and there are questions raised from there on what exactly is happening between her and her doll. The chapter ends with a shock and had me wanting to sift through the next page.

Lillian and Cora's chapters are interesting, but you can tell they are a bit older and maybe wiser than Sissy in their respective chapters. It has a more grown up and serious tone, where you wonder how they're going to take on their individual challenges rather than enduring what is happening to them. I found Cora's chapter a bit more difficult to sift through, but that might just be personal preference. Overall the woven intricacies that tie this story all together in the end are unique and I was completely impressed by how the author told this story. You could feel her heart on every single page and at times I felt like it was her speaking directly to me through her characters. Especially during the final chapter. That was awesome and spoke volumes of her talent as an author.

There is also an incredible representation of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. It goes without saying that several of these characters experience this, because you feel a hint of it as you're reading along. And I never once thought it was presented inaccurately or insensitively. I have a lot of appreciation for Mona Susan Power for incorporating that so seamlessly into her story.

The only reason I did not give a full five stars is because of the final chapter. Although I believe I understand the authors intent, and it might be a hit for others, it didn't exactly hit the mark for me. I felt like I was just being told everything I already knew from reading the previous chapters, and that would have been fine if it was a bit shorter, but it was drawn out for so long that I at times wanted to just skim ahead. Being Indigenous and reading tons of Indigenous books, I understand that repetition but it wasn't invigorating or enticing enough for me to pay full attention. I was satisfied by the overall ending and how things are wrapped up in a general sense but it took a bit to power through.

A Council of Dolls is overall unique and enthralling. From the first page we're thrown right in and you can sense how this story is bigger than the characters themselves. The aspect of the dolls added another pleasant touch that totally altered this story from your usual approach and totally flipped it around into something fresh.

I adored This story!
It’s different and some may scoff at it but I find it appealing on so many levels.
I love how Power gives the dolls voices and personalities.
I love the three generational stair step connection, however I couldn’t overcome my dislike for Lillian.
I also loved how she patched in stories from her own family history.
I had to google Liddle Kiddle and Tiny Thumbelina dolls to have a visual since I’m a couple of years later on the commercial doll market.
It’s whimsical, cultural, sad, but also comforting.