One Thousand White Women

One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd 
by Jim Fergus
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the story of May Dodd and a colorful assembly of pioneer women who, under the auspices of the U.S. government, travel to the western prairies in 1875 to intermarry among the Cheyenne Indians. The covert and controversial "Brides for Indians" program, launched by the administration of Ulysses S. Grant, is intended to help assimilate the Indians into the white man's world. Toward that end May and her friends embark upon the adventure of their lifetime.

This story was so well written I felt like it was a fictional account on a real event in history. It is not, but all of the events and characters are so well portrayed that I wanted to make it real. I knew when I was reading it that no good would come at the end. However, I loved the the story up until the end. I will admit that I skipped most of the end because I knew it would be too sad. Luckily, there was a 'Codicil' so I found out the rest of the story. 

A couple of quotes from the book that spoke to me:

"It is the one lesson I learned well at the asylum-to live each day as it comes, day by day, and to dwell neither on regrets of the past nor worries about the future-both of which are beyond my powers to influence." Spoken by May Dodd after she arrived as the Cheyenne camp. page 89

"Furthermore,..."is it possible that if a warrior believes in his 'medicine', he can make it come true? A fascinating concept, is it not? And one that lies at the very core of 'pagan religion."

"And perhaps of our own," I pointed out, "for now you speak of faith, Helen." 

Quite!", said Helen,..."That is to say, faith in the power of God, in the power of Art, in the power of medicine men and medicine animals-it's all one, finally, don't you agree, May?"
Conversation between Helen and May while Helen was painting birds on the Cheyenne warriors to protect them from bullets. page 137

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