- Paperback: 334 pages
- Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Press (April 1 2002)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0873514238
- ISBN-13: 978-0873514231
- Product Dimensions: 2.3 x 1.5 x 0.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 440 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#32,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #9 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Native People (Canada)
- #28 in Books > History > Canada > First Nations
- #28 in Books > History > Americas > Canada > First Nations
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
When he was a teenager, writer Basil Johnston (The Manitous) listened to his grandmother tell stories of how her people, the Ojibway (or Chippewa), were driven from their Wisconsin land to the Cape Croker Reserve in Ontario, where she and Johnston himself grew up. Johnston records this in Crazy Dave, a family and tribal history told mostly through the stories of Johnston's grandmother and her youngest son, David. The willful, inquisitive, mischievous David was born with Down's syndrome, but refused to accept his isolation from the rest of the world. He becomes a metaphor for the Ojibways' refusal to quietly placate white society.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Book Description
Through the story of his Uncle David and grandmother Rosa, renowned native writer and storyteller Basil Johnston offers a funny, affectionate, and unforgettable portrait of reservation life. David, the last of Rosa's five sons, was born with Down syndrome. Unable to care for himself, he and the indomitable Rosa were to be forever bound together, joined by love and necessity in a life already defined by harsh, sometimes tragic circumstances. And yet, David was remarkable. Strong, stubborn, and utterly determined, he aspired to learn, to be a part of a world in which he would never entirely belong. In that regard, he was and remains a poignant and unsettling reflection of his people, who had fled Wisconsin in the 1830s to seek sanctuary with the Ojibway farther north in what became Canada. With great resourcefulness and integrity, they struggled to sustain and preserve families, a language, and a way of life, while accommodating the increasingly intrusive demands of white society. Woven of story and recollection -- the author's own, his family's, and those of others who were there -- this memoir remembers and pays loving tribute to a family, a community, and a culture.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One families love for an uncle with Downs Syndrome,
By geoff (Barrie, Ontario) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Crazy Dave (Paperback)
Crazy Dave struggles to live a normal life on a rural Indian Reservation in Ontario, Canada. Basil Johnston recalls his childhood and living with his grandmother and "Crazy" uncle Dave, who has downs syndrome. A fascinating, humorous and very realistic account of what it was like growing up on an Indian Reservation. Uncle Dave tries desperately to fit in with his community but is often misunderstood and never fully accepted. Uncle Dave is a metaphor for his people, the Native American Indian who is an outsider in is own country and anglo society. But once understood, the love, warmth and strong family values are seen through the Indian people. "Crazy Dave" often gets into trouble without knowing why. When he wants to play baseball with the children he hits the ball to far, he eats a wood cutter's lunch and is mistaken for a Japanese spy during the height of World War 11. This is an excellent read, don't be discouraged by the slow pace of the first two or three chapters, once started, you will not want to put the book down. I devoured the book in 3 days.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review) 3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
One families love for an uncle with Downs Syndrome,
By geoff - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Crazy Dave (Paperback)
Crazy Dave struggles to live a normal life on a rural Indian Reservation in Ontario, Canada. Basil Johnston recalls his childhood and living with his grandmother and "Crazy" uncle Dave, who has downs syndrome. A fascinating, humorous and very realistic account of what it was like growing up on an Indian Reservation. Uncle Dave tries desperately to fit in with his community but is often misunderstood and never fully accepted. Uncle Dave is a metaphor for his people, the Native American Indian who is an outsider in is own country and anglo society. But once understood, the love, warmth and strong family values are seen through the Indian people. "Crazy Dave" often gets into trouble without knowing why. When he wants to play baseball with the children he hits the ball to far, he eats a wood cutter's lunch and is mistaken for a Japanese spy during the height of World War 11. This is an excellent read, don't be discouraged by the slow pace of the first two or three chapters, once started, you will not want to put the book down. I devoured the book in 3 days.
|
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Ethnic & National > Native People (Canada)
- Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Historical > Canadian
- Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Memoirs
- Books > History > Americas > Canada > First Nations
- Books > History > Americas > Native American
- Books > History > Americas > United States
- Books > History > Canada > First Nations
- Books > History > United States
- Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Anthropology > Cultural
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
