Want a NOOK? Explore Now
First published in paperback by UNM Press in 1976, The Way to Rainy Mountain has sold over 200,000 copies.
"The paperback edition of The Way to Rainy Mountain was first published twenty-five years ago. One should not be surprised, I suppose, that it has remained vital, and immediate, for that is the nature of story. And this is particularly true of the oral tradition, which exists in a dimension of timelessness. I was first told these stories by my father when I was a child. I do not know how long they had existed before I heard them. They seem to proceed from a place of origin as old as the earth.
"The stories in The Way to Rainy Mountain are told in three voices. The first voice is the voice of my father, the ancestral voice, and the voice of the Kiowa oral tradition. The second is the voice of historical commentary. And the third is that of personal reminiscence, my own voice. There is a turning and returning of myth, history, and memoir throughout, a narrative wheel that is as sacred as language itself."—from the new Preface
| Preface | ix | |
| Prologue | 3 | |
| Introduction | 5 | |
| The Setting Out | 15 | |
| The Going On | 43 | |
| The Closing In | 65 | |
| Epilogue | 85 |
Anonymous
Posted Sun Sep 09 00:00:00 EDT 2012
N. Scott Moaday shows his insight on both the history and personal beleifs of the land and people in this authentic and moving book. This book takes us through the experiences of the authors Kiowa ancestors. It begins with Montana are inhabitants and ends with a sad surrender to the United States Cavalry. Eventually, the tribes and villages end up settleing be Rainy Mountain which is lokated in Oklahoma. Some major themes that inhabit this book are the aspect of nature and survival. Nature plays a huge role in the beleifs and morals of the Kiowas and also helped the reader understand the religion of the people. Survival can be seen throughout the book whether it be winter blizzards or "hot tornadic winds" (pg. 5) the people of Kiowa had to find shelter, food, and even different kinds of transportation at times. Nature Played a big role in the belief system and daily lives of the Kiowans. Gods of the sun and moon were present in their spiritual world. Without the roaming buffaloe and weather patterns the Kiowans would not have been able to survive.
This is a great book for higher level readers. Though it is a short read it is not an easy read. Certain sections about the Kiowa's life are a bit complex if the reader does not understand what is going on in the passages before. If this is a book that you liked I would recommend the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. If you think that this book ay be too complex for you I would also recomend Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe because though it is a longer novel, it is an easier overal concept to understand. I would give this book and overall rating of 4 out of five because of its graet story line and insight on theses people's lifes but the complex story line is a bit much to take in sometimes. Overall great book though!!!
2 out of 4 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.voraciousreader65
Posted Sat Mar 26 00:00:00 EDT 2011
Downloaded this so that I could understand what some of my students are reading. Fortunately, it was a free version; unfortunately, it was in French and I couldn't read it :-(.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Jul 07 00:00:00 EDT 2001
Momaday shows in the sparse beauty of his prose how he imagined himself into the land. He found home by way of stories -- legend, history, and personal reflection -- of the Kiowa people in the land. The Way to Rainy Mountain is an empowering book that tells the reader, 'here, this is the way you can find home.'
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Thu Sep 27 00:00:00 EDT 2012
Supposed to be about native american heritage. Instead, it is something on psychology
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.2650288
Posted Tue Aug 02 00:00:00 EDT 2011
Down loaded this book for a summer reading requirement, but it is Auf Deutsch !
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Apr 26 00:00:00 EDT 2014
Waits.(post!)
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013
Not momaday's book
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sun Mar 04 00:00:00 EST 2012
Hello Mysterystar!
0 out of 6 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Mar 03 00:00:00 EST 2012
Hi
0 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted Sat Nov 19 00:00:00 EST 2011
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Fri Apr 20 00:00:00 EDT 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Mon Dec 10 00:00:00 EST 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Fri Nov 16 00:00:00 EST 2012
No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous
Posted Sat Apr 25 00:00:00 EDT 2009
No text was provided for this review.
Overview
First published in paperback by UNM Press in 1976, The Way to Rainy Mountain has sold over 200,000 copies.
"The paperback edition of The Way to Rainy Mountain was first published twenty-five years ago. One should not be surprised, I suppose, that it has remained vital, and immediate, for that is the nature of story. And this is particularly true of the oral tradition, which exists in a dimension of timelessness. I was first told these stories by my father when I was a child. I ...