White Horse by Erika T Wurth
Some people are haunted in more ways than one.
Kari James, Urban Native, is a fan of heavy metal, ripped jeans, Stephen King novels, and dive bars. She spends most of her time at her favorite spot in Denver, the White Horse. When her cousin Debby finds an old family bracelet that once belonged to Kari’s mother, it inadvertently calls up both her mother’s ghost and a monstrous entity, and her willful ignorance about her past is no longer sustainable…
Haunted by visions of her mother and hunted by this mysterious creature, Kari must search for what happened to her mother all those years ago. Her father, permanently disabled from a car crash, can’t help her. Her Auntie Squeaker seems to know something but isn’t eager to give it all up at once. Debby’s anxious to help, but her controlling husband keeps getting in the way. Kari’s journey toward a truth long denied by both her family and law enforcement forces her to confront her dysfunctional relationships, thoughts about a friend she lost in childhood, and her desire for the one thing she’s always wanted but could never have.
I love books that incorporate multiple genres…I seem to be quite drawn to them.
This book is about the supernatural, Native culture and beliefs and history, grief, trauma, abuse, growing up and relationships…and is also a mystery/thriller.
It is also bout evolving as a person, figuring out who you are, what you need, how you need to heal, and what makes you feel alive, loved, special and valued.
It was a completely gripping and compelling story, from the first page until the very last word at the book’s end.
There was suspense, dark humor, education, and emotional connection.
This book is Kari’s journey of finding out what really happened to her mother… dealing with multiple layers of grief, loss and tragedy in her life interconnected with finding out who she really is deep inside, who she really wants to be, and who around her helps to create or destroy her spirit.
As always, I greatly value and appreciate fiction books that still incorporate factual information. This book is full of TRUE history of Native American people and their culture, as well as an enlightening look into their spiritual and cultural practices.
The author identifies herself as a Native American….Apache, Chickasaw and Cherokee…and these tribes are referenced frequently in this story.
As I was typing this review, I JUST googled her name (like LITERALLY right after I typed that sentence) to read more about her background.
YALLLLLLLL…….
There recently has been QUITE the uproar with rampant accusations of her ethnic authenticity.
Check it:
https://nypost.com/2023/01/25/native-american-author-erika-wurth-accused-as-fake-indian/
YIKES.😡
I don’t know if I still would have read this book if I knew THIS information….
And it really changed my perspective on the whole entire book.
Yall know I frequently get flustered and frustrated with authors who write from marginalized groups perspectives and they are NOT part of those groups…the voices we should be hearing from should be AUTHENTIC ones.
What a shame, man.
My opinion of this book AND this author just changed AS I WAS TYPING THIS.
I really did enjoy the book but now…..I don’t even wanna recommend it to yall.
Bleh.
Why do people gotta DO crap like that?
Proceed with caution is all I can say.
Also…Trigger warning: violence and abuse against children and Native American women are in this book…proceed with caution for that reason too if those are difficult for you to read about