Gardens in the Dunes

On a personal note, I remain indebted to Leslie Marmon Silko for taking the time to read a science fiction novel I had written that was rich in ideas and deficient in character development. Her generous advice I wasn't able to heed, but I hope a current work which a literary agent is now reading will bear some promising fruit.


A mature Silko sends us back to European wisdom tradition.   July 18, 1999
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Review: Gardens in the Dunes by Leslie Marmon Silko

When Leslie Marmon Silko advised Gary Snyder not to look to native American traditions for his poetry, her anger was justified. Garden in the Dunes, Silko's latest work in hardback, may represent the author's mature outlook, synthesizing native and European traditions in one fascinating work which, nevertheless, carries her earlier message. Documenting the horrors of Western European culture as they manifest in the culture of the United States at the end of the nineteenth century, Silko manages to send Hattie, her Caucasian heroine, back to Europe, much as Hawthorne sends Pearl in The Scarlet Letter. Indigo, the child heroine of the novel, encounters everything from a cruel episode recalling D. H. Lawrence's Lady Chatterly's Lover in the northeastern United States to manifestations of early goddess figures in an Italian black garden. The latter are most recognizable to the child as emblems of her own Sand Lizzard culture, one related to but independent of other Southwest Indian cultures. Silko's condemnation of greedy white males is balanced by Hattie's abortive attempt to bring forth a thesis on the heresies of Southern France, particularly that related to Mary Magdalene. Eventually, Hattie pays the price for her naivete, though she has educated Indigo in the process, loving her and receiving affection from the child in return. More clearly organized and faster paced than Almanac of the Dead, Gardens in the Dunes provides readers with an intriguing, web-like tale of a host of characters, Messianic traditions involving the Ghost Dance, and Biblical symbolism of the Garden of Eden. Lyrical descriptions of gardens, natural plant life, and wide-ranging, episodic action make this poetic book a page-turner, especially for readers who savor fine writing. Thematic motifs of Silko's other works, including the rape of the land and its inhabitants, resonate with Silko's earliest novel "Ceremony." Evil is still at work, though it isn't always the European culture that manifests it. Witchery akin to that witnessed by Lecha in Alaska in "Almanac," a manifestation of the covert 500 year's war waged by native peoples against Europeans, and by Tayo in World War II's wounded, robs characters of life and humanity as they pursue ill-gotten gains. Hattie's husband is too busy trying to recoup his fortune to serve the goddess, as his wound suggests he should have been doing. The real and symbolic impotence of Hattie's marriage drives home root causes, having and gettting, resulting in 50% divorce rates in our time. The adventures of Indigo's monkey and parrot provide comic relief as well as commenting upon the actions of the characters. But, the return of the serpent to the pool in the dunes drives home the allegorical nature of Silko's narrative. A dramatic read, Garden in the Dunes is a classic, for its structure, range of characters, archetypal symbolism, and indictment of what ails us at the turn of the millennium. Leslie Marmom Silko points us in the right direction with beautiful prose, telling European Americans to examine our traditions for the heretical truths and healing to be found therein. She asks us to explore our European gardens while giving us the gift of parallel truths common to all inner traditions. Like Snyder, we need to integrate and balance our lives by restoring European goddess wisdom, avoiding paths of greedy cultural or ecological insensitivity that bring disaster.


I couldn`t put this book down...   June 2, 1999
I`m surprised by the negative reviews because I loved this book. Certainly there are "agendas" here, including characters struggling with feminist and expansionist issues. Exploring these agendas is Silko`s point. Her characters are voices from their time. Why does the Tuscan reviewer dismiss this novel for not having enough dialogue? Silko presents the story through the eyes of very different characters. By not including much dialogue, we see the problems of communication between these people--they each feel separated. The reader is "shown" each character`s reading of the disturbing and interesting events. I`d recommend this book as strongly as Silko`s other works. It`s a page turner of a different sort!


gardens in the dunes: sensitive and spriritual read   May 19, 1999
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and loved Indigo's deeply spiritual relationship and respect for all living things - especially her ability to relate to others raised in different cultures yet shared the same respect and understanding of life. I look forward to reading other works of Silko!


Gardens in the dunes brings a feast for eyes and soul.   April 30, 1999
following leslie silko's writings never fails to educate and enlighten a person. her ability to change tone and focus for each new work is still not equaled by many writers from her generation. "Gardens in the dunes" takes the reader on an amazing voyage of discovery in the botany world as well as the changing southwestern desert. as each character moves along their paths, we are exposed to the colors and smells of each place ,giving us a vivid feel for where the characters are. the many descriptions Silko gives transport you along with each sister,you feel as if you must go along with them so that you will not miss each fully gratifing day of this beautiful journey. once again Leslie silko has proven why she is still one of the most important writers of our times. her use of language and passonate voice have moved many and will now ,once again, move many more.