Book Review: Ghost Dancer
Ghost Dancer. Alan S. Kessler. Leviathan Books, 2021, Trade Paperback and E-book, 279 pages.
Review by Kelly Fumiko Weiss.
Ghost Dancer tells the story of Eleanor Wilson, who from a young age feels uncomfortable in her own skin, her own family, and her own town. Hearing whispers from her doll and an intrinsic calling for something larger than herself, she begins to follow her instincts to find out who she is truly meant to be. As she opens this door, family and town secrets spill out, secrets that impact everyone around her, secrets I will not spoil for the reader in this review.
What I will share is that many parts of this book are difficult to read, obviously purposely so, as the author holds nothing back in placing Eleanor in the heart of the racist 1950s and the scathing way that Klan members would talk to each other and others about anyone not white.
The abuse of their hate spills into their children, creating a toxic world that open- and closed-minded characters alike must navigate. Let’s put aside any debate about #ownvoices for the sake of this review and give credit where credit is due. Kessler’s writing is strong, and he makes the racism of the era seem simultaneously commonplace and unbelievable, which it of course was.
We follow Eleanor along her path of discovery and watch her stumble through her relationships (and man, did we cheer Knute on to be better than he was). The reader can’t help but hope that one day Eleanor will find her answers and will come out the other side less damaged than before.
In the last few chapters, we get a very satisfying glimpse into Eleanor’s future and all that she’s accomplished and become—a triumphant end for her as a person, even if the battles she is fighting still bring her up against the systemic and personal racism that has defined her life.
Kessler ambitiously decided to tackle issues of Native American rights, spiritualism, and endemic and systemic racism, while still providing the reader with a protagonist who, while not perfect, is someone who you are rooting for. Her relationships with Tom, Knute, Abnai, and Caleb—not to mention her parents—are complex and wholly their own. There is no cutting corners or cookie-cutter quality to Kessler’s writing. Page after page, the bluntness and layered contextuality of Kessler’s words kept me turning the pages, waiting to see what would surprise me next.
With all of the discussion of race, Native rights, and the role of women in society that have come to the forefront in recent months and years, Kessler’s book will stand as a stark reminder of just how bad it was, is, and will continue to be if we don’t stand up and fight like Eleanor ultimately did. She carried the love of those who understood her and let her be her true self to fortify her along her journey, and what a journey it was. I’m glad I read Kessler’s book. It will stick with me for many years to come, and so will Eleanor Wilson.