From my bookshelf: One Thousand White Women

One Thousand White Women by Jim Fergus
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

One Thousand White Women is a fictional account of what could have happened.  In 1875 (in actual history), the Chief of a Cheyenne Indian tribe came to Washington DC to ask President Ulysses S. Grant to trade 1000 white women and brides for 1000 wild horses.  The thought was that the "mixed babies" from these women would be better accepted into white civilization, thus bridging the gap between the whites and the Indians.  In history, the President denies this proposal.  But this story takes it the other direction - what if the President said yes.

The story's main character is Mary Dodd.  After being committed to an asylum for being promiscuous, she "volunteers" to be one of the Indian brides.  After the horrible months in the asylum, she figures that the Indians are the lesser of the two evils.  Her agreed upon contract states that she must be an "Indian bride" for 2 years and after that she is allowed to do whatever she likes.  So she sets out for this government experiment in the wilderness with many other brides, building a life and friendships that she never imagined.  But life as an Indian in 1875 is not easy and she also encounters challenges that test her loyalties - her new Indian family or the political white civilization that she has always known.

This story is entertaining, easy to read, and definitely gets your brain thinking.  But the story is not amazing or life-changing.  A good read that would make an interesting movie.