Ceder Woman

A love story, a learning lesson all told with both fiction and reality. Not often do you get this in one book, but you get this and more in the Cedar Woman.

It's the story of Lena beginning with her parents meeting on their wedding day. They meet then and not only does their marriage survive it thrives through both good and bad. It is the story of Lena from childhood into adult.
In adulthood she meets her soulmate who loves her with a love like no other could love this young girl. We learn of their love and aspirations. We meet people who both guide and help Lena meet her dreams. We learn of the Native American customs, ceremonies, food with recipes. We learn the language with both pronunciation and definition. We learn of the treatment for cleft palate. Most of all we learn of the things that make us the same and not different from one another.

I both laughed and cried. One ceremony marking the anniversary of death while a Native American ceremony in the book resonated with words spoken to me often by my Polish mother. Over and over I noticed not our differences but our similarities.

Can not wait for the follow up. In the meantime, I wll read again, and again, and again.

I give this book a 5 and this was read and reviewed by JoAnn Calderone