The Crying for a Vision

By Walter Wangerin Jr.

Book Overview

Allegorical fantasy about a Lakota Indian orphan with unusual powers.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0689806507
• ISBN13: 9780689806506
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.3" x 0.8" x 4.3"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Extraordinary and Original

Only Walter Wangerin, Jr. could've written a novel of such vast scope. This beautiful (and often frightening) tale of the lives of the Lakota tribe is woven with such mysticism, power and amazing imagery that it stands as one of Wangerin's most effective works to date. I've always been a huge fan of the author, but this book sat on my shelves for over a year. Not being at all knowledgeable about Indian lore and beliefs, I quite possibly assumed that I might not be as interested in this book as in other more "accessible" works by Wangerin. But at the end of the book, I truly felt...well...honored...that I had been allowed to have spent that time learning about such a culture..even in a work of fiction. There is so much dignity, beauty, and transcendent truth about the Lakota people in these pages, that I was overwhelmed. And Wangerin's lengthy and extraordinary "afterward" section where he details his own experiences attending a "Fire Dance" over a period of a few days is as moving as the novel itself. From a reader who has had nothing but the highest praise for many of Wangerin's other works, "The Crying For A Vision" stands as one of his masterworks.

Excellent Read

This book weaves a wonderful web of a Lakota oral tradition along side a capivating hero. It was so absorbing that I felt as if I faced the characters obstacles along side him.