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I've started. Being the nominator.
I loved his nonfiction The Spirit and the Flesh: Sexual Diversity in American Indian Culture so wanted to read his knowledge put into a novel. I'm liking the story, early on.

I'm halfway through. It's not riveting fiction -- I was more glued to his nonfiction version, above -- but it's nice. I like how he included a look at the real cowboys, as he did in The Spirit and the Flesh (along with pirates, as single-sex environments).

3/4s. I have to say still it hasn't added to my experience of 'The Spirit and the Flesh'. I'm a believer that fiction can give insights nonfiction can't, but I don't feel that's happened here: he's clearly a nonfiction writer first.

I will be starting this soon after I finish Mudbound I have added The Spirit and the Flesh Sexual Diversity in American Indian Culture to my TBR list also.

Here is a link to a twelve minute long mini documentary about Two-Spirit people if anyone is interested. I felt it was very informative and well done. It was directed by Degenerate Matter Studios for their sociology class project. Warning, parts of it are hard to watch, especially the discussion of the murder of Fred Martinez Jr., who was a present day, Two-Spirit individual.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39EWT...

I finished it. I ended up liking it quite a bit. It seemed to get better and better as it went a long. It ended up being a 4 star read for me and I think the extra historical and cultural background information that was included after the fictional story was over, had a lot to do with it.

Thank you for that documentary!

I am about a third of the way in and so far the story is slow but keeping my interest. However, the writing is a bit awkward and uneven. But I'll hold out until I finish with my final opinion.

I found it a bit awkwardly written too. Not too bad -- not enough to put people off. I'm still at p. 250.

Alicja wrote: "Thank you for that documentary!

I am about a third of the way in and so far the story is slow but keeping my interest. However, the writing is a bit awkward and uneven. But I'll hold out until I f..."

Alicja, Glad you enjoyed the documentary. I thought it was very interesting.
I also thought the story was a little clunky but then it drastically improved towards the end, in my opinion at least. There are some extra bonus parts (at least in the e-book edition that I read) that explain a few things I was having problems with in the story, so read the whole story and then read those extra parts. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. I was. I ended up really liking the book.

I am getting close to being done and I'm just not into this book. The religious aspect is so heavy-handed it's too much for me. I do understand the Native Americans are known for their spiritual side but I had found myself rolling my eyes more than once. And the writing seems too academic, too modern. I have a hard time reminding myself this is set in the 1860s because of modern language and phrasing (ex. use of "dunno"). The ideas seem to be modern too, and much too simplistic. And I also can't seem to emotionally connect with the characters or get into the romance, Will talked to Dezba more and in greater depth than he seemed to with Hasbaa. I am just having a hard time with this novel. I just don't think its for me.

Alicja wrote: "I am getting close to being done and I'm just not into this book. The religious aspect is so heavy-handed it's too much for me. I do understand the Native Americans are known for their spiritual si..."

Sorry you aren't enjoying it. I did end up liking it more than I thought I would when I first started reading. I think the religious stuff was to counteract Will's harsh Christian upbringing and to show there was open minded alternative spirituality that did not judge people for who they were as harshly.

Mel wrote: "I think the religious stuff was to counteract Will's harsh Christian upbringing and to show there was open minded alternative spirituality that did not judge people for who they were as harshly."

I get that, and maybe it would have been more powerful if I held those hard core Christian beliefs instead of being an atheist. But what really got me was the magical aspect of the religion; I think I would have been fine with the myths and legends, the descriptions of the spiritual life, rituals, etc. if it wasn't like that (view spoiler)[bullet wound magically healing (hide spoiler)] episode and others like it. I didn't get why it had to show such supernatural occurrences rather than keeping them a myth...

I think it was to show important the Native Americans spirituality was to them. It was not just myths and legends to them but their spirituality. It was all very real to them and Will needed to see that as well. It seemed to me to a huge part of who they were and why there was urgency to the cause of them returning to their native lands. It was urgent to not only their bodily health but also their souls.

Mel wrote: "I think it was to show important the Native Americans spirituality was to them. It was not just myths and legends to them but their spirituality. It was all very real to them and Will needed to see..."

But it could have been shown without making any supernatural claims. I get it, they tried to equate their spirituality to that of Christianity with all the walking on water and multiplying of fish and rising from the dead. Intellectually, I get it. I just can't help it if to me using the supernatural when presenting a realistic story (rather than fantasy) is a turn off. I would roll my eyes just as much if someone wrote a story about Jesus and tried to pass it off as realistic and non-fantasy or that of Thor/Odin or Zeus or Ra/Osiris or any other supernatural religious story. I would have loved to seen the importance of their spirituality and beliefs shown in a realistic manner, something that didn't defy the laws of physics. But like I said, it is just my pet peeve and a personal turn on, others may like it and its not bad to do so, it was just frustrating for me to read it.

Alicja wrote: "Mel wrote: "I think it was to show important the Native Americans spirituality was to them. It was not just myths and legends to them but their spirituality. It was all very real to them and Will n..."

Oh yes, I understand your point. Like I mentioned earlier, sorry you didn't enjoy it. I was surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. I usually don't like romance type fiction at all but there was enough of a western historical type story to hold my interest. I think the end extra chapters with all the historical and cultural explanations helped me like it much more.