Synopsis:
1989 Milkweed trade paperback, 3rd printing. Susan Lowell (Cindy Ellen: A Wild Western Cinderella). In the novella that accompanies the eight stories in this collection, Susan Lowell traces the ownership of an intricate Navajo rug - the Ganado Red of the title - over sixty years, from its Navajo creator through its various collector/owners. With each owner, the story rests, collects itself, looks about to examine its surroundings, the characters, and the effect of the brilliant blood-red rug upon the people around it. - Amazon
Review:
In the novella that accompanies the eight stories in this collection, Susan Lowell traces the ownership of an intricate Navajo rug - the Ganado Red of the title - over sixty years, from its Navajo creator through its various collector/owners. With each owner, the story rests, collects itself, looks about to examine its surroundings, the characters, and the effect of the brilliant blood-red rug upon the people around it. It is the last owner who at a turning point in her life discovers the red thread that runs through the black border: "the spirit line...Every Navajo design is supposed to be imperfect, with an opening so the spirits won't be trapped. Sometimes it's called the weaver's pathway - on to another rug. A better one, maybe." Susan Lowell's other stories follow a similar patter: wild pigs, illegal aliens, nuclear bomb tests, a gun - each provides a continuing thread and symbol while the story spreads out around it. The majority of these stories are set in the Southwest United States, where the author lives, and they share the spare beauty of the country. The details, never many, are inserted almost cautiously in between the cool detachment of the characters' thoughts. The effect is clear and arid, sometimes sharp, other times serene. -- For great reviews of books for girls, check out Let's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. -- From 500 Great Books by Women; review by Erica Bauermeister
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