Jackson, Helen Hunt

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Not my typical book, but enjoyed it
how can people actually enjoy this pile of Anglo-Catholic propaganda?
American history-love story-rich language!
an expressive romance, set against tragic real-life events
Ramona inspires Drama

Ramona (Signet Classics)
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Signet Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0451528425
Release Date: 2002-07-02

Book Description

A moving love story with grand melodramatic touches, Ramona was linked with Uncle Tom's Cabin as one of the great ethical novels of the 19th century. A bestseller in 1884, Ramona was both a political and literary success and will continue to move modern readers with its sympathetic characters and its depiction of the Native American's struggle in the early West.

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Hearing these words, Ramona came to the window, and leaning out, whispered, "Are you talking about Alessandro's staying? Let me come and talk to him. He must not go." And running swiftly through the hall, across the veranda, and down the steps, she stood by Alessandro's side in a moment. Looking up in his face pleadingly, she said: "We can't let you go, Alessandro. The Senor will pay wages to some other to go in your place with the shearers.

Customer Reviews:

Not my typical book, but enjoyed it.......2005-12-27

I heard about the book while hiking at Seven Falls near Colorado Springs. HHJ was suppose to have gone to the overlook there to write, including parts of Ramona. This intrigued me and so I checked it out. I don't read much non-fiction, so I enjoyed the idea of a history based novel. It was enough of a love story for me to earn points with female friends, but enough of an adventure to keep me interested. One part of the book that I found distracting was the attempt at phonetic spelling of the Tennessee drawl of a few characters. I had the hardest time reading that, which perhaps is an excellent way of HHJ to capture the difficulty of listening to it.

how can people actually enjoy this pile of Anglo-Catholic propaganda?.......2005-08-09

If anyone is actually looking for a true tale of the plight of California Indians, don't bother to look at Jackson's novel.

It is inherently racist, written by a woman who doesn't deserve to be mentioned in the same likes as Upton Sinclair or Harriet Beecher Stowe.

On one of her visits to California, Jackson called the Native Americans she saw "loathsome, abject and hideous." In her novel, she doesn't stray far from this inherent indignation of another race. In fact, she most likely had no idea she was being racist, another reason entirely why this book should be burned. ALternately thorughout the book, Jackson refers to the indians Ramona and ALlesandro encounter as "patient creatures" (16), "poor creatures" (20), "wild creatures" (47), "faithful creatures" (353), "miserable creatures" (324), "vagabond bands" (286) "like beasts" without the Christianizing presence of the Missions (231). are they human? possibly. are they equal to the pastoral spanish who enslaved them that Jackson venerates so much? most definitely not.

Secondly, ALlesandro could be the most anglicized Indian ever. He is most assurredly an abberation, physically looked like a mexican, was the most devout catholic, lives in a house that is like any mexican villa. INdeed, Jackson remarks that "There were not many such Indians as Allesandro and his Father. If there had been, it would have been better for their people," (327) and that he "almost makes one forget he is an Indian." (101).

also, she refuses to create an interracial love story. the whole crappy book is predicated on the fact that Ramona is half indian. only when she is indian can she fulfill Jackson's debased notion of racial determinism.

Besides the myriad moral reasons why this book is so terrible, it could be the most groandiose, verbose, and pooorly written romance book EVER. the characters lack any moral ambiguity which would make for interesting characterization and are constantly marked by sweeping romantic gestures that could better be classified as trash fiction than a literary classic.

You'd find more entertainment from reading the yellow pages than wasting your time. The world would be a better place if the trees from which the paper for this book came from were still planted.

American history-love story-rich language!.......2005-05-15

This is one of the best books about a time of change andgreat passions.Hispanic calture of the era(in California) at its best!

an expressive romance, set against tragic real-life events.......2004-09-14

I just recently heard of this book, although it was a bestseller around the turn of the century, and was popular through the 20's. Modern readers may find the language and parts of the plot melodramatic and overly sentimental, but the characters are strong and memorable, the story is full of exciting incident, and the portrayal of the United States government still shocks. I grew up in California, but I had never really seen how "white Americans" appeared to the Native Americans and Mexicans who first lived here. "Ramona" gives the earlier settlers a voice. Erica Baumeister's review, quoted on the Amazon page for this book, states that "the book has the flaws of being created by an author who, although deeply engaged and sympathetic, had not experienced the life she was describing." I don't agree--perhaps if I had grown up as an "Indian" or Mexican in those times I wouldn't find the book convincing, but as it is, it worked for me. The main characters, Ramona and Alessandro, are "fairy-tale-ized", but their story still touches, and the book still has power. Helen Hunt Jackson purposely wrote "Ramona" to call attention to the U.S.'s unfair treatment of Native Americans, but the two essays included in the Signet edition claim that, for all the popularity of the novel, it didn't bring results. For that, we have only our own injustice to blame, because this poetic messenger did her best to right some wrongs.

Ramona inspires Drama.......2002-04-13

As a playwright, I haven't been inspired to adapt a novel until I read Ramona. What works for me? The melodrama is, after all, average, and the love story...a little predictable. But there's something audacious about author Helen Hunt Jackson and her bold "Mother Jones" muckraking persona that constantly reminds you throughout the pages about the injustices committed against Native Americans. Yet, in spite of this heavy message, there's something utterly fascinating about its main characters--the beautiful Ramona, the daring Alessandro, the unforgiving Senora, even the wimpy Felipe. They create a powerful scenario worthy of intelligent, passionate drama. I, in turn, wrote the play which has been produced at PlayWright's Theater in Phoenix and at Arizona State University in Tempe. I've adapted the story, done my own interpretation of it, but the essence has remained the same.

A Century of Dishonor: The Classic Expose of the Plight of the Native Americans

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A Century of Dishonor: The Classic Expose of the Plight of the Native Americans
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 048642698X

Book Description

T his monumental study chronicles the maltreatment of Indians as far back as the American Revolution. Focusing mainly on the Delaware and the Cheyenne, the text reveals a succession of broken treaties, the government's forced removal of tribes from choice lands, and other examples of inhuman treatment of the nation's 300,000 Indians.

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A Classic
Brave Pioneer for Native American Rights
4 1/2 stars, but a classic of permanent value
Century of Dishonor: Good Message; Poor Delivery

A Century of Dishonor
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Digital Scanning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1582182892

Book Description

Originally published over 100 years ago, A Century of Dishonor is Helen Jackson's eye- opening sketch of the U.S. government's often shameful mishandling of what was called the "Indian problem". Using official documents as authentic research materials, Jackson asserts that the government and citizens of the United States were the cause of the "problems", and not the Native peoples. Broken treaties, inhuman treatment, restricted to reservations unfit for habitation or traditional lifestyle...all of these actions were taken against Indian tribes by a government that treated them with less consideration and compassion than that of a foreign country.

Customer Reviews:

A Classic.......2005-04-14

Like books written by Dickens and Hemmingway, this book is a classic. Written over a century ago, it describes actions and policies of the US and its people towards native Americans that are horrific, cruel and downright unamerican.

Yet he who is ignorant of history is condemned to repeat it. In this case, even though the history was well documented in this book, we continued to repeat it through continued mistreatment.

Helen Jackson's book is evidence that Americans knew what they were doing, knew that what they were doing was cruel and wrong and that they did it anyway.

Brave Pioneer for Native American Rights.......2002-03-31

Bearing in mind that this book was written at the time when Native Americans were still "Savages" and totally responsible for all atrocities perpetrated in the west,in the eyes of the White Europeans, Helen Hunt Jackson made a brave stand in trying to educate these same people to the needs and requirements of the Native Americans.

With each chapter given to a different Native American nation she tries, and in my opinion succedes,to make people understand the hopelessness the Native Americans found themselves in, and the only recourse they had was to fight to preserve their way of life, all too sadly with devestating consequences.

Through each chapter the same theme occurs, the whites cheat,steal, murder, and abuse the Native American and very few Whites tried to correct these wrong doings, and the biggest offender the US Government, and even today the US Government do not appear to be too interested in the Native Americans.

The book is "heavy going", and one can be forgiven in thinking, as they read through it, that I've been here before, because the facts are presented in the same way for every nation, but that notwithstanding, I feel this is a book that should be in anyones library who professes to have an interest in Native Americans.

Yes Helen Hunt Jackson was a brave pioneer to voice her opinions in favour of the redman all those years ago, had more people listend, perhaps the Native American culture in all its glory would still be with us today.

4 1/2 stars, but a classic of permanent value.......2001-11-19

This (unfortunately) timeless work is a scathing indictment of US Indian policy from independence until the 1880s. It includes a general treatment of bad-faith attitudes and policies, and a series of more detailed case studies of exceptionally egregious violations of legal treaties & human rights. It is timeless because of ongoing popular and official ignorance or lack of concern for American Indian rights, economic problems and indigenous culture---witness, for just one chilling example, the continuing imprisonment of Oglala/Anishinaabe activist Leonard Peltier, for murders he did not commit.

Jackson was a pioneer activist for Indian rights, and commitment shines through on nearly every page. While it is true that her writing style may seem dated to some contemporary undergraduates, her subject's intrinsic interest holds the attention of any reader with more than a marginal interest in the topic. It is still useful for research purposes, though it is perhaps most valuable for history and/or anthropology courses on changing attitudes & policy toward Indians.

In teaching about American Indian history, a main reservation about assigning it is the need to present what Indians themselves have said and/or written about their encounters with Euro-Americans. For a fine variety of views on these issues, see P. Nabokov ed, "Native American Testimony," and (among many other sources) memorable works by two premier Indigenous scholar-activists: Ward Churchill, "From A Native Son," and Vine Deloria Jr., "Custer Died For Your Sins."

Century of Dishonor: Good Message; Poor Delivery.......1999-09-13

To tell the truth, Century of Dishonor put me to sleep. I was forced to read it for a AP US History class. If you can stay awake to read it, it details everything you need to know about how the U.S. government has swindled and cheated Native Americans in this country. It was written in the late 1800's and we just don't talk like that anymore as a country. Like my teacher said: "The reason this book was so powerful was because it listed every incident with many tribes to bring home this point: There needs to be a change how they handled the Native Americans." No one in the class read the book cover to cover, including myself. I would never recommend reading this book, except for research (there's a 150 page or so Appendix along w/ the actual book)or if you're REALLY into that stuff. Even in the latter case, theres lots of better choices.

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RAMONA - A STORY
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Little, Brown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HK2YJS

Nelly's silver mine: A story of Colorado life (Classics of children's literature, 1621-1932)

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A Colorado Story

Nelly's silver mine: A story of Colorado life (Classics of children's literature, 1621-1932)
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Garland Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Customer Reviews:

A Colorado Story.......2003-12-31

This book facinates me. The author Helen Hunt Jackson was a close neighbor to our Iles ancestors who came to Colorado in 1871, living in Manitou & Colorado Springs. Family stories handed down have told us they knew Helen Hunt Jackson and they even named a mine up in Cripple Creek after her other book "Ramona." This books describes our ancestors coming to Colorado in detail, only the names have been changed. Did Helen get her story from them? We'll never know for sure. This is a great childrens book, and is a great book to read if you want to know what it was like coming to the Pike's Peak region in the 1870s.

Bits of Travel at Home (Notable Amer Auth Ser.) (Notable Amer Auth Ser.)

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Bits of Travel at Home (Notable Amer Auth Ser.) (Notable Amer Auth Ser.)
Helen H. Jackson , and Helen Hunt Jackson
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Binding: Hardcover

A Century of Dishonor: The Early Crusade for Indian Reform

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A Century of Dishonor: The Early Crusade for Indian Reform
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Harper Torchbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000H8GPB8

The Indian Reform Letters of Helen Hunt Jackson, 1879-1885

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Good Reading

The Indian Reform Letters of Helen Hunt Jackson, 1879-1885
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: University of Oklahoma Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

Good Reading .......2006-03-17

Being a member of The Juaneno Band of Mission Indians in San Juan Capistrano, Ca. This book has given me a great bit of understanding into how our people were treated and how this lady dedicated the last years of her life to helping the mission indians in California.I'm a new fan of Mrs.Jackson's writings.

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Ramona
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Triangle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HGW668

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Ramona : The Story (Helen Hunt Jackson)
Helen Hunt Jackson
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
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