Synopses & Reviews
Mari is the poignant story of the turbulent relationship between famed western author Mari Sandoz and her pioneer-rancher father, Jules Sandoz. Set in the sandhills of northwest Nebraska in the early 1900s, the novel brings to life the struggle between free-spirited, determined Mari and her violent, yet brilliant and imaginative, father as Mari seeks to carve a place for herself in a man's world.
Born the oldest child in a growing family, Mari's early years were spent doing chores, caring for her younger siblings, and avoiding the ire of Old Jules. She longed for a different kind of life away from the unpredictability of her father and the harshness of life on the sandhills landscape. Her fondest dream was to become a writer. An early marriage to a rancher took her away from home but the relationship turned violent and abusive. Mari felt she had no choice but to return to her father's home. Eventually she stood up to Old Jules and left home to find a new life in Lincoln, Nebraska. For Mari, writing was a way to come to terms with both her complex relationship with her father and with the land where she was born. She went on to win innumerable awards for her books such as Old Fules, Cheyenne Autumn, and Crazy Horse.
"Mari Sandoz's chronicles of her native Nebraska stand tall among Western literary works, and Jane Valentine Barker's novel vividly describes the author's determined struggle against formidable odds to achieve her life's dream". -- Elmer Kelton