Mean Spirit: A Novel

Although “Mean Spirit” was written as a ‘novel’ I found it more enjoyable and factual than either recent movie and book about the Osage outrage and treatment by the government and white people who claimed to be helping. Logan is a beautiful writer who was able to capture this bit of history in a very personal way from the perspective of individuals. I was deeply touched by this novel and highly recommend to anyone interested in or ignorant of this shameful period of indigenous history.

This book is beautifully written and the story is infectious…..it gets inside you, gets you angry, makes you sad and hurt, endears it’s characters to you and let’s you spend time with fascinating people. The surprise is that through all the loss and pain and suffering there is a message of hope. Simple optimistic faith that things will be good if we just persist in moving forward. When people derive strength from each other they have reason to hope.

Linda Hogan is one of America's finest writers, both as novelist and poet and has won many prizes for her excellent work. Mean Spirit probes the demonic spirit in our nation that puts money over life, power over compassion, and lust for land above all. It views the corrupt and merciless murders and theft of Osge lands and oil rich properties from the view of a single native family and traces its demise from a wealthy and respected. center of their small town community to it's murderous ruin and the hands of the anglo exporters, And it makes no bones about the sniveling, lying, corrupt US Government's essential part in the plot--unlike killers of the flower moon, which only looks at the surface and makes the government look good. Every page is lush with details of tribal lore and beliefs, placed against the invaders insanity and hypocrisy. I couldn't put it down, and read the whole book in two sittings, riveted to my seat.

Hogan’s prose is so grounded in the landscape and culture, one walks with her characters rather than looking on at their lives. A true rendering in a fictionalized version of the story.. For anyone who has read Killers of the Flower Moon or seen the movie, I recommend Mean Spirits for a fuller understanding and perspective.

Linda Hogan writes in a way what it sets the stage, as in the descriptive writing makes you see the landscape and life before the story. That's where there's real understanding because it takes you there. This should be made into a movie.