A Book Review of Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown is an historical account of what happened to the American Indians in the 19^th C. when white settlers began to take over their territory. Dee Brown, known for his books about the West, was born in Alberta, LA, in 1908 (Scroggins 1). “His family moved to Arkansas when his dad died. From an early age, he loved to read, and his mother also loved to read. As a result, he always had enough reading materials available” (Scroggins 1). When Brown was 17, he wrote a story and sent it to a magazine (Scroggins 1).

“His first full-time job was printing name in Christmas cards. Later he became a linotype operator for the Harrison, Arkansas, Daily Times. (Scroggins 1)”. Afterwards, Brown went to the ArkansasStateTeachers College in Conway, Arkansas (Scroggins 1). “He lived in Washington, D.C., during the Great Depression. There, he met one of his favorite authors, Sherwood Anderson (Scroggins 1).

“His first book was Wave High the Banner (1942) and six months after it was published, he went into the army. He was in the army from 1942 to 1945” (Scroggins 1). During the 1960s, Brown wrote eight more books, and in 1970, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee moved into the best seller list (Scroggins 1).

“He likes to write nonfiction best, and he prefers to write about the past” (Scroggins 1). Other books by Dee Brown include Fighting Indians of the West, Trail Driving Days, The Settler’s West, Grierson’s Raid and Yellowhorse (Scroggins 1). “He has written novels, nonfiction and juvenile books. He won the Clarence Day Award from the American Library Association in 1971. He also writes about many historical figures in his books” (Scroggins 1).

“A recent publication is When the Century was Young: A Writer’s Notebook (1993). Today, he still uses a manuscript typewriter. He now lives in Little Rock, Arkansas” (Scroggins 1).