'Thirteen Moons' is an award winning historical novel by american writer Charles Frazier. I must confess that it wasn't one of the most enjoyable reads for me, however it was definitely worth it.
What I appreciated most was the book’s authenticity—specifically, the absence of idealization regarding both the characters and the events. The author made no attempt to absolve white settlers of guilt or to cast Native Americans as heroes. Why is this significant? Because it portrays wars and atrocities not as anomalies that could never happen today, but as dangers to which we remain vulnerable. The perpetrators did not simply vanish; they are still among us. Conversely, the victims are not portrayed as innocent. They are just like us—flawed individuals with both virtues and vices who sometimes do wrong, lose their way, or succumb to addiction. This challenges the media-driven narrative that victims of political conflict deserve sympathy and recognition only if they are morally flawless.
I was also intrigued by the recurring theme of the bison and the wapiti. It is only at the end that Will realizes these animals did not simply leave on their own; they were slaughtered by humans. This highlights how the romanticization of victims can ultimately be detrimental to the victims themselves.
To sum up, the book didn't draw me in all that much—I mostly read other genres. Even so, I’m very glad I read it; I think books like this are needed.
