Neither Wolf Nor Dog by Kent Nerburn – 25th Anniversary Edition
Neither Wolf Nor Dog is one of those profoundly moving books that makes a lifetime impression on the reader. If you don’t believe me, read the preface added for this newly re-released 25th edition. This book has changed the course of rivers, lifted the hearts of prisoners, and more intimately, unburdened one man of a lifetime of sadness. The author, Kent Nerburn, has written many books on spirituality and Native American themes, but this one is a stand out, and garnered its author the Minnesota Book Award.
From the book we read, “Against an unflinching backdrop of 1990s reservation life and the majestic spaces of the western Dakotas, Neither Wolf nor Dog tells the story of two men, one white and one Indian, locked in their own understandings yet struggling to find a common voice. In this award-winning book, acclaimed author Kent Nerburn draws us deep into the world of a Native American elder named Dan, who leads Kent through Indian towns and down forgotten roads that swirl with the memories of the Ghost Dance and Sitting Bull.”
Written as a book of stories, somewhere in the mist between fact and fiction, this genre defying work is a heart-opening ode to a way of life, a philosophy, that is more timely than ever. Whether you’re reading it for the first time, or greeting it as an old friend, Neither Wolf Nor Dog will make you see the world with fresh eyes.
Cheryl Shainmark is a freelance writer and editor living in Westchester, New York. A long time contributor of articles and book reviews, Cheryl is now a senior editor and a regular columnist at Merlian News. When she is not reading, reviewing, or dreaming about books she can be found playing with cats of all stripes at her quiet country retreat.