Mackenzie's Mountain
Tag Archives: biography
The Blue Tattoo: The Life of Olive Oatman
Posted on December 2, 2018 by Hannah
In 1851 Olive Oatman was a thirteen-year old pioneer traveling west toward Zion, with her Mormon family. Within a decade, she was a white Indian with a chin tattoo, caught between cultures. The Blue Tattoo tells the harrowing story of this forgotten heroine of frontier America. Orphaned when her family was brutally killed by Yavapai Indians, Oatman lived as a slave to her captors for a year before being traded to the Mohave, who tattooed her face and raised her as their own. She was fully assimilated and perfectly happy when, at nineteen, she was ransomed back to white society. She became an instant celebrity, but the price of fame was high and the pain of her ruptured childhood lasted a lifetime.
Based on historical records, including letters and diaries of Oatman’s friends and relatives, The Blue Tattoo is the first book to examine her life from her childhood in Illinois—including the massacre, her captivity, and her return to white society—to her later years as a wealthy banker’s wife in Texas.
Oatman’s story has since become legend, inspiring artworks, fiction, film, radio plays, and even an episode of Death Valley Days starring Ronald Reagan. Its themes, from the perils of religious utopianism to the permeable border between civilization and savagery, are deeply rooted in the American psyche. Oatman’s blue tattoo was a cultural symbol that evoked both the imprint of her Mohave past and the lingering scars of westward expansion. It also served as a reminder of her deepest secret, fully explored here for the first time: she never wanted to go home.
The life of Olive Oatman presents an incredibly compelling story, both for her contemporary peers and for the modern day reader. As a young teenager, she travelled across the American frontier with her family of Brewsterites – an historical offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints – when her family was set upon by a small group of warriors from the Yavapai First Nation. After living with them as a slave for about a year, she was traded to the Mojave Indians, and spent the next four years with them, eventually being traded back to whites at a nearby military post.
Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to separate fact and fiction from Olive’s story. There is no “true” original account. Olive herself was barely literate when she was brought back to “civilization” and was unable to write her book herself. It was ghost written by a Methodist minister who had ulterior motives.
Also, Olive could provide herself with a much more secure future by telling the people what they wanted to hear. Writing and speaking fondly about her time with the Mojave, who it is generally acknowledged treated her well and adopted her, would not have ingratiated her with the families supporting Olive through the trauma of reintegration into white society.
Mifflin’s account of Oatman’s story is intriguing, and it is the first that I have heard this point in history. However, some of the facts are most certainly incorrect, not just because of a lack of primary documentation on which to base her conclusions, but also due to laziness during the research and editing processes. For example, Mifflin states that Prophet Joseph Smith was lynched, but it is well known that he was shot to death. Simple mistakes like this made it difficult for me to fully accept Miflin’s version of events, given that there is so much of it I could not fact check.
Olive Oatman is mostly depicted through the book as a survivor, but not a heroine. She certainly seems to have suffered from PTSD – and no wonder given everything she experienced – but she does very little to try to take control of her life at any point. She doesn’t fight back or try to escape, she doesn’t try to return to the Mojave, she doesn’t speak fondly of the Mojave and her time there, but also never appears to feel at home in white society either. At times through this book, I actually felt angry with her for her treatment of the Mojave after she was “rescued”. It certainly reads as if she would have preferred to stay and her later treatment of them appears callous and a betrayal.
Overall, I enjoyed The Blue Tattoo and learning about this period in history. There is much discussion in the book about feminism and white-Indian relations during that era as well, which was interesting. However, the author had a tendency to write entire chapters on the individuals surrounding Olive Oatman, which I found tedious and boring. IMHO, this book would have been better if it would have stayed more focused on Olive’s story.
Katie Davis left over Christmas break her senior year for a short mission trip to Uganda and her life was turned completely inside out. She found herself so moved, so broken by the people and the children of Uganda that she knew her calling was to return and care for them. Her story is like Mother Teresa’s in that she has given up everything—at such a young age—to care for the less fortunate of this world. Katie, a charismatic and articulate young woman, has gone on to adopt 14 children during her time in Uganda, and she completely trusts God for daily provision for her and her family, which includes children with special needs.
To further her reach into the needs of Ugandans, Katie established Amazima Ministries. The ministry matches orphaned children with sponors worldwide. Each sponsor’s $300/year provides schooling, school supplies, three hot meals a day, minor medical care, and spiritual encouragement. Katie expected to have forty children in the program; she had signed up 150 by January 2008; today it sponsors over 400. Another aspect of the ministry is a feeding program created for the displaced Karamojong people—Uganda’s poorest citizens. The program feeds lunch to over 1200 children Monday-Friday and sends them home with a plate for food; it also offers basic medical care, Bible study, and general health training.
Katie Davis, now 21, is more than fascinating, she’s inspiring, as she has wholeheartedly answered the call to serve.
I chose to read Kisses from Katie because I was initially intrigued by her experiences with adoption. As I mentioned recently in Instant Mom , adoption is near and dear to my heart. It is definitely a path that I feel called to in my life.
Katie adopted 14! children from Uganda, and she lives there with them in the ministry that she has built through her nonprofit organization. This is definitely a very different adoption path from what I would take – I’m not not proposing I move to Africa – however it was still incredibly inspiring to read about her joys and struggles.
This book is heavy on God, Jesus and the Christian faith. I am religious although my relationship with God is one I usually describe as “complicated”. I was raised in a family that believes in the Heavenly Father but did not attend church for anything other than weddings and baptisms.
At first, I was rolling my eyes at the amount of “God stuff” included in this book and was unsure if I wanted to finish it. But I pushed through because lately I haven’t been reading much and just wanted to get something finished. I am so glad that I did. Katie has inspired me to let go of some of the control that I try to exert over my life and trust that God will provide. I am such a stress case 98% of the time, but I have never been forced to go without life’s necessities. God has a pretty good track record of seeing me through hard times and I am going to just let go and trust that the means will come forth to provide.
Katie’s story is inspiring and one I would recommend to anyone interested in faith, missionary work, adoption from Africa and children’s advocacy. Many children in Uganda face unimaginable circumstances and it makes my heart ache to think of their suffering. This story has definitely inspired me to be a better person. There are opportunities everywhere you look to do a good turn.
Katie has recently published a second book called Daring to Hope. It will definitely be one I read soon.
Nia Vardalos is Canadian-born, which added a warm perspective for me. As a fellow Canadian, I could relate to a lot of her anecdotal stories, like wearing a snowsuit under her Halloween costume.
Instant Mom is a funny and poignant story of womanhood. I love Nia’s perspective on life. Her brand of feminism feels organic; it isn’t “ra-ra sisterhood” or anti-man. She doesn’t try to tell you what you should do. I found her story superbly easy to relate to and felt like she would be someone I could easily be friends with if she were to move in next door.
In a world where we all seem to take ourselves too seriously, we could use a little more light-hearted comedy and a few manners reminders from Nia!
This audiobook is read by the author.
A Life in Parts – Bryan Cranston
Posted on September 17, 2017 by Hannah
This summer seems to have been the era of Hollywood biographies! I have gone through quite a few of these audiobooks this summer. Not my usual fare but it has been fun to break out a little, especially since I have been in a long romance rut in 2017.
The most recent memoir I listened to was Bryan Cranston’s A Life in Parts. It is funny, poignant, and well-paced. Per my usual fare, I picked a memoir that was read by the author himself. I have written many blog posts on the benefits of this and I loved Bryan’s voice performance so my preference is definitely still holding true.
A poignant, intimate, funny, inspiring memoir—both a coming-of-age story and a meditation on creativity, devotion, and craft—from Bryan Cranston, beloved and acclaimed star of one of history’s most successful TV shows, Breaking Bad.
Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father cast him in a United Way commercial. Acting was clearly the boy’s destiny, until one day his father disappeared. Destiny suddenly took a backseat to survival.
Now, in his riveting memoir, Cranston maps his zigzag journey from abandoned son to beloved star by recalling the many odd parts he’s played in real life—paperboy, farmhand, security guard, dating consultant, murder suspect, dock loader, lover, husband, father. Cranston also chronicles his evolution on camera, from soap opera player trying to master the rules of show business to legendary character actor turning in classic performances as Seinfeld dentist Tim Whatley, “a sadist with newer magazines,” and Malcolm in the Middle dad Hal Wilkerson, a lovable bumbler in tighty-whities. He also gives an inspiring account of how he prepared, physically and mentally, for the challenging role of President Lyndon Johnson, a tour de force that won him a Tony to go along with his four Emmys.
Of course, Cranston dives deep into the grittiest details of his greatest role, explaining how he searched inward for the personal darkness that would help him create one of the most memorable performances ever captured on screen: Walter White, chemistry teacher turned drug kingpin.
Discussing his life as few men do, describing his art as few actors can, Cranston has much to say about creativity, devotion, and craft, as well as innate talent and its challenges and benefits and proper maintenance. But ultimately A Life in Parts is a story about the joy, the necessity, and the transformative power of simple hard work.
Bryan is a few decades older than I am but I think one of the remarkable things about A Life in Parts is that I didn’t feel as though his stories of yesteryear were old-fashioned, or as belonging to a different generation. He talks about making movies at home with this father and brother as a young child, of his parents divorce and going to live with his grandparents on a farm for a while, of belonging to a police foundations organization for youth as a teen and then going on an extended motorcycle trip on the open road as a young man, crisscrossing America with his brother.
But at no point did I stop and think “that is something that only would have happened in my parents’ generation – or my grandparents'”. He could have been someone my own age talking about his upbringing.
I knew of Bryan as that goofy Dad on Malcom in the Middle growing up, and as the infamous Walter White of Breaking Bad more recently, but I was never a “fan” of his as an actor or a person. I didn’t follow his career, go see something just because he was in it, and quite frankly knew next to nothing about him. I doubt I could have named any other show that he had been in, but I had heard good things about A Life in Parts and I am glad I picked it up.
Bryan doesn’t sound like a celebrity. He’s just a normal guy, albeit one who has had some pretty memorable roles. Of course, he has been happily married to the same woman forever, doesn’t appear to live a flashy life, and is super close to his siblings who no doubt take great joy in keeping their brother down-to-earth.
I really enjoyed this audiobook and would definitely recommend it to my fellow readers, even (especially) ones who don’t normally read about celebrity lives.
Amy Schumer’s The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo
Posted on July 14, 2017 by Hannah
The Emmy Award-winning comedian, actress, writer, and star of Inside Amy Schumer and the acclaimed film Trainwreck has taken the entertainment world by storm with her winning blend of smart, satirical humor. Now, Amy Schumer has written a refreshingly candid and uproariously funny collection of (extremely) personal and observational essays.
In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is – a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.
Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friends – an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she’s experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor’s secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably – but only because it’s over.
Normally I don’t go for books like this – memoirs and anecdotal stories – but Amy Schumer’s book came highly recommended from a friend. She listened to the audiobook, which is read by Amy herself, and was laughing her head off beside me at work. Humour is communicated so much more honestly via conversation than as words on a page, so with books like this, I really feel that the only way to take it in is via an audiobook. Something funny sounded great after the emotional story ( The Light Between Oceans ) that I listened to last, and the decision-making process stopped there!
The girl with the lower back tattoo is at turns witty, insightful, educational and of course, laugh out loud funny. I wasn’t too sure what the book would be about. It’s about Amy and her life of course, but she clearly states at the beginning that this is not her autobiography because she has decades of life still to live. The woman is only in her 30s after all. I think that in the end it is a collection of stories about Amy but I agree that I wouldn’t call it an autobiography. The timeline jumps around, but you get a sense of her childhood and upbringing, her early years struggling to become a comedian who actually gets paid for her stand-up, and where she is today after the global success of Trainwreck.
My friend was correct in pointing out that this was one of those rare books that is actually funny. I work as a librarian and humourous books are the hardest type to help a person find because – in my opinion – humour doesn’t translate as well on page as it does in conversation. So, unsurprisingly, Schumer’s stories were less funny than I expected and more along the lines of heartfelt stories and sarcastic asides. That isn’t to say that this book isn’t funny though, it is and I particularly liked the story of her lower back tattoo. But you get to see who the real person is behind the pen and this was charming.
I didn’t not know very much about Amy before I started this book. I knew she was a comic, and she was that girl in Trainwreck. But I didn’t know that she had written the movie. I didn’t know that she was a successful comic before the movie was ever filmed, or that she had written for magazines. I certainly did not know about her undying love affair for the island of Manhattan.
Some of the topics that Amy discusses throughout this novel are her very uncharitable reasons for volunteering at a camp for disabled children and adults one summer as a preteen, balancing a type one introvert personality with a career that demands you give everything to everyone. She also discusses how the future and ideology of an entire gender of our species been placed on her by journalists with questions such as how do you think the success of your movie shape the future of Hollywood for other women. As she points out “Um, hello?! I am just one woman. Not all women”. And women’s place in Hollywood won’t change until people stop asking questions like this.
Two of the most difficult portions to listen to are the ones surrounding her father’s MS and the two women who were shot and killed at a showing of her movie in Lafayette. When something like that happens I’ve always thought of course the actors and directors and producers, anyone associated with creating the attraction, must feel terrible to be attached to the tragedy, even though they are in no way responsible for it. But to hear how difficult it was for Amy, in the following weeks, her genuine desire to reach out to those families, and the fact that she carries the pictures of the two women who were killed makes her much more human. I also never knew that she was so involved in efforts across the United States to create legislation that would prevent mentally ill people with criminal records from accessing firearms.
The girl with the lower back tattoo is not a typical biography. It is funny and heartwarming and at times brought a couple tears to my eyes. It definitely challenged my preconceptions of who this woman was and is and I have a lot more respect for her now. I can also relate to Amy on a personal level. I definitely recommend this book, specifically the audiobook, because humour is just communicated so much more freely through this medium.
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