Blue Rodeo

Rating:
Summary: More juice than pulp
Review: I enjoyed Mapson's vivid descriptions of New Mexico and the starting-over romance between Owen and Maggie, but I thought that her storytelling gradually grew stale and repetitive. First of all, I think few people wallow in their pain, troubles, difficulties like Maggie did throughout the book -- I got tired of hearing phrases like: to have your husband leave you, your rebellious son go deaf, your sister sleep with your best friend! It was too much. She listed the things Maggie had gone through over and over, when reading between the lines would be easy, once she'd already laid down Maggie's experiences. An abridged version of Blue Rodeo would almost strengthen Mapson's witty and poetic voice, draining the gushy stuff out of an otherwise very real and gritty story. It also angered me that sex was presented as a panacea, and every time Maggie was upset, she just shut up and jumped in bed. But I don't regret reading Blue Rodeo, Mapson is clearly a gifted writer, she just needs a better editor.

Rating:
Summary: Good Reading
Review: I found myself enthralled with the characters and what they were going through. Very realistic. Not too mushy. Problems people deal with in the real world, which is why I think it is easy to relate and become engrossed.

Rating:
Summary: Another winner from Mapson
Review: I think I liked BLUE RODEO better than THE WILDER SISTERS, and that's saying something. I absolutely and emphatically disagree with the review by the woman who said Mapson repeated things too many times. As an author myself, I know good writing, and this book is filled with great writing from an extremely gifted writer. I took it along with me on vacation, and I liked it so much I found myself anxious to get back to the hotel in the afternoons so I could read more. I especially loved the relationship between Margaret and her son and the way it developed over the course of the story. I'm now hooked on Ms. Mapson's writing and am looking forward to reading SHADOW RANCH, which is next on my TBR shelf.

Rating:
Summary: Not her best work
Review: I, too, have read Ms. Mapson's other books, and have enjoyed them. I did feel, however, that "Blue Rodeo" was just a tad bit overblown and the ending was...how shall I put it? Well, just let me say that when I read the last page I thought to myself, 'That's the end?' It just wasn't a very strong ending. I did appreciate the the information about the Navajo culture and I yearn to visit Arizona and New Mexico after reading Ms. Mapson's books, but I just didn't enjoy this one as much as her others. I do hope that she writes more though!

Rating:
Summary: Good Reading
Review: I, too, have read Ms. Mapson's other books, and have enjoyed them. I did feel, however, that "Blue Rodeo" was just a tad bit overblown and the ending was...how shall I put it? Well, just let me say that when I read the last page I thought to myself, 'That's the end?' It just wasn't a very strong ending. I did appreciate the the information about the Navajo culture and I yearn to visit Arizona and New Mexico after reading Ms. Mapson's books, but I just didn't enjoy this one as much as her others. I do hope that she writes more though!

Rating:
Summary: Come to Blue Dog, New Mexico
Review: The voice of this book reached down somewhere to the vicinity of my toes and pulled me exquisitely inside-out. Although coming late to the reading of it, I'm thankful that this book did not escape my attention completely. "Blue Rodeo" is a quietly powerful story of the human connections it is possible to make even after the profound hurt brought about by doors slammed shut on past connections. By the simple but sometimes terrifying act of reaching out, the characters go on with life in ways they never imagined.

Jo-Ann Mapson is so very wise in her understanding of the dynamics of human interaction. Her ability to speak through her characters and create them fully-formed in the reader's imagination is humbling, to say the least. Convincing and natural dialogue is the toughest part of good writing, but Ms. Mapson has succeeded brilliantly. The growing love between Maggie and Owen is described in the most subtly erotic language it has been my pleasure to read. In musing on his failed marriage and the lack of passion he had experienced, Owen thinks about the nature of desire: "In a motel room or on a patch of soft ground, desire lay somewhere between two people, didn't it, a tiny invisible vapor that probably entered the body someplace unlikely, like the ears or the the feet, charged its way into your heart and blood, and made you brave..."

An important part of the book deals with the realities of life for the Navajo community. Although generally steeped in poverty, the Navajo citizens of the reservation near Blue Dog carry on with their lives, love their children, and continue their traditions in meaningful ways. The problem of racism is not glossed over, but presented as naked and ugly fact. There is no "noble savage" treatment here, just real people succeeding or not with what life has dealt them. Maggie and Owen's friendships among the Navajos show the joyful possibilities of being open to experiences outside one's perceived borders.

Maggie's attempts to reconnect with the son who has lost his hearing make for some of the most poignant moments of the book. Unable to direct his rage at any one person or thing, Peter has isolated himself inside his non-hearing world and rejects all the the helping hands held out to him. Remembering the most satisfying way she was able to communicate emotionally with him as a child, Maggie gradually begins to break through the walls he has built.

Whether she is telling us about the love between man and woman, mother and child, or friend to friend, the author does so in an utterly soul-touching and breathtaking way. Her wry humor graces almost every page. My heartfelt thanks to the friend who directed me to this book -- I'm blowing you a kiss on the cheek!

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: When purchasing this book, I expected to read about rodeo and native american life with a little romance. I did learn a lot of the native american way of life and enjoyed reading about it. The romance story line was decent, but not incredible. The only mention of rodeo was towards the end. When the author misinformed the readers and wrote that the flankstrap used in the roughstock events is tied around the animals testicles. This is untrue. The fact is that the strap is used as a conditioning tool and does not harm the animal at all. In fact, some of the animals used in saddle bronc and bareback (which are horse events)are female not male. The author needed to get her facts straight or left rodeo out of the book completely.