Reparation: A Novel of Love, Devotion and Danger
by Laine Cunningham
In Reparation, the story follows Aiden Little Boy and Gidgee Manitou, two people drawn into a spiritual battle as much as a physical one. Gidgee Manitou is the cult leader of the Four Quarters church, whose plans to cleanse the land of past atrocities tap into the dark side. Aiden Little Boy becomes his Hunka brother – a bond that gives Aiden time to dig into the workings of the ranch and the insight to see what Gidgee Manitou is planning, though the revelation comes slowly.
At risk is all of the women in Aiden’s life – his mother, comatose and cancer-ridden for years, his sister, who’s open heart leaves her vulnerable to Manitou’s manipulation, and Rayna, the beautiful reservation herbalist who catches his eye.
I love the Native American setting, and the struggles it portrays. Ms. Cunningham doesn’t shy away from the atrocities of America’s past. The spirit elements are compelling, and bring a supernatural/fantasy element that I so enjoy.
I also wanted to mention the Heyoka – a kind of spiritual figure/clown that does everything backwards. He was an odd character in the story, but his fate made me laugh.
In all honesty, I felt a little disengaged from the story at times, but since I’m a little sleep deprived as of late, I can’t confidently blame it on anything I read. The writing and imagery are beautiful, and I would definitely recommend the book to adults looking for a smooth, thrilling read.
This book gets:
(5 Angeleya Wings)
PS – I had the honor of redoing the cover for this book, and it’s gorgeous!
Meet the Author
Laine’s work has won multiple national awards, including the Hackney Literary Award for $5,000 and the James Jones Literary Society fellowship for $6,000. In past years, the Hackney Award was received by Horton Foote and William Styron, placing Laine in the ranks of Pulitzer Prize-winning authors.
Laine has received additional fellowships and residency slots from the Jerome Foundation, the Vermont Studio Center, the New York Mills Cultural Center, Wildacres Center for the Humanities, the ecumenical Blowing Rock Convention Center, and regional arts councils in different states.
For seven years she chaired the advisory board for The Blotter Literary Magazine.
Her media engagements as an author and a publishing consultant include First for Women, CNN’s Money, FoxNews.com, MSNBC.com, Media Bistro, dozens of regional papers including Awareness in Southern California, The Sydney Morning Herald, Die Presse (Austria’s largest daily newspaper), and Insight (Australia’s largest spiritual magazine).
For twenty years she has worked as a publishing consultant. Through her company, Writer’s Resource, she helps fiction and nonfiction authors develop, write, revise and pitch their books to agents and publishers. In addition to ghostwriting, rewriting and editing services, she provides in-depth assistance with query letters and book proposals. Her marketing plans have resulted in Amazon bestseller status, moved over 1,000 copies of a book in 30 days, and provides self-published authors access to national bestseller lists like the New York Times and USA Today’s.
Her opinion has been sought by national and international media on issues ranging from The Oprah Effect to the end of the Harry Potter series and Sarah Palin’s ghostwriter. She conducts writing and marketing sessions for authors through a variety of programs. She has presented for The Loft, the nation’s largest independent literary center; the National Writers Union; The Writer’s Workshop in Asheville, NC; the North Carolina Writer’s Network; regional writers’ conferences; elementary and high schools; and independent freelance organizations.
Her spiritual and cultural programs have been booked by the City of Sacramento, CA, Guilford College, NC, First Woman Foundation at White Earth Reservation, ND, Cherokee Full Circle in NC, Oak Park Multicultural Festival in CA, regional libraries and conferences, interfaith churches, independent spiritual groups, and elementary and high schools in several states.
All of Laine’s works utilize the core components of thrillers while keeping a strong focus on the elements that appeal to women. Their opening pace is strong enough to propel readers into the story while providing the character development that links readers to characters…and characters to each other. In Message Stick, a biracial Australian Aborigine is stalked across the outback by the shaman who killed his friend. The Hackney Literary Award committee called Message Stick “one of the best novels in ten years.”
Laine created a collection of essays that tie into traditional Aboriginal stories. Seven Sisters: Spiritual Messages from Aboriginal Australia teaches readers that the dreaming is a timeless energy that can address modern issues with love and relationships, friendship and community, illness and joy.
Her second novel, He Drinks Poison, pits FBI agent Priya Conlin-Kumar against a serial rapist and a serial killer working the same city. Visions from The Ramayana and a passionate love relationship provide her with the power of the goddess Kali. The justice Priya metes out satisfies both the laws of man and spiritual laws.
