D.E. Lamont's interest in books and writing developed as a preteen when her favorite aunt, Libby, took her to the big Hollywood book shop of the era, Pickwick Books, and let her pick out as many books as she wished to get. Delighted, she became an avid reader and visitor to the library from that tim......more
D.E. Lamont's interest in books and writing developed as a preteen when her favorite aunt, Libby, took her to the big Hollywood book shop of the era, Pickwick Books, and let her pick out as many books as she wished to get. Delighted, she became an avid reader and visitor to the library from that time forward. Her reading interests varied among the classics, adventure, western, fantasy, thrillers, science fiction, historical fiction, biography and autobiography.
Growing up in the mushrooming residential developments of the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, she and her brothers explored the wild chaparral-covered hills and canyons surrounding the Valley, where they found signs of former Native American inhabitants. These discoveries
D.E. Lamont's interest in books and writing developed as a preteen when her favorite aunt, Libby, took her to the big Hollywood book shop of the era, Pickwick Books, and let her pick out as many books as she wished to get. Delighted, she became an avid reader and visitor to the library from that time forward. Her reading interests varied among the classics, adventure, western, fantasy, thrillers, science fiction, historical fiction, biography and autobiography.
Growing up in the mushrooming residential developments of the San Fernando Valley of Southern California, she and her brothers explored the wild chaparral-covered hills and canyons surrounding the Valley, where they found signs of former Native American inhabitants. These discoveries excited her interest in earlier times and left her with the haunting impression that many stories about these mysterious, missing people waited to be told.
Only many years later did she learn who those Indians were - the Tongva, who had been driven to near extinction over the last four and a half centuries by the Spanish, Mexican, and then American conquerors. D.E. wished to feature these little-known people and let more people know about them in her novella, The Way of the Eagle.
D.E. Lamont's latest story is a new e-novelette, "LOST WITHOUT LOVE - A Hollywood Tale of the Future." Her e-book, "TWO SHORT FANTASIES, A Starry Night's Dream and The Prisoner" consists of two short-short stories, and she is presently working on the sequel to "THE WAY OF THE EAGLE" and another full-length novel.
In addition to her fiction, she writes nonfiction under the name Daveda Lamont. In May 2012 "BECOMING A TRUE CHAMPION: Achieving Athletic Excellence from the Inside Out," by former 3-time All American gymnast Kirk Mango and heself, was released by Rowman & Littlefield. Ms. Lamont also worked as an independent nonfiction editor from the early 1980s onward.
D.E. Lamont lives with her husband and their beloved birds and plants in an apartment overlooking the Hudson River. Shortly before publishing her first novella, a rare experience gave her the name for her self-publishing company: after a big storm, the Hudson, mile-wide where she lives, transformed into a mystical rolling river of clouds that moved downstream before her eyes. This magical phenomenon inspired the name Cloud River Press for her imprint. (less)
At 140 pages long, about a third the size of an average paperback these days,
is really more of a novella than a full blown novel, but there is much to recommend it. The story reminded me strongly of the Native American myths and legends I read as a child, it manages to capture the same......more
At 140 pages long, about a third the size of an average paperback these days,
is really more of a novella than a full blown novel, but there is much to recommend it. The story reminded me strongly of the Native American myths and legends I read as a child, it manages to capture the same spirit and essence, but the characters and the plot are all new, and Lamont adds a fresh twist to the tale by including elements of the modern – the nickel that his uncle gives Tacu as a keepsake trinket, the talk of white men coming from the east and the fact that Tacu himself turns out to be half-European. Whilst the story implies that Europeans don’t arrive in the Tongva’s lands during Tacu’s lifetime, these little hints convey perfectly the steady encroachment into the Tongva’s consciousness, and later way of life, and best of all it’s done so subtly and without drawing undue attention to itself – for that is not the plot here, only the background setting. I’m pretty tired by now of historical fiction authors being as subtle as a brick to the head when they want to imply something ominous about the future of their historical figures, so it is a joy to come across an author who draws such implications deftly and without breaking stride from the main plot of the novel, and Lamont implies more changes to come than sweeping doom and gloom.
Tacu’s story is reminiscent of the classic coming-of-age tales which have a popular place in Native American legend, and although it has a fresh twist to it, its foundation is grounded in the timeless story of a character in that awkward, transitional phase of life, struggling to find his or her place in the world. The story is told in third person but sticks with Tacu’s perspective throughout. Whilst in a full-length novel it might have been nice to explore multiple perspectives and get into the driving motivations of characters such as Tacu’s mother and uncle, there’s not enough time in this novella, and Lamont makes the smart choice by making sure that we’re focused on Tacu’s story throughout – this is his tale. By sitting on Tacu’s shoulder throughout as readers we also get a better insight into his background, his frame of mind and his personal journey of self-discovery; we unravel mysteries as Tacu himself does.
It’s very clear that Lamont has done her research and knows her stuff, but as a writer she also knows how to employ it. Authentic details are used to garnish the setting and the plot, but Lamont does not allow them to distract from the plot or become the novella’s heart. The characters and the storyline are what bring
to life. Even better, at the back of the book there’s a glossary and Lamont provides an author’s note highlighting some of particularly useful resources she used in her research – I always find an author’s note a nice courtesy in historical fiction, but even better for me as an historian if I take an interest in the subject I can then go and read the same sources as the author has done to find out more.
The story, which is a spiritual journey as well as a coming-of-age tale, does include certain elements which can be construed as somewhat fantastical. This didn’t bother me at all. Regular readers of my reviews will know that I am a bit of a stickler about magic and the like occurring in the historical fiction I read, so why am I perfectly happy about it here? Well, first I approached this tale from the perception that it was a modern day recreation of the myths and legends of the Native Americans – stories which regularly included fantastical elements – and besides the elements included in this tale could even be interpreted plausibly as the beliefs and experiences of the characters themselves. Secondly, Lamont in her author’s note clearly highlights the fact that the book is historical fantasy, plainly and openly, and doesn’t try to hide that fact or omit it.
The novella’s plot and characters are well-drawn, but not in-depth, however it seemed obvious to me that this was because there wasn’t the time and page space for further development in a short story like this. Lamont’s biography at the back of the book notes that she is currently working on a full-length novel, and I must say I am looking forwards to reading it.
8 out of 10.(less)
For my full review and accompanying pictures please visit:
The Way of the Eagle: An Early California Journey of Awakening by D.E. Lamont is a quick, short read but one definitely worth a reader's time.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book, and felt like it was a ......more
For my full review and accompanying pictures please visit:
The Way of the Eagle: An Early California Journey of Awakening by D.E. Lamont is a quick, short read but one definitely worth a reader's time.
My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book, and felt like it was a real tribute to a culture and a people that are worth recognizing and honoring. Like many Native American tribes, the Tongva "People of the Earth" were a people whose culture and way of life were wiped away when Europeans entered North America.
D.E. Lamont uses the story of Tacu, a young Tongva and his journey to manhood as a way to show readers how very special this culture was. Throughout the book, the author weaves in the spiritual beliefs of the culture and parallel that with how important self-reliance is, and that is shown through Tacu's journey. We follow him as he prepares to become a man, and while the traditional method of the initiation practice might not have been the correct one his uncle shows him that he should seek approval from within himself. The message of this story is that we all need to look within ourselves for approval, not those around us.
The author's writing style comes across as effortless...when I was reading, it seemed as if I were right there, finding the path to my own self-reliance along with Tacu and I imagine that is just the way the author wanted it. To put it more plainly, she certainly has a way with words!
Like with most books I read, while the story was truly amazing, one of the most beneficial and interesting parts of the book was the "About the Author" section where D.E. Lamont explains the facts behind the Tongva culture, their demise, and the efforts being made to restore it for the remaining descendents and our country.
I would be remiss if I didn't also acknowledge the illustrator of this book, Jon H. Soeder. The author states that" his contribution to The Way of the Eagle is especially meaningful not only because of the dimension his cover art and beautiful illustrations add, but because of his sensitivity to the natural world and its creatures." I would wholeheartedly agree, and add that the illustrations were done so beautifully and thoughtfully that they added the perfect element to accompany the written text.
D.E. also offers an amazing blog that I highly recommend to all readers - there is a piece she just recently wrote about how Native American spirituality and everyday life are so interwoven. It, along with the book, should be required reading for high school students...in my opinion of course!(less)
I wrote this novella about the almost-forgotten Southern California tribe, the Tongva, after growing up in the countryside and city that they once called home. As a kid, it was so unreal to me that authentic original peoples might have once occupied the same land as our concrete and asphalt-surround......more
I wrote this novella about the almost-forgotten Southern California tribe, the Tongva, after growing up in the countryside and city that they once called home. As a kid, it was so unreal to me that authentic original peoples might have once occupied the same land as our concrete and asphalt-surrounded homes, that it took me up into my 40s before the truth really dawned on me and I began to seek out information about them. Los Angeles's development era boomed for decades and an untouched canyon or hillside was scarcely to be found. There was little wild land remaining except in the hills and mountains.
And indeed, during the 1800s the Tongva had been hunted to near extinction. There were bounties on their heads and horribly enough, wagonloads of their heads were collected and turned in. (I don't know the exact dates for the bounty hunting era.) This was the barbaric white and European culture at that time. Because the Tongva's own family structures, culture and many lifeways had been destroyed during the Mission era, many lost or were cheated out of any land they might have had, and those still living off the land were viewed and treated as vagrants.
The arrival of the internet (for me) and its research resources in the 1990s gave me my second surprise, because I learned that some Tongva, though hugely diminished in number, did still live in the area (about 2,000). The elders had preserved and to a certain extent shared their heritage with their children, though many had not, perhaps because such a stigma had been attached to being an Indian for so long, particularly in this area.
Another influence was that over many years I had developed a very strong interest in the innate abilities and spiritual qualities of people, and the culture and life of Native Americans, so it was only natural that I conceived the idea of writing about those original inhabitants I had wondered about for so long - and whose ephemeral presence I had sensed in the few open fields and canyons I wandered as a kid.
I made this story a historical fantasy so that I could draw upon the shamanic abilities of the Tongva, not to mention the character Takoda, who had come from a far northern tribe, and also so that my story could be developed freely and not be constricted by the very limited literature about the culture and traditions of the Tongva. I also wanted modern readers to be inspired and learn from the story and its more timeless values and ideas. I hope you'll have a chance to read it and then let me know what you thought.(less)
I enjoy anything that has to do with Native American culture and I was not familiar with this tribe at all. It is definitely a time travel to think what southern California is like now. Tacu was brave and I don't think I could have went through this period of initiation like he did. I liked the pati......more
I enjoy anything that has to do with Native American culture and I was not familiar with this tribe at all. It is definitely a time travel to think what southern California is like now. Tacu was brave and I don't think I could have went through this period of initiation like he did. I liked the patience of his mentor Takoda. I also liked when he gave him the nickel and he had no idea what this little disc was. My favorite quote was, " As you live, be what you are as faithfully as you possibly can--take upon yourself all the responsibility of your role willingly. But when it is time for that role to end--accept it with courage and respect for the Creator, and move on to the next." The Creator is in charge.
A very easy read and thought provoking. It makes me dream of simpler times.(less)
I was extremely excited that I won this book from Goodreads. The book reflects back to a time when everything was simple and beautiful. All of the illustrations are absolutely amazing. The book is worth reading.
Tacu learns his lessons from his Uncle about becoming an Indian man. Truly a ......more
I was extremely excited that I won this book from Goodreads. The book reflects back to a time when everything was simple and beautiful. All of the illustrations are absolutely amazing. The book is worth reading.
Tacu learns his lessons from his Uncle about becoming an Indian man. Truly a lot of research was put into this book about the Tongva - "People of the Earth". The images that are created by D.E. Lamont are fantastic.
Please read Lindsay (Everyday Is an Adventure) review of "The Way of the Eagle: An Early California Journey of Awakening". Lindsay is like D.E. Lamont, she has a way with words that enlighten the readers about the book.(less)
I received this book and in that one night I read it beginning to end. D.E. Lamont brings into the world of a native American young man and through her writing you will go on a vision quest with this young man. It is a truly warm book and a wonderful read! Ms. Lamont's writing style is great. So, re......more
I received this book and in that one night I read it beginning to end. D.E. Lamont brings into the world of a native American young man and through her writing you will go on a vision quest with this young man. It is a truly warm book and a wonderful read! Ms. Lamont's writing style is great. So, read it and you will not be sorry.(less)
The Way of the Eagle, is a remarkable book. Although a fictional story, the author pulls you into the story, purely because of is wonderfully simple presentation. It is a very spiritual book about a race of people that time forgot. A proud people of the earth.
The Way of the Eagle, is a remarkable book. Although a fictional story, the author pulls you into the story, purely because of is wonderfully simple presentation. It is a very spiritual book about a race of people that time forgot. A proud people of the earth.(less)
Wonderful spiritual journey of a young boy. The research of this extinct tribe in California is terrific.
Wonderful spiritual journey of a young boy. The research of this extinct tribe in California is terrific.(less)
I would like to read more by this author. Beliefs of spirit occupancy within human,animal, and other natural life is a source unlike what is read in the Christian faith because greed had already drowned respect of all humanity.
I would like to read more by this author. Beliefs of spirit occupancy within human,animal, and other natural life is a source unlike what is read in the Christian faith because greed had already drowned respect of all humanity.(less)
I received this book through GoodReads First Reads. The book was okay, but honestly I enjoyed reading the extras in the back more than the story itself. I felt like the story was a little flat and the characters were one dimensional. There were a lot of questions about why one of the main characters......more
I received this book through GoodReads First Reads. The book was okay, but honestly I enjoyed reading the extras in the back more than the story itself. I felt like the story was a little flat and the characters were one dimensional. There were a lot of questions about why one of the main characters was in California since he was from a Plains tribe. It doesn't seem very plausible that he would travel all the way to southern California. I suppose there was a lot of research that went into the book to create a realistic story, but it just wasn't very interesting. I did like how the writer interspersed Tongva words into the story to introduce the language to the reader. The author's intent was to create a story that centered around the spirtual journey of Native Americans and she accomplished that; however, I feel like other authors have done a better job with the same plot. It was a quick and easy read, but I doubt I'd read it again.(less)