TESTIMONIALS

“The story is really good. I really, really enjoyed it. Watching her grow from a willow, wispy child, to a big, strong woman.”
—Deborah Robinette, Elder, 12-year Tribal Council Member, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska, Oglala, Sicangu

“This is a very good story. The Ponca Tribe should be very happy with this. It is so good to see the Language in a story this way!”
—Henry Lieb, thíⁿge, Ponca Language mentor, Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma

“I enjoyed the book very much. The Story was very good and kept me wanting to see what was next. I got very emotional when it came to the grandmother. I really didn't expect to get that shook up. The historical facts seem true and put myself in that time while I was reading. I liked how the use of Plants were included in so many various ways and it made me think of my grandmother and how she would tell me about her mother and some of the herbal medicines she would make to help cure her ever growing family. I am letting my daughters read this book and when they are done, I will send it on to my sister, as she wanted to read it too. I know this was an effort of love on your part. Thank you.”
—Faythe Hurd, Elder, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska 

“When you talk to the woman or hear her read from this tremendous work you feel the journey that she's been put on by the ancestors to imbue Big Horse Woman's story with as much ancestor-endorsed soul and cultural authenticity as possible; it is always moving and amazing to see the ways our relatives in the Other World are ingeniously communicating their help and influences into our lives, giving us a bridge back, a pathway to the indigenous consciousness that unites us and that'll ultimately heal us, which I believe this book so magically and beautifully is. 

What a special book Barbara has crafted into being for all those who wish to visit the priceless depth and magnificence of those under-remembered and under-told stories and times. We Indians know of the healing that comes from hearing the stories of our ancestors. Here is a book that beautifully holds that healing in its pages for all sorts of readers that only time knows the full scope and number of. I would like to thank Barbara for her contribution to the people's bookshelf with Big Horse Woman. Thank you for receiving these seeds from the dream world and handing them out to us and all of our sons and daughters with this dream of a book. And thank you Big Horse Woman.”
—Clifford Taylor III, Ponca Poet, Author, Storyteller, The Memory of Souls, Ponca Tribe of Nebraska 

“Barbara, this story is so good! I can’t wait until it’s published, and I can share this with my kids! We don’t have any stories like this. It’s so good.”
—Hehaka (John) Garza, thíⁿge 

“Beautiful book! I enjoyed reading it. I’m an avid reader, and the book must captivate me, or I won’t read it. Big Horse Woman did! Being an enrolled member of the Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, I endorse the book Barbara Salvatore has written. I loved it!”
—Memahashay (Darlene) Pensoneau Harjo, Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma 

“I really enjoyed it. What I tell people is, anything you write is how you see it and I’m nobody to say you’re wrong or it should be changed. When a story comes to you like that, no one is anyone to criticize it or you. It’s yours. It’s good.”
—Dr. Louis V. Headman, Dictionary of the Ponca People, Walks on the Ground, A Tribal History of the Ponca Nation, Elder Language speaker, Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma, Pastor, Church of the Nazarene, Ponca City, OK 

“We made it home [from Ponca Pow Wow] safe and sound. My daughter started reading Big Horse Woman immediately and is already halfway through! She loves it!”
—Delrayne Roy, Ponca Tribe of Oklahoma 

“I have known Barbara for several years through a collaborative research relation. Barbara contacted me from her home in New York (1995) with a request that I read and comment on her Big Horse Woman manuscript. Because it portrays a Ponca character, she wanted to make sure the Ponca language and culture were being correctly represented. Over the ensuing years we exchanged ideas that have been incorporated into her work. 

Barbara’s passion for her research and work has brought her to Nebraska and South Dakota on many occasions. She has established collaborative working relations with members of the Ponca Tribe and Sioux Tribe. As an artist, she has explored Indigenous cultures as the source for her manuscript illustrations. She has worked diligently to refine how people and material culture are displayed in her art. In 2011, Barbara moved herself and family from New York to Nebraska in order to be closer to the people whose history and culture she is becoming deeply involved with. Barbara enrolled in my 3-semester Omaha language series as one avenue to learning more about Ponca language, history, and cultural practices.”
—Mark Awakuni-Swetland, thíⁿge, Ph.D., Professor Anthropology/Ethnic Studies (Native American Studies), Collaborator, The Omaha Language and the Omaha Way 

“My grandson was putting my bookshelf in order and found your manuscript. I had to read it again, and call to tell you how much we enjoyed it. It brought back so many memories of being a boy by the river. It is such a good story, Barbara, when are you going to publish it?”
—Logan Fontenelle, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa

“This is wonderful...wow...At first I thought in the beginning of the Dream share...that you were a Traditional Trader, or Traditional mishkiiki kwe on a journey (a traveling pharmacy woman). You are wonderful to listen to. It is so good to hear a storytelling, that is so organic and awakens the imagination within. A beautiful gift of story-telling. Please everyone, listen carefully to the hidden teachings in the story. Chi miigwetch (many thanks).”
—Kanzee Gitimido, Anishinaabe/Ojibwe, Language Teacher & Student, Traditional Storyteller 

“I found the story captivating and it drew me in from the start. I initially worried that she may lose an audience that was unfamiliar with the ways and customs of Native Americans, or more specifically, the Ponca people. However, she instantly proved me wrong, as I was pulled in and got lost in a different time and place where I was completely immersed in the musings of Water Willow and her grandmother. Her provision of the pronunciation guide, historical context, and timeline makes it lucent and simple for the reader to understand.

I love how Barbara was able to weave in the educational aspects of the Ponca history and language, as well as showcasing her wisdom of plants, herbs, and horses. Salvatore shows such a humble and compassionate regard to the authenticity of the story and writes with care and respect towards the historicity of the people. Barbara Salvatore completely mastered a perfect blend of subtle nuance mixed with educational facets that show great equipoise in her writing style. I found the story well-paced and kept me yearning to know more. Big Horse Woman is an amazing testament to Salvatore’s talent as a writer, linguist, and herbalist. I finished the book having learned so much and at the same time yearning for more! I look forward to the next novel!”
—LeAndra Hallowell Nephin, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa, University of Oxford 

“I truly found myself becoming Big Horse Woman— in a sense, I was her, feeling each of her emotions, thoughts, actions. Marvelously written! Such sensitivity and authenticity to the native culture... and the portrayal of relationship to Mother Earth, each other, to the medicines. The flow of Big Horse Woman is so real; I find myself re-reading portions almost daily.”
—Leah Droubie, Licensed Nurse, White Earth Nation, Anishinaabe, Minnesota 

“Nice! I love the story; took me to a different place in such a short time... You do good work, very much appreciated, and thank you - left me with a good feeling.”
—Travis Blackbird, Ista Ska, Ledger Artist, Omaha Tribe of Nebraska & Iowa 

“I like the fact that the main character is a young strong Native woman. It reflects the Native women of today so I feel that our Native women would appreciate Big Horse Woman. Sadly, Native woman get less recognition for their accomplishments or contributions to society then Native males. I truly wish there were more stories that portray the strength of our Native women. I admire Big Horses Woman’s courage and humility. That is the center of our universe.”
—Valery Killscrow Copeland, Artist, Hunkpapa Lakota 

“You write with a fine sense of history and culture. You have a gift for language and your prose is clear, strong, honest, and memorable. You also write about your characters with respect and love, a point of view that inspires respect and love in the reader. Big Horse Woman gathers up all of your talents and puts them on beautiful display. An impressive work.”
—David Ebershoff, author of The Danish Girl, The 19th Wife, The Rose City, Executive Editor, Hogarth and Random House

“What a stunning piece of work... It is a mammoth labor of love.”
—Barbara Lucas, thíⁿge, Author, Educator, Founder & Director, Institute of Publishing & Writing; Executive Director, Lucas-Evans Books 

“Your writing, as with all great fiction, is like entering a dream, another world... It is iridescent, beautiful, very moving, very engrossing.”
—Leslie T. Sharpe, Author, The Quarry Fox and Other Tales of the Wild Catskills, Editor, Professor, Columbia University School of Arts 

“A well-written, honest, faithful rendition of Big Horse Woman and life within the Ponca tribe in the mid-19th century. The author has definitely done her research in this area.”
—Michael Mirolla, Editor in Chief, Guernica Editions, Canada 

“It is impossible to read this book without admiring it. It is likewise impossible not to recognize the amount of work and love that went into it. Big Horse Woman is as much a poem as it is a novel. Big Horse Woman is a character that you’re not likely to meet in other novels of this ilk, nor forget her stunning portrayal. So too, the spirituality of this book shines through on virtually every page. The respect and understanding, indeed, the language between human, animal, and land is represented in such a way that is impossible not to believe. The Ponca Tribe would have to be proud of their representation here and the honor of their tradition and culture the author shows.”
—Michael Lee, Judge, Leapfrog Press, Author of Paradise Dance 

“Barbara Salvatore is one of the most powerful and inspiring writers and narrators I have ever heard. She puts John G. Neihardt in the second seat. Hold onto your reins, folks.”
—Phil Schupbach, Host Platte River Sampler, KZUM Radio, Lincoln 

“Big Horse Woman was a lovely, evocative poem. The pictures were as much a part of the work as the verse. But what impressed me most about the story was the willingness to take risks in order to paint moods and scenes. I felt that there was a deep connection between the visual art and the verse in the sense that both were directed toward creating images rather than telling intricate stories; I saw the forest. I saw Big Horse Woman on Big Horse. I saw what was being described. This is a very unusual and nice work.”
—Michael Graziano, Leapfrog Press Judge 

“I have enjoyed hearing your incredible and alive fiction. In the writing, there is a rhythm, a unique rhythm that mirrors the people, their language, a unique cadence, like a drum. I have been deeply affected by the main character and think you have touched something primal or primordial. There's something deeper there, I sensed. That's why it has power. I was immersed. What I heard was a woman who struggles, who questions, who won't shut up, who at times wishes to give up but then returns to battle. That is not dark, but inspiring. It was a voice on a journey, on the edge. It was riveting. The scenes have lingered. I don't think I will ever get the image of her out of my mind. Reading it has inspired me as a woman, a seeker, a healer, and as a writer.”
—Virginia Schwartz, Author, Send One Angel Down, Initiation, If I Just had Two Wings, Messenger, Among the Fallen 

“It is the Kind of Story you don’t want to end.”
—Martha Reich, Artist, Award Winning Singer, Song writer, The Color of Blue, Evidence of Life, Brave Bird 

“I found myself drawn into the work almost in spite of myself…You have a great deal of yourself invested in Big Horse Woman, and one way or another, you will find a place for it. With my admiration for this often-moving American Odyssey. It is your own Ulysses.”
—Selma Lanes, thíⁿge, Renowned Children’s Book critic, lecturer and editor, Author of The Art of Maurice Sendak, and Down the Rabbit Hole, Through the Looking Glass 

“Big Horse Woman is a story of people so connected to the land, its plant-life, and animals, that communication, through dreams or an inner language, seems not only possible, but natural. The story is told through dreams, songs, prayers, and visions as much, if not more, than traditional narrative. There is a strong and steady mix of poetry, prose, illustrations, and artwork. The voice is so authentic that the words feel not so much written, as channeled. The story is as real and visceral as a reading experience can get of the traditions, customs, and way of life of a Native American tribe before ongoing contact with the westward push across the American continent.”
—Evan Anderson, Author, Downriver: A Tale of Moving Pictures Before Hollywood 

“I enjoyed reading Big Horse Woman so much. I can’t wait to see the published version”
—Pam Montgomery, Herbalist, Author, Partner Earth, Plant Spirit Healing; Green Nations Gathering, Plant Spirit Healing and Spiritual Ecology

“Thank you! Your work is lovely…beautiful, and I’ve read and enjoyed it with appreciation and enthusiasm.”
—E. Barrie Kavasch, Herbalist, Ethno Botanist, Author, American Indian Earth Sense, Native Harvests: American Indian Wild Foods & Recipes, Equine Herbs & Healing: An Earth Lodge Guide To Horse Wellness 

“I love entering this world. I hate leaving it and finding myself on the subway. Go to Nebraska, Barbara! Make this story come to life for us all!”
—Suzanne Louis Reddick, thíⁿge, Artist, Jeweler, Mid-wife

“I became engaged with Water Willow very early in the narrative. What I found particularly enjoyable was the way you used your protagonist’s growth, her passage through certain significant events in her life, to show your readers the way the tribe lived day to day in the 1830s and 40s. I felt that in reading this story I absorbed a great deal of information about the food and medicine the Ponca used, their methods of hunting, cooking and making war; also their social norms, their views of the seasons, flora, fauna, the cosmos, and their way of conducting inter-personal relations. An entertaining and hugely instructive story, one that reminds me most strongly of Mari Sandoz’ These Were the Sioux. That slim volume taught me things about Native ways that a score of anthropological tomes had failed to deliver. I am no expert on Native histories... but what I read was convincing enough. Written with calm authority.”
—Alan Wilkinson, Author, The Red House on the Niobrara and Cody, the Medicine Man, and Me, Professor, American Studies, Durham, UK

“Wonderful words of praise for your book, your love of big horses, your interest in indigenous native cultures, your desire to care for the only home we have, Earth...”
—Pamela Rickenbach, Blue Star Equiculture, Draft Horse Rescue 

“I brought along Big Horse Woman to the beach with my girls (they are 17 and 12) and read it to them. They were entranced, sat listening like we all did (when you read to us).”
—Trish Marx, Children’s Author, Reaching for the Sun-Kids In Cuba, Echoes of World War II, I Heal

“All children should be taught this way.”
—Kateryna Prokopenko, Photographer, Ukraine

“Reading Big Horse Woman was like taking a long deep breath, but how it feels in the heart on the exhale. To follow her journey is like drinking from the well of under- standing for the indigenous to this land, and it is mixed in with a brilliant view into the language and culture of the Ponca tribe during the mid to late 19th century. Barbara does an amazing job at intermingling poetry, storytelling, facts, and her own knowledge of this time period and tribal community, including her understanding of the land. This book was an adventure from the beginning to end. I am so excited to see what happens next!”
—Emily Stegall Jasenski, Homeopath and Educator 

“I am sitting in a coffee shop with Big Horse Woman. I've put the book down many times, so moved by your words that I couldn't continue or see through my tears. I appreciate your work, your research, and the lessons I continue to learn from you. I am just seeking wisdom and I find it in this story. I feel a true heart connection with Big Horse Woman; A knowing that connects us all as women. And feeling the urge and urgency of moving forward, through whatever comes. We must take a stand for what we believe in... Holding to center here, and my heart is full. Thank you, and our ancestors, from my heart to yours.”
—Shara Thome, Urban Renewal Massage, Artist 

“I absolutely loved your book. It was engrossing, very interesting and left me wanting more - so much so that I was sitting up in bed and reading until the wee small hours of the morning, could not put it down and kept saying to myself ‘just a few more pages.’ I really and truly loved your book and can't wait for Books Two, Three and Four!”
—Jan Burton, Writer, Editor, Australia 

“Salvatore creates poetic images of the Great Plains high golden grasses and Nebraska’s Niobrara river home. She explores the timeless tradition of seed collection and preservation through her characters. Big Horse Woman learns not only the importance of keeping the seeds of plants, but the urgency of preserving the seeds of the Poncas themselves. For those curious about traditional plant uses, Ponca traditions, or looking for purely enjoyable storytelling, this is a satisfying read. I am left wanting more. Barbara Salvatore is a natural.”
—Jacqueline Barnhardt, Herbalist, Lincoln, NE

“I loved this story. It held me captive all the way through. I so imagined myself in all the situations. I'm looking forward for the next segment in the life of Big Horse Woman. My husband loved it too.”
—Nancy Samuelson, Lincoln, NE 

“When I opened up Big Horse Woman, I started to cry immediately. I feel these are the books I've been waiting for, that my soul has been yearning to read; As if I've found a piece of myself again and that something important is being restored outside of myself. That these books aren't just for me, they are for EVERYONE. With love and deep gratitude for sharing your talent and wisdom.”
—Rebecca Hanratty, Certified Intuitive Life Coach, Certified Nutritional Practitioner, Prenatal and Postnatal Doula