Good writing style, terrible concept: Post-Civil War, President Grant approves a program to marry off women from the dregs of society (ie, mental institutions, jails, ex-slaves, alcoholics, etc) to a tribe of Native Americans in order to create a mixed-race. Supposedly, this is meant to make the assimilate the Native Americans into our new American culture within a generation as the women reproduce with the Native Americans.It's probably one of the worst historical fiction books I've ever read. Immensely demeaning to women, the protagonist is probably supposed to be a spirited woman far ahead of her time. I found her insulting and could never connect with her on any level. The author clearly means to present Native Americans in a sympathetic light, as well, but only succeeds in perpetuating too many stereotypes.I'd like to be able to say that the storyline improved by the end of the book, but unfortunately, I never made it that far.