IN THE NEWS
Best Historical Fiction Books for Spring – BookBub 3/13/24
Nevada Arts Council Announces 2024 Literary and Performing Arts Fellows – Nevada Arts Council 2/20/24
The Best Historical Fiction Coming Out this Summer – BookBub 6/17/22
The Literary Scene: An interview with author Amanda Skenandore – Eat More Art Vegas 6/10/22
15 of the Best Historical Fiction Books of the Summer – BookBub 6/29/21
Speaking with Amanda Skenandore About the Scars of Forced Assimilation – Los Angeles Review of Books 4/24/19
2019 Reading List Winners Announced – American Library Association Member News 1/27/19
Nevada Arts Council Awards FY19 Artist Fellowship grants – Nevada Arts News 8/3/18
Conifer alumna releases novel about forgotten era of U.S. history – Canyon Courier 6/26/28
Tragic History – Desert Companion 5/29/18
SELECTED FOR
REVIEWS
“At its heart, this luminous book tells a Romeo and Juliet story. But Skenandore’s book is so much more than a simple romance. This novel examines the complex relationship between love and loss, culture and conquest, annihilation and assimilation. . . As the tale winds its way to the shocking and heartbreaking conclusion, the meticulous writing and the perfect rhythm of the pace combine to create a true work of art.” – Historical Novel Review
“Skenandore’s intensely emotional debut reveals the difficulties faced by Native Americans who were torn from their culture to integrate into a white society where they were not accepted . . . [Her] deeply introspective and moving novel will appeal to readers of American history, particularly those interested in the dynamics behind the misguided efforts of white people to better the lives of Native Americans by forcing them to adopt white cultural mores. – Publishers Weekly
” . . . By describing its costs in human terms, the author shapes tension between whites and Native Americans into a touching story. The title of Skenandore’s debut could refer to reality and dreams, or to love and betrayal; all are present in this highly original novel.” – Booklist
“Sweeping, epic, heart-wrenching, and powerful, Skenandore’s debut plunges readers into the world of the mission schools in the American west. Skenandore has drawn on family history to create a realistic and gripping account of a forbidden friendship. This thought-provoking novel illuminates the plight of Native American children and the planned destruction of a culture and a people. It’s a well-written, carefully researched, compelling novel for anyone fascinated by this hidden piece of our history.” – RT Book Reviews
“. . . a heartbreaking story about the destructive legacy of the forced assimilation of Native American children. Historical fiction readers and book discussion groups will find much to ponder here.” — Library Journal
“Gripping and beautifully written, Between Earth and Sky tugs at the heart with its dynamic heroine and unique cast of characters. Though this novel brings alive two historical American eras and settings, the story is achingly modern, universal and important.” — Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The It Girls
“A beautifully written debut, Between Earth and Sky is an eye-opening reminder of the United States’s attempt to assimilate and oppress Native Americans by stripping them of their identity and culture, and the tragic aftermath that left them lost between two worlds. This novel is, by turns, brilliant, heartbreaking, and haunting. I wish I had written it!” — Ellen Marie Wiseman, author of The Life She was Given
“A masterfully written novel about the heart-wrenching clash of two American cultures . . . a fresh and astonishing debut.” — V.S. Alexander, author of The Magdalen Girls and The Taster
“A sweeping tale of courage, friendship, and love, Between Earth and Sky held me spellbound. This engrossing novel transports the reader to frontier America, amid the tensions between the White Man, the Natives, and those who longed to bridge the gap in understanding and compassion. Skenandore doesn’t miss a beat—her elegant prose sings, Alma and Harry’s story mesmerizes, and the evocative setting feels all too real. I adored this book!” — Heather Webb, author of Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of WWI
