This book is hefty, in terms of historical information, and is not the style of book I would typically pick up to read.  But after hearing the plot of the movie coming out later this year, I was fascinated by this true story and had to know Grann’s account.  Kind of surprisingly, the story gripped me from start to finish; it is one that left me thinking about it from the moment I put the book down to when I picked it up again.

All of this being said, I can understand that this style of writing may not be for everyone.  There were a LOT of people introduced throughout the book.  I appreciated that Grann seemed to acknowledge that fact by continually reintroducing characters whenever they resurfaced in the narrative, sometimes by a very brief synopsis of the aforementioned events with which they were associated.  Even with these helps, I had to flip back and forth on occasion, and sometimes had to reread paragraphs to regain my attention.  I’m grateful I consumed this in print, rather than via audiobook, and would recommend other readers do the same (unless they have an exceptional memory).

This is an important piece of American history.  The way Grann laid out the story had me wanting to know more and more, and he delivered.  I know I will be thinking about this account for a long time.

I listened to this in one day because I could not put it down.

The book is split into three basic sections: the story of Mollie Burkhart, the story of Tom White, and the story of the author. The movements are extremely well executed and the literary voice is engaging. It's a very well written book.

But, like, more than that: history is insane. The things we don't get taught are wild.  I need everyone I know to read this book. 

Total score: 5/5 stars

A taut, dramatic, and excruciating dive into the countless horrible acts of violence inflicted by white Americans on the Osage Indian Nation. Grann's research is comprehensive, and his writing here is as sharp as anything I've encountered in my (admittedly meager) dips into non-fiction. His book occupies a fascinating place between hard-hitting investigative journalism—which is thrilling, by the way—and moving, often nauseating retellings of a history I barely knew a thing about. I love how grand the scale of the book is and how it centers the stories of so many people and gives them the respect, grace, and closure history denied them. The final section of the book messes with the propulsive pacing of the first two as they settle into the more traditional structure of a whodunnit, but it's in that section where the most meaningful bits of commentary are found. The FBI might claim to have ended the "Years of Terror," but the truth is far bloodier than that, and the closure the American government provided was a half-measure that dismissed countless unsolved murders into the dark annals of history.

Part of me wanted Grann to lean further into his political leanings, specifically regarding the FBI, as my outrage at the truths the book illuminates made me eager for some scathing rebuttal or judgment. But I'm glad Grann has more restraint than me, as his approach is far more effective and searing than any commentary could be, especially considering how damning the hard facts of the story are. And to his credit, the historical details and quotes he uses in the section documenting the FBI's development speak volumes to his opinion of the thing. Even Tom White, the "hero" of the FBI investigation that resulted in meaningful arrests, is a flawed person who, as Grann smartly and briefly acknowledges at one point, eventually settles into the same lifestyle as the people he's often quoted as detecting. 

I'm incredibly glad I read this (or, rather, listened to the excellent audiobook), and in an ideal world, I would love to assume that it becomes mandatory reading.