One chapter is the fictional story of a young Native American girl, who is learning to become a shaman; the next chapter gives you notes on the lessons being learned by the young girl. That's the format of this book, cover to cover. It's kind of a guide, to teach you what Native American shamanism was like historically, and how to apply some of that knowledge in your own life.

I enjoyed the book, overall, but I am willing to retain the information I find believable and useful, leaving behind any information that sounds sort of goofy. The fictional portion of the book was mildly entertaining, though a bit idealistic.

I was looking for a book that would describe native american magical systems and healing practices. I find Atwood's work to be excellent and thurough. This book is excellent for a beginner's introduction to magical arts including crystals, aura/chakra, healing, and herbs. Each section is introduced with the story of a shaman in training. The stories provide examples and help to clarify the arts described. I really enjoyed this book and still enjoy it whenever i get it back from my friends. They insist on borrowing it. I highly reccomend this book and hope that its readers find it as useful as I do.