Mari Sandoz books

Mari Sandoz (1896-1966) was an American author and historian known for her vivid portrayals of the Great Plains, the Sioux people, and frontier life.

Non-Fiction

Title Published Buy on Amazon
The Buffalo Hunters: The Story of the Hide Men 1954 Buy
These Were the Sioux 1961 Buy
The Cattlemen: From the Rio Grande across the Far Marias 1961 Buy
The Battle of Little Big Horn 1966 Buy
The Christmas of the Phonograph Records: A Recollection 1966 Buy
Love Song to the Plains 1966 Buy
Son of the Gamblin’ Man: The Youth of an Artist 1976 Buy
Cheyenne Autumn 1992 Buy
Letters of Mari Sandoz 1992 Buy
Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas 2004 Buy
Old Jules 2005 Buy
The Beaver Men: Spearheads of Empire 2014 Buy

Short Story Collections

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Old Jules Country: A Selection from “Old Jules” and Thirty Years of Writing after the Book was Published 1955 Buy
Hostiles and Friendlies: Selected Short Writings of Mari Sandoz 1959 Buy
Sandhill Sundays and Other Recollections 1970 Buy
Winter Thunder and The Christmas of the Phonograph Records with Related Readings 2001 Buy

Standalone Novels

Title Published Buy on Amazon
Slogum House 1937 Buy
Winter Thunder 1954 Buy
The Horsecatcher 1957 Buy
The Story Catcher 1963 Buy
Miss Morissa: Doctor of the Gold Trail 1980 Buy
Capital City 1982 Buy
The Tom-Walker 1984 Buy
Foal of heaven 1991 Buy

Mari Sandoz (1896-1966) grew up in the Nebraska Sandhills, and the landscapes and people of the Great Plains shaped everything she wrote. Her biography of her father, Old Jules, was rejected by thirteen publishers before winning the Atlantic Press nonfiction prize and launching her literary career. She went on to write prolifically about the American West, producing novels, histories, and biographical works over three decades.

Her non-fiction is particularly well regarded. Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas is considered one of the finest biographies of the Lakota leader, and Cheyenne Autumn tells the story of the Northern Cheyenne’s desperate flight to return to their homeland. The Buffalo Hunters, The Cattlemen, and The Beaver Men form part of her planned series documenting the trans-Missouri region’s history from multiple perspectives.

Sandoz’s fiction, including Slogum House (1937) and Miss Morissa: Doctor of the Gold Trail, draws on the same deep knowledge of frontier life. Her work is valued for its historical accuracy, its empathy for Native American peoples, and its refusal to romanticize the harsh realities of the American West.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Mari Sandoz written?

Mari Sandoz has written 24 books across three series.

What was Mari Sandoz's first book?

Mari Sandoz’s first book is Slogum House, published in 1937.

What is Mari Sandoz's most famous book?

Old Jules (1935, republished 2005) is her best-known work. It is a biography of her father, a Swiss immigrant homesteader in the Nebraska Sandhills, and won the Atlantic Press nonfiction prize. The book established her reputation for unflinching, detailed portrayals of frontier life.

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