logo

40 pages 1 hour read

The Way to Rainy Mountain

Nonfiction | Anthology/Varied Collection | Adult | Published in 1969

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Book Brief

logo
N. Scott Momaday

The Way to Rainy Mountain

Nonfiction | Anthology/Varied Collection | Adult | Published in 1969
Book Details
Pages

98

Format

Anthology/Varied Collection • Nonfiction

Setting

1930s; Great Plains

Publication Year

1969

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

Lexile Level

890L

Roundup icon

Super Short Summary

The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday is a creative nonfiction work recounting the history of the Kiowa nation through a blend of ancestral stories, historiography, and personal memoir. Structured in 24 two-page stories split into three sections—“The Setting Out,” “The Going On,” and “The Closing In”—the book tracks the Kiowas' journey from their origin in the Rocky Mountains to their 1875 surrender at Fort Sill and subsequent reservation life.

Nostalgic

Contemplative

Melancholic

Reviews & Readership

4.1

4,642 ratings

67%

Loved it

24%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

Roundup icon

Review Roundup

N. Scott Momaday's The Way to Rainy Mountain intricately weaves Kiowa folklore, personal history, and poetry, evoking a rich sense of cultural heritage. Praised for its lyrical prose and vivid storytelling, some critics feel its structure can be disjointed. Overall, it’s a poignant homage to Native American tradition and identity, though it may challenge linear narrative preferences.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Way to Rainy Mountain?

A reader who enjoys The Way to Rainy Mountain by N. Scott Momaday likely appreciates lyrical prose, Native American heritage, and reflective storytelling. Fans of Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Louise Erdrich's Love Medicine will find similar thematic richness and cultural depth.

4.1

4,642 ratings

67%

Loved it

24%

Mixed feelings

9%

Not a fan

Book Details
Pages

98

Format

Anthology/Varied Collection • Nonfiction

Setting

1930s; Great Plains

Publication Year

1969

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

14+ years

Lexile Level

890L

Continue your reading experience

Subscribe now to unlock the rest of this Study Guide plus our full library, which features expert-written summaries and analyses of 8,000+ additional titles.