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About the Book

Full of resonance for our imperiled times, The More We Take tells the story of two tragedies: the attempted extermination of indigenous people from North America and relentless extraction from their stolen lands. These two kinds of overlapping violence, towards one another and towards the planet, seem to leave little room for hope. And yet, at the crossroads of these two desecrations, three ordinary Nebraskans, aided by legendary Lakota leaders of the past, stumble onto a path that seems to offer a way out, redemption from the profound sins of the past and hope for a future in which love, not violence, takes center stage.

Blending genres, The More We Take moves back and forth in time, from the genocidal campaign of the U.S. Army against Indigenous people of the High Plains in the 1880’s to relentless extraction from their stolen lands today.

Clete Bauer is a surveyor searching for himself. A fifth-generation Nebraskan, his job is to scrutinize the land and advise people on how to ”improve” it. But lately, especially when he’s with his 10-year-old niece C.J., he’s been worrying about what we are spoiling the land and the irreplaceable groundwater beneath it, and how long we have before the American Heartland reverts to the American Desert.

Through painful but redemptive spiritual journeys, Clete, his sister Kathy, and his partner Irene, a Lakota nurse, heal internal traumas and band together to protect what remains of the prairie and the sacred but depleted Ogallala Aquifer.

But they are outgunned, opposed by apathy and racism — and Big Agriculture, in the form of the self-righteous ChemStar Corporation.

The tide starts to turn when they are joined by legendary Lakota Chiefs of the past, like Crazy Horse and Red Cloud, who gradually reappear on the Plains to join this unlikely new resistance.

As a natural resources council meets in Nebraska to protect power and wealth, the Sky Council organizes elsewhere, watching Clete’s small band get stronger.

Clete learns to leave violence behind. Kathy finds a wild spirituality that the church failed to provide. And Irene finally forgives herself for leaving her family on the Pine Ridge Reservation. The Sky Council itself gets stronger when the chiefs are joined by creative women leaders of the past, truth-seekers and storytellers like Zitkala-Sa and Josephine Waggoner.

Dreams and visions accompany these intertwined journeys, which culminate in a magical final scene, in which the resources council and Sky Council face off, and the ominous administrative hall where the battle for the future of the new Midwest takes place is overwhelmed by a wild prairie that reclaims its rightful place and opens a mystical path to a sustainable tomorrow.

REVIEWS: 

Kevin Curnin is an author of daring experimental prose, blending realism, fantasy, drama, philosophical novel, political fiction, and poetic style. The More We Take is a story of the ongoing battle for the soul of the American Heartland, running dry in the wake of climate change, corporate greed and bureaucracy. As extraction drains the life-giving Ogallala Aquifer, an unlikely band of activists is joined by unexpected allies—Lakota spirits of the past. The band’s leader is Clete Bauer, a fifth-generation Nebraskan and a surveyor, but like K. in Kafka’s The Castle, he is surveying something deeper—his conscience. After the final page is turned, the question lingers: Is there hope, or will the Great Plains be forever lost to the highest bidder?
– Sufian Zhemukhov

The More We Take is a beautifully crafted exploration of the human condition, intricately weaving themes of identity, resilience, and the transformative power of place. Through Clete Bauer’s compelling narrative, The More We Take delves into the rich, complex history of the American heartland and how it draws and defines people across generations and cultures.
– Sean Desmond

The More We Take is a gritty fairy tale for our time, with a new brand of Midwestern heroes taking on corporate greed, climate change and a history of racism against Indigenous Peoples. Curnin’s carefully woven research supercharges our conscience and consciousness. Will the powers of mysticism and Indigenous knowledge keepers prevail against existential threat? This inventive and fearless novel is a journey through old and new truths toward a horizon of cosmic optimism.
– Allison Barlow, PhD

Read a free excerpt RIGHT HERE.

About the Author

Kevin and his family left New York eighteen years ago and moved to Maine to be closer to nature and slow things down. Every day, he’s grateful they did. He spends as much time as he can in the woods or on the water.

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