 Currently a college writing instructor, Kate Niles holds degrees in Anthropology, Archeology and Creative Writing. She is the recipient of the Colorado Council of the Arts Individual Artist Fellowship for Creative Writing in 2003. Her book of poems, GEOGRAPHIES OF THE HEART, was published by Blue Heron Press in 1997, and her poetry has appeared in The South Dakota Review, Fish Drum, Bellowing Ark, as well as many other places. Her essay “The View From Here” was broadcast on KSJE public radio, Farmington, NM in February 2002. Other essays, which have appeared in a number of regional publications, include subjects such as “Of Males and Motorcycles: A Review of the Iron Horse Harley Davidson Motorcycle Classic,” “Don’t Bury Our Link to the Ancient Past,” and “Back Dirt.” Her short stories have been broadcast on KSJE public radio and have appeared in such publications as The Louisville Review, Hurricane Alice: A Feminist Quarterly, and Words of Wisdom. THE BASKET MAKER was a finalist in the Heekin Group Foundation Awards for a novel-in-progress.
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In a novel that is solidly and gorgeously set in the Southwest, Sarah, a young girl forced into an awful secret by her father, is torn between the need to tell someone and the concern that her father will hate her forever if she betrays him. Afraid to get too close to anyone for fear that they might learn her secret, Sarah becomes obsessed with Trent, a burn victim her age whom she imagines may be holding in as much hurt and anger as she is. Sarah’s first person narration is deftly interwoven with the stories of Barbara, Trent’s mother; Madeleine, Sarah’s well-meaning elderly neighbor; and Ouray, the ghost of an Indian who lived and died on the lands where Sarah and her family now reside.
THE BASKET MAKER is a stunning literary accomplishment, a page turner that deals delicately and intelligently with the subject of sexual abuse and celebrates the process of healing so earnestly that the reader cannot help but be a part of it.
Early Review Excerpts
"Sarah describes her abuse in bleak, detached terms to powerful effect. Her furious brother and competitive mother are lightly drawn but alarmingly vivid. A compact, earnest debut: heartfelt." --Kirkus Review
"[The rescue scene] is one of several lovely, spell-binding moments of fantasy and reality that the author vividly makes into redemption… Niles deftly maintains the weaving motif of the title as a metaphor of healing scars and the living tissue of recovery." --ForeWord Magazine
"The characters become your friends, your enemies, your neighbors, the woman at the grocery store, the man in the alley, the family down the street. Niles has mastered the art of providing the reader the ability to fall into the character’s skins and safely crawl out. …Ultimately, THE BASKET MAKER teaches us that through the pain and fear the land never ceases to show up and cradle us if we can retain the innocence of play in nature and remember how important that is for our well-being as adults." --The Durango Herald (CO)
"[Niles'] words create strong visual images… [they] also reveal the magic and curative powers that are hidden in nature. And when Niles’ describes the West - a sky so blue that it seems unreal, the 40-degree drop in temperature at night and the gift that mountains have for putting everything into perspective - she is right on target. I read THE BASKET MAKER in as few sittings as possible." --The Daily Sentinal, Fort Davis TX
"Kate Niles demonstrates the power of a true story weaver... The everyday becomes the uncommon by the end of a sentence, and the reader doesn’t see it coming until it hits them hard. The story of Sarah and her new friends teaches readers without preaching how to reach out and begin the healing of the past. Weaving the threads of the tale to a vivid, strong conclusion, she does not disappoint the reader. Kate Niles proves her ability to pull tight the strands of sentences into a story that never unravels. Readers will finish the book wanting more." --CurledUpWithAGoodBook.com
"Smoothly written and deftly woven… [this] unique and compassionate novel is presented with intelligence, delicacy, and reader-engaging passion set against the background of the American southwest. The Basket Maker now documents [Niles] as having mastered the novel with a literary style and elegance rarely achieved and never surpassed. --Midwest Book Review
"A tremendous stirring of emotions… I think the lesson, though, that this book so well expresses, is that sometimes you have to look. Sometimes you have to slow down and try to see what is going on outside ourselves, no matter how hard it may be." --WordsWordsWords.com
"The fabulous Sarah serves as the focus of this deep character study in which more than just the protagonist is psychologically opened up to the audience." --Harriet Klausner
"This story offers a blend of luminous prose, thought-provoking issues, and incredible story telling. Powerful, timely, and sure to haunt. Niles takes a look at an unspeakable end to innocence… I recommend this book for everyone because we were all children once struggling to learn how to survive in an adult world." --Christina Francine for BestReviews.com
"THE BASKET MAKER is a tale that takes pain and suffering of different individuals and weaves them together in to a story of faith, letting go and healing. Even if you don't believe in the spirit world and the ability of a metaphysical being for the Earth, this novel should hold your interest." --BVS Reviews
"The depths of Kate Niles' novel go far beyond this [description]… You get a tremendous feel for each generation's beliefs, hopes and fears." --RoundTableReviews
"[The narrators] entwine us, like a basket weaver, into the tale until the last yucca and rabbit fur are woven into place and we sigh with contentment over a story well told." --BookIdeas.com
"A beautifully crafted, bittersweet story about learning to let go of the pain we often cling to—and learning to live with the scars that may fade with time but will never fully disappear… more than just a story—it’s a cathartic experience that forces you look inside yourself as you read. As the characters begin to face the pain they keep inside, so will you. And in the end, you’ll find yourself refreshed." --Nights&Weekends.com
"The four corners region…is a magical and mystical place. It is that place where Kate Niles has made a home for her first novel, THE BASKET MAKER. She uses her lyrical voice to take readers on a journey through many different landscapes of life and of the earth… Those who read this book, not only will love it for the journey, but will desire to make a second journey to Colorado to see the beauty that inspires Kate Niles." --Kim Lipker, author of The Unofficial Guide to Bed & Breakfasts and country Inns in the Rockies
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