Child of the Dead (Spanish Bit Saga #23)
An aging matriarch of the People finds new purpose when she adopts a child whose family has been destroyed by disease, in the latest novel in Don Coldsmith's beloved multibook saga of the Plains Indians. Running Deer, grieving over the recent death of her husband, has lost all reason to live. But then the People come upon a camp of death, once inhabited by a group of buffalo-hunting people with a culture similar to their own. All in the camp have succumbed to smallpox, or have fled. All but...
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An aging matriarch of the People finds new purpose when she adopts a child whose family has been destroyed by disease, in the latest novel in Don Coldsmith's beloved multibook saga of the Plains Indians. Running Deer, grieving over the recent death of her husband, has lost all reason to live. But then the People come upon a camp of death, once inhabited by a group of buffalo-hunting people with a culture similar to their own. All in the camp have succumbed to smallpox, or have fled. All but one little girl. The People recognize the dread disease, and know that the mere touch of the child can bring it upon themselves. The only sensible thing to do is abandon the little girl to her fate. But with nothing to live for anyway, Running Deer decides to stay and care for the child. Soon, she makes her young charge well enough to rejoin Running Deer's people, who name her Child of the Dead. But still within the girl is a glimmer of longing - the burning desire to return to her own people, and what is to her adopted clan an utterly alien way of life. Don Coldsmith has woven a stirring saga of grandmother and child, and the violent clashes of culture that result from Child of the Dead's fortuitous rescue, into another masterful novel to join his critically lauded, bestselling Spanish Bit Saga.Publishers WeeklyColdsmith continues his Spanish Bit Saga, historicals about life among the Plains Indians (Track of the Bear), with an entry that's at once elegiac and down-to-earth. Set in the 18th century, this new story depicts the trials of the tribe known as ``the People'' as they cope with the dangers posed by European diseases against which they have no natural immunity. The narrative begins just after the end of the annual Sun Dance, which brings together all the bands of the People as well as other tribes. For the aged Running Deer, it will be her last Sun Dance. Recently widowed, she believes that she has nothing left to live for and so vows that she will take her own life rather than become a burden on her friends and relatives. As her band breaks camp and heads for its winter grounds, she and her tribespeople come upon the deserted large village of another tribe. The reasons for the camp's abandonment soon become clear: it has been struck by the dreaded poch (French for smallpox). The only survivor is a young girl who is already exhibiting signs of the plague. Though others in Running Deer's band want to leave the girl to die, Running Dear decides to nurse her back to health. The bond formed between the old woman and Gray Mouse, who also becomes known as Child-of-the-Dead, forms the emotional center of this novel, which turns on love, the meaning of life and the tension between cultural alienation and the need to belong. In time, Gray Mouse grows into a young woman among a people not her own; her longing to return to her own tribe resolves in a finale that's at once touching and promising of a sequel. (Feb.)
\ Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly\ Coldsmith continues his Spanish Bit Saga, historicals about life among the Plains Indians (Track of the Bear), with an entry that's at once elegiac and down-to-earth. Set in the 18th century, this new story depicts the trials of the tribe known as ``the People'' as they cope with the dangers posed by European diseases against which they have no natural immunity. The narrative begins just after the end of the annual Sun Dance, which brings together all the bands of the People as well as other tribes. For the aged Running Deer, it will be her last Sun Dance. Recently widowed, she believes that she has nothing left to live for and so vows that she will take her own life rather than become a burden on her friends and relatives. As her band breaks camp and heads for its winter grounds, she and her tribespeople come upon the deserted large village of another tribe. The reasons for the camp's abandonment soon become clear: it has been struck by the dreaded poch (French for smallpox). The only survivor is a young girl who is already exhibiting signs of the plague. Though others in Running Deer's band want to leave the girl to die, Running Dear decides to nurse her back to health. The bond formed between the old woman and Gray Mouse, who also becomes known as Child-of-the-Dead, forms the emotional center of this novel, which turns on love, the meaning of life and the tension between cultural alienation and the need to belong. In time, Gray Mouse grows into a young woman among a people not her own; her longing to return to her own tribe resolves in a finale that's at once touching and promising of a sequel. (Feb.)\ \ \ \ \ Library JournalColdsmith's novels (e.g., Thunder, Doubleday, 1993) often deal primarily with universal people-problems. His latest is specifically concerned with the smallpox epidemic that decimated Plains Indians in the mid-19th century. Running Deer, an aged widow of the Elk-Dog People, moves into a death camp where the only survivor of the pox is a little girl, Gray Mouse, for whom she cares. The two survive in the wilderness. When Gray Mouse reaches womanhood, she leaves to find her own people, a search that brings her adventure and danger. The author's leisurely style then changes to violent action and suspense with a surprise ending. A beautiful book recommended not just to fans of the Western genre but to all who enjoy good writing. [For an interview with Coldsmith, see "Backed by Popular Demand," LJ 2/15/94, p. 120-124.-Ed.]-Sister Avila, formerly with Acad. of the Holy Angels, Minneapolis\ \ \ School Library JournalYA-This novel contains much material with which YAs will identify, as it is a story about finding one's place. Proud, independent Running Deer, still resentful over the death of her husband, decides that she, too, wants a noble death. She leaves her people to be with Gray Mouse, a sick child who is the only one still living after an epidemic of smallpox wiped out her tribe. They both survive and eventually return to Running Deer's people. Ten years later, in the plot's climax, Gray Mouse tries to find relatives and others who knew her original extended family in order to discover who she really is. Despite a slow start, the tale moves quickly and easily and has moments of adventure and unique characters with strong feelings.-Claudia Moore, W.T. Woodson High School, Fairfax, VA\ \
