• Booklist Reviews : Booklist Monthly Selections - #1 May 2002
  Gr. 4-8. In this large picture book for older children, Abenaki author Bruchac and Navajo artist Begay tell the story of the forced removal of the Navajo in the 1860s, when the U.S. government made them leave their homeland and walk 470 miles to a desolate reservation. The writing style is dull at times, but the facts are fascinating, and Bruchac does a fine job of filling in the history from the Navajos' viewpoint, not only the deadly marches but also the circumstances surrounding the uprooting, including the racism of the whites. Begay's pictures are stunning, and his eloquent captions will challenge readers to look closely. Full-color, double-page acrylic paintings with heavy brush strokes express the violence and suffering as soldiers storm where people live. Small, sepia-tone watercolor portraits show individuals close up. Together the words and pictures reveal not victims, but the strong community and culture that helped the Navajos survive atrocity and return home. Unfortunately, there are no sources at all, not even for direct quotes. ((Reviewed May 1, 2002)) Copyright 2002 Booklist Reviews

Joseph Bruchac is a writer and storyteller of Abenaki heritage who feels that his life’s work is sharing stories told to him by elders of various Native American peoples. Bruchac has been awarded Rockefeller Humanities and NEA Poetry fellowships and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Native Writers Circle of the Americas. His more than 70 children’s books include Sacajawea: The Journal of Jesse Smoke, A Cherokee Boy on the Trail of Tears; and Native American Games and Stories, which he co-authored with his son, Jim. Bruchac lives in Greenfield Center, New York.