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Summary: untitled
Review: As a student of Native American history, I was pleased to find that Mr. Thom has done his research thoroughly. The eradication attempts of the Native Peoples by various administrations are well documented(although sometimes you really have to dig deep to find it). I continue to marvel at the will and hold in the highest esteem these people who would not let their culture die. Mr. Thom makes the characters "come alive". I felt the cold, the warmth of the fire and the love and caring of these people for all living things. I recommend this book to everyone.
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Summary: Fantastic historical fiction.
Review: I finished this 533 page novel in four days, and I read from page 264 to the ending in one sitting. I think that pretty much sums it up that I really, really enjoyed reading this book. It is on such a fascinating subject which is not too often found in adult literature. Most historical fiction novels on white children taken captive by the Indians are written for juvenile or young adult readers.This novel is based on the true story of Frances Slocum who at age 5 was carried off by Delaware Indians right in front of her family in 1778. Her family searched for nearly sixty years until they finally found her- the widow of a Miami chief who could not speak any English or even remember her given name except for Slocum. Thom details what occured in the sixty years before that reunion. Mostly, it is a story of young Frances adapting to her new life, her growth into womanhood, and her experiences with the tragedies that occur to her Indian people as the Americans take their lands and destroy the entire fabric of their lives. Thom also details the Slocums' attempts to find their lost child during that same period. Thom does a great job of capturing what must have been the emotions when that lost sister met her Slocum siblings for the first time in six decades. Truly poignant. My only complaint about this book is Thom's rather simplistic portrayals of the Indians and whites. With the exception of the Quaker Slocum family, every white in this book is a brutish lout; and with the exception of a couple drunken brutes, the Indians are all portrayed as wonderful people. The historical reality was a little more complex, and even most children's books on the subject of Indian captivities present a more even-handed picture. For instance, historically the Indians, who carried off little Frances, also carried off two other children who they later killed for crying too much, and that they had killed a "boy" on the Slocum farm. Thom doesn't ignore that the Indians also took other captives with Frances or that they had killed someone at her family's farm, but he has the other captive being ransomed back to the whites, and he has turned that killed "boy" into a soldier. I think that is being a little dishonest for sake of "political correctness," which is annoying.
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Summary: The Red Heart
Review: I have always loved historical novels, and especially loved James Alexander Thom's FOLLOW THE RIVER and FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA and LONG KNIFE. It has been a while since I've read more of Thom's books, and this RED HEART was by far as enjoyable as FOLLOW THE RIVER, which was always my most favorite. I felt like I really knew Frances Slocum and Maconakwa. I felt the "spirit" in this book. It was a wonderful story, and I highly recommend it. I am about to start PANTHER IN THE SKY now, and will let you know how that was!
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Summary: An Incredible and Inspiring Acounting of her life
Review: I just finished this book and miss it already. The author, again, not only told you the story of survival of an incredible person, but also a story based on fact. This book tells what it's like to be a real woman, a woman of strength and dignity. This book tells what it really must have been like to be a (Native) American back in those horrid times. I'm ready to plant my garden and I want to plant in the natural, efficient, grateful way the natives did, and this book speaks of, and compare it to the "wapsi" ways I have been taught all my life. To me, had the natives had a better understanding of Christ,( perhaps by better examples), they would have lived as close to Eden as any culture has ever achieved. Too bad greed and alcohol and fear devestated that Eden so thoroughly. Thank you, James Alexander Thom, for reminding us and refreshing our view of who we are, and how we got here by your historic novels and accountings. Readers, try "Follow The River" and "Panther in the Sky", too, other books by Thom that will enrich you with sociology, history and geography, and a few gardenning pointers, too!
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Summary: Unable to read
Review: I picked it up having never read anything by Thom before. Well, now I'm hooked! I didn't realize at first that this was a true story (based on the real-life of Frances Slocum). To me it just sounded like an interesting premise, the story of a child carried off by Indians. Seeing as how the majority of books out there tend to portray American Indians in a very typical one-dimensional way, I was very pleased to find the characters here three-dimensional and complex, from Tuck-Horse to Minnow with her hatred for men, alcohol, whites, and just about everything in between. The only thing that disappointed me was that poor Mackonakwa's life (Frances Slocum) is rushed through in the latter half. The first half of the book is her early years growing up with the indians, while after she meets The Awl, the entire story is rushed through. A bit disappointing, but still a 5 star book. Rushing out right now to get the rest of Thom's books!
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Summary: The Red Heart and Political Correctness.
Review: I really enjoyed reading this novel. It not only inspired me to read other books by James Alexander Thom, but also made me want to find out more about Frances Slocum. It was in doing this research that I discovered that Thom had played a little loose with the facts of Slocum's abduction. I believe he did this simply to place her Indian abductors in a better light. Yes, it was a little disconcerting; but this discovery did not ruin my overall enjoyment of the book. The novel attempts to view the history of Old Northwest from a very pro-Native perspective. Thom wants the reader to be fully aware that what happened to the Indians of the Old Northwest was a tragedy and a blot on the history of the U.S. And I think he is absolutely correct in that viewpoint. However, I felt that occassionally he went a little overboard in attempting to illustrate this point. His portrayal of the differences between whites and Indians sometimes came across as simplistic and condenscending. It can be annoying since I've read children's books on the subject of Indian captivities that presented a more even handed and realistic look at racial relations- Sally Keehn's "I Am Regina" is an excellent example that shows that cruelty could be found on both sides. However, "The Red Heart's" political correctness is a quibble that really does not deter from its effectiveness as a terrific novel. It's really well-written, and is about one of the most poignant and fascinating stories in American history. If you love historical fiction set in early America and have enjoyed James Alexander Thom's work then you will surely enjoy this book.
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Summary: The Red Heart and Political Correctness.
Review: I was going to buy the book because of enjoying "From Sea to Shining Sea" so much. But the review I read about how the author changed the facts to portray Native Americans thru the telescope of "political correctness" changed my mind. Please will somebody tell me it ain't so?????
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Summary: Stunning true story
Review: The Author deserves all the praise he gets.
The novelisation of this true story is handled with depth and feeling, told from the perspective of the girl Frances herself and of her family as they continually try to find trace of her during this terrible, bloody period of US colonisation. It does appear as though the story is biased towards the Indians, but, given that the author is married to an Indian and the fact that every treaty that the US signed with the Indian tribes was broken, either in word or in deed - it's hardly surprising that the bias is toward the down-trodden. Mr.Thom is one of those few authors who can generate a world inside one's head, and he does this without overblown descriptive passages - just the right words in the right place.
For example, in just a few sentences, you are taken to the edge of Niagara Falls and stunned by the majesty of its awesome power - and I've never seen it! Reading this book prompted me to order more of his work.
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Summary: A stunning work of historical fiction well written !
Review: The author has done it again!!! James Alexander Thom is well known for being a master of the historical fiction novel...and in the case of The Red Heart...he only adds to his unique reputation! I was totally absorbed in the story of Frances Slocum from page one! The author completely succeeded in making me care about the main charactors in the novel and, more importantly, he taught me quite a bit about the history, culture and lives of the Native American peoples among whom Frances Slocum lived. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who has even the slightest interest in understanding more about the history of our nation's earliest days. I also would recommend this book to anyone who would like a rousing read and a real "page turner"! Without a doubt this is one of the author's finest works to date!!
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Summary: awesome! bravo!
Review: This is one great book.
It is based on the true story of Francis Slocum, a 4 year old Quaker girl who was kidnapped by Delaware Indians in the 1770s on the Pennsylvania frontier near Wilkes-Barre. (There are recreation areas named for her in both Pennsylvania and Indiana)
It is also the story of her family's 60 year search for her across the Midwest and even into Canada.
It is also the story of the relentless American westward movement and how the Indians dealt with it.
The reader also gets a fantastic lesson on daily life among the Delaware and Miami Indians.
If you're a Star Trek: The Next Generation fan you'll remember the epidsode in which Picard is "attacked" by the alien probe from the long-dead world that makes him live an entire lifetime among their people in his mind in just a few seconds so that their way of life will never be forgotten. (It's the one where he learns to play the little flute-type instrument). Well, this book reminds me of that - you are drawn into this woman's life and initiated into Indian culture as she is. you learn along with her. You grow up with her, feel her disappointments and joys and her confusions as she learns that her white family is searching for her (should she seek them? should she run? Would it be best to take advantage of her white skin and abandon her Indian family as the times get harder and harder?)
I have a few quibbles with the book but those are dwarfed by Thom's overall accomplishment. Honestly, at the end of the book, when Francis Slocum dies, I felt as though a longtime friend who'd lived a wonderful and fulfilling life had died - and that is the greatest compliment I think I can give it.
Bravo!
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