Using deer sinew from his pouch, Flying Hawk deftly ties the blade of the axe into the "joined branches" of the bitternut hickory tree. As the years go by, this will become the tomahawk of his son, newly born, Little Hawk. Eleven years later Flying Hawk will lead his son, carrying this same tomahawk, out into the forest where he will prove his manhood by surviving alone in the woods for three months in the deep winter months.
Family, tradition, and bravery are packed into Little Hawk as he goes in search of his Manitou. Until his own Manitou shows itself to him, he will fast. Will he have what he needs to survive? Will his Manitou find him worthy? Will he carry on the family, the traditions and the bravery in his own life?
John Wakely knows the truth of what happened that day when the giant tree crashed down in the forest. John Wakely also knows his step-father cannot abide him. John's future lies in the home of Master Medleycott where John will apprentice and hope to one day ply the trade of cooper.
Two boys. Two lives. Betrayal. Two boys becoming men and trying to make sense of their lives and their worlds and all around them their two worlds are colliding.
This is a many-layered story of dignity, honor, and betrayal. It is a story of men at their best and men at their worst. This is an eye-opening recounting of the earliest years of the American nation with all of the ugliness and egotism that can turn the best of intentions into a morass where power is claimed and perverted in the name of Godliness.
Bearing witness to a dark underbelly of American history, this story nonetheless carries shining light, the breathtaking honor of some, and above all the astounding wondrous difference one human being can choose to make.
This story is a gift to this generation. Take a look back from the safety of your perch in today's America. But look carefully and see if you can discover the wisdom in the authenticity of the gleaming prose and the stirring truths you rarely are offered in these "modern" times. Perhaps Ghost Hawk still waits in the marsh after all.
Ages 10 and up 978-1442481411 328 pages
Recommended by: Barb
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