The Moccasin Maker
E. Pauline Johnson, the daughter of a Mohawk Chief and an English woman, was born in Canada in 1861.Moccasin Makeropens with the life story of the author's mother, Lydia. The stories that follow concern what it means to be Indian in a country conquered by the British. "The Tenas Klootchman" (girl-baby in Chinook) is the touching, true story of Maarda, an Indian woman whose beautifully woven baby basket sits empty after her infant dies, and a sick white widow-woman whom Maarda finds carrying a strong, healthy infant girl "rolled in a shawl." While Maarda cares for the woman and child, the empty basket haunts her: "she seemed to see a wee flower face looking up at her like the blossom of a russet-brown pansy." In addition to lovely prose and elegant plot twists, this collection is particularly stunning for the honor and respect it pays to the birth cultures of the author.-- For great reviews of books for girls, check outLet's Hear It for the Girls: 375 Great Books for Readers 2-14. --From500 Great Books by Women; review by Jesse Larsen--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.