Sacajawea

February 28, 2000
Bruchac's (The Arrow Over the Door) intimate novel about Lewis and Clark's epic Western exploration unfolds through the alternating voices of Sacajawea, their Shoshone interpreter, and Clark. Sacajawea's now-grown son, Pomp (Jean Baptiste Charbonneau), introduces the two narrators, explaining that Shoshone custom dictates that "one can tell only what they have seen"; since he was not yet born at the beginning of the adventure, he recounts the tale as it was told to him. Sacajawea's chapter follows, opening with a creation tale of the "great flood"--each of her chapters begins with either Shoshone tales or those of other tribes the crew encounters, and many function as cautionary fables; relevant journal entries introduce Clark's chapters. This framing device results in a few contrived references in the narrative (e.g., "The fur trade, Pomp, can make a brave man rich or cost him his life," says Clark), and the assumption that Pomp already knows the story occasionally diminishes the suspense. But Bruchac builds the alternating chapters chronologically and keeps the pace moving. Both narrators recount intriguing cultural nuances; for example, when a deserter from the expedition is recovered, the Otoes Indians plead the white man's case, arguing that it would be better to kill him than humiliate him with a public whipping. The greatest strength of the novel, however, is Sacajawea's voice, enhanced by the lyrical repetition of traditional storytelling ("It was the Moon when the Leaves Fall from the Cottonwoods," she recalls of the day she first sees Lewis and Clark). The author adheres closely to journals kept by members of the expedition, creating characters who are both lifelike and compelling, at a fascinating juncture in history. Ages 12-up.

April 1, 2003
Gr 7 Up-Joseph Bruchac's fascinating story (Harcourt, 2000) of the life of the woman who was pivotal to the success of the Lewis and Clark expedition is an outstanding example of historical fiction told from mutliple perspectives. The alternating voices of Sacajawea and Captain William Clark (Nicolle Littrell and Michal Rafkin), as well as excerpts from Clark's journals, illustrate the tremendous hardships faced by the Corps of Discovery along with the exhiliration of exploring new territory and encountering other cultures. In its well-crafted written format, readers can easily follow the narrative flow. The recorded version suffers from several defects that detract significantly from the pleasure of listening to it. The most noticeable is that Littrell's cadences and voice inflection have a distinctly sing-song quality that, while meant to convey the fact that English was a second language for Sacajawea, merely becomes annoying to the ear because they are so pronounced. In addition, the Native American stories (often featuring Coyote, the Trickster) at the beginning of many of the book's chapters are difficult to distinguish from the main text.-Cindy Lombardo, Orrville Public Library, OH

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