Between the time that I was in second grade and probably sixth grade, I read this book countless times. The reading level is about fourth grade I guess, but I loved it so much that reading level didn't matter! This story will teach girls about storing up treasure in heaven and trusting God, meanwhile providing a captivating setting that every little girl loves--out on the prairie, with wagon trains and Indians. The main character is beloved and familiar as well--a girl with auburn pigtails, a lot of spunk, and a strong faith in God. Definitely a notable addition to any young girl's library--don't miss it.

Captive Treasure is set in the days of the Oregon Trail. When Carrie is captured by indians, she wonders why they are so interested in her bible. When she finally realizes what they want, she is amazed and confused at her love for god.

Leanne Harding runs away from her upcoming wedding only to come face to face with Cade Redstone, the second of Garrett Kincaid's illegitimate grandsons, in a line shack when she seeks shelter from the storm. Cade, who has been jilted at the altar before, initially feels sorry for the would-be groom until he takes Leanne under his wing. He discovers that beneath the spoiled girl image lies a woman determined to work hard in order to pursue her dream, one that is similar to his own.

Leanne has a gift when it comes to working with horses. She also has a protective brother and repressive fiance who question her capability at every turn. So when Cade steps in to give her time to decide for herself what she wants to do, Leanne embraces the opportunity, and Cade, with open and hopeful arms. As she and Cade juggle the deception of their marriage and their pursuit of a dream, they find themselves falling unexpectedly in love.

Laurie Paige's contribution to this series is a step up from its predecessor. Because the background has been laid down and many of the characters introduced, the reader is allowed more time to get to know Cade and Leanne. There is plenty of development both in their relationship and especially in Leanne's character, which resulted in a rather smooth progress for the book. Overall, this installment of the Whitehorn series was an engaging read.

I really enjoyed this story. Leanne Harding was the misunderstood, but tough heroine. Her older brother, Rand and her fiance, Bill never quites listens to what she says. They don't hear her hopes and dreams for the future as well as her feelings. Cade Redstone never has that problems. While he might not completely understand why Leanne has run from her wedding he is willing to give her the time to sort out her feelings. When Rand and Bill, start to pressure Leanne Cade comes up with a solution. His temporary solution, to give Leanne time to think about what she wants to do, gives Leanne the breathing room she needs. Both are falling love with each other but can't tell the other of their true feelings. In the end they come together. A meeting of minds, goals, and love.

Although I have some serious problems with Kraft's assertion that Custer and Meotzi were lovers (a "fact" that has never been established beyond reasonable doubt), his book does present Custer the cautious commander, *negotiating* with Indians and avoiding bloodshed with same even at the cost of some of his men's admiration.

Louis Kraft's book, CUSTER AND THE CHEYENNE, deftly takes the reader through George Armstrong Custer's 1868-1869 winter campaign against the Southern Cheyennes. The manuscript begins with the events that led up to Custer's court-martial, banishment, return to active duty and the Battle of the Washita. Surprisingly, the battle marks the beginning of military operations and not the end. In this beautifully illustrated and designed book, Mr. Kraft explores the rest of the campaign in detail: mainly Custer's trek onto the Staked Plains of Texas with two regiments (Seventh U.S. Cavalry and Nineteenth Kansas Volunteer Cavalry) that had one goal--kill Indians. Mr. Kraft makes it clear that Custer refused to bow to his men's wishes. Instead he used good judgement and acted prudently in his dealings with the Native Americans, eventually rescuing two white women and concluding the campaign without further bloodshed.

Although Custer's actions during his peaceful roundup of the recalcitrant Cheyennes are little known and certainly do not fit the general population's clichéd view of him, few will challenge Mr. Kraft's scholarship and careful citation. He mixes the finest primary sources available with Cheyenne oral tradition. Mr. Kraft's fluid and dramatic writing style breathes life into the participants, making this one of the best books ever written about the Indian wars.

I have been reading about THE SAND CREEK MASSACRE for school, a topic I chose, and I have been astonished by the lack of corresponding information on the subject. This book of poetry has served me well to offer some different views on the subject, and the information is presented in a creative manner, while remaning concise. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys some poetry and who would want to see the history of Native Americans and their views on how the U.S. came to be through eyes untypical to a general school classroom.

In November 1864 in Colorado Territory a village of Cheyenne and Arapaho was savagely assaulted by the Colorado Volunteers under the leadership of the Reverend Colonel Chivington. Ortiz calls to mind this event in prose, and then offers on the facing page poetry of hope and renewal. That is how this remarkable book begins. Throughout the book, the author (one of the best American poets writing today) pairs poems on one page with historical vignettes, personal notes, and political comments on the facing page. The book moves through alcohol treatment in VA hospitals, American mythology that undergirds a sense of mission, episodes in Indian-white relations, and many other such topics. In this work Ortiz builds toward a vision of America that is political committed, spiritually centered, and humanizing. He expresses this vision in full knowledge and acceptance of the awful truths of patterns of mistreatment and oppression. Unlike so much of the patriotism that is rooted in a "my country right or wrong" attitude, Ortiz writes as an Acoma Pueblo Indian and US citizen who loves this country deeply for what it can be.

I came to this book a number of years ago full of anger and cynicism developing as a result of learning the history that had been suppressed from the school curriculum. I had always been deeply patriotic, but was finding the truth might shatter that. Ortiz offered more evidence of the lies, but placed these facts in a framework of a dream "of love and compassion and knowledge" (96). No book has done more for the development of my sense of myself as a white American. From my point of view this book is simply the best book in print (and it was out of print for several years).

I picked this book up in a hostel while travelling through europe, at first by the cover I thought it would be silly, but after reading the cover and looking at the first couple pages I still thought so. I read it anyways and I loved it. Its the true story of a former confederate soldier, who knew many famous people and fought with and against them all, including crazy horse, sitting bull, buffalo bill cody and custer. I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn't know anything about the battle of little big horn or someone wanting to know more about the ogala indians. The battle with/against custer is a important part of the book but not what the book is all about. Its mainly about a soldier who becomes a member of the ogala tribe and all the things that happen along the way. read it!

This book was written over a half-century ago in 1950, yet the author holds the attention of current readers easily - something not easily done in today's hectic world.

A Well written document. One keeps reading the book and going back to historical accounts to see if John Clayton ever existed because the story is so convincing and so 'possible'.

I am an amateur historian and this sent be back to the documentation of the period (1860-1878) to see what I could find... I'm still searching the records.

Very good book - I recommend it highly.

In search of novels about Native Americans for my seventh grade classes, I recently read this work. The story of Dark Elk's struggle to make sense of his world in the critical historical period leading up to the battle of Little Bighorn is filled with a realistic mixture of hope, sorrow, strength, and futility. Benchley had my attention right up until the ending. After the big battle scene, however, I felt that Benchley must have run out of ideas. He summarizes the rest of his character's life in two short, un-enlightening paragraphs. Whether this listless conclusion symbolizes the emptiness of Dark Elk's remaining years or not, I found it to be unsatisfactory.

this was an excellent book because it tells the life of the native americans who lived here before us. I recommend it to any age reader.

In the story, the main character lived in an Indian settlement. He saw a beautiful girl named Lashuka there, and decided that he wanted to marry her. He asked Lashuka's mother if they could be wed, but she saw no reason to let him marry her. She said that he didn't have anything to offer, so he went to join with the warriors and prove himself. He attacked a small number of white men with them, but something horrible happened. Agency warriors, Indian warriors that lived on the Bluecoats' land, attacked them and saved the white men. The thought of Sioux fighting Sioux disturbed him so much, he set out in hopes of ending it and proving himself to Lashuka's mother.
I enjoyed this book because it was really descriptive and its set a picture in my mind. It was interesting and I thought that it was a good topic for a book. It was exciting to see the plot unfold. I really enjoyed it, and I think that anyone who enjoys a good, adventurous book would really enjoy it, too. The beginning was good at preparing you for the rest of the book, and the middle and end was really exciting. It showed me what Native Americans went through, and I thought it was really interesting. Overall, it surprised me at how adventurous it was.

This is a fast-paced story with lots of action about Thomas McCabe sent to live with a tribe of Cheyenne in Missouri in l837.
Customs, traditions and a way of life he soon comes to appreciate are all part of the plot as he is sent on a job for the Bureau of Indian Affairs to observe and record the Cheyenne for the Bureau. Excitement and adventures are in each chapter of the novel. A good read!
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One - three

After four years of reading the law in Boston, Yale graduate Thomas Benton McCabe decides he needs a change. He accepts a position with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and almost immediately is sent west to write a report on a remote Cheyenne tribe. At home, the assignment seemed easy, but in the middle of Missouri exclusively surrounded by Indians for miles, the job appears impossible.

Thomas saves the life of a Cheyenne chief, Spotted Fox. Though he distrusts the whites who always come in peace, a grateful Spotted Fox allows "Mack Cabe" to join his tribe. Soon Mack falls in love with Night Bird Woman. In accordance with tribal law, Mack will have to first fight her intended Three Hatchets. If he survives that test, he must surmount the Test of Fire for the honor of marrying Night Bird Woman. Unbeknownst to Mack his tribulations are just beginning.

CHEYENNE RAIDERS is a reprint of a novel that fantasy fan favorite Robert Jordan wrote in the early 1980's as Jackson O'Reilly. The story line is fast-paced, filled with non-stop action, and picturesquely makes the late 1830's seem alive. The motives of the characters are never fully developed as the adventures that happen to Mack take center stage. Fans of western novels with plenty of conflict, activity, and energy will enjoy CHEYENNE RAIDERS. Still Mr. Jordan's "Wheel of Time" fans might only want to read this as a curiosity piece that showcase the author's earlier work.

Harriet Klausner

I've had this book for several years and I'm finally getting around to reviewing it. My only complaint is that the major characters of previous books aren't present much, but that's because Sky left home after being falsely accused of killing the young woman he loved.

Although it's not likely, I would love to see another book where Billy Yates, town-bully-turned-minister, makes peace with his hostile father.

The storyline is great! I LOVE that the reader can experience the pain and confusion Blue Sky was going through. There were some "trails" from book #2 in this series, that were neglected in this book! I hope we'll see a 4th book dealing with some of them! As someone who isn't a fan of westerns, I found this series enjoyable. It gave me a new appreciation and understanding of some foundational problems in our country and in the Reservation near my home town.

It took quite a while for me to get into this book. I just finished reading Texasville prior to starting Leaving Cheyenne. I was expecting more after reading Texasville. The book was written in the manner that an uneducated early Texas settler might speak, thus making it hard at times to understand. The story is told in three intervals with each character contributing his/her point of view. Too much emphasis was put on Gid (the main character) to leave so abruptly and shift to the thoughts of the other characters. And their parts were too short in comparison to Gid's. The characters have potential and the book worked off of a similar plot, I thought, to The Man Who Rode Midnight by Elmer Kelton. I suggest reading Elmer Kelton's book before this one.

Perhaps there is more to life, other than sex, especially as one grows older. What about enduring friendship? Three different characters, three different viewpoints. Thought-provoking narrative for the reader to ponder and consider as the country western song tells us: "time changes everything". Worthwhile read!
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/children's author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One - Three

I read this book some years ago and I was very impressed. I enjoyed just about all of Larry McMurtry's early (pre-Lonesome Dove) works. Indeed, I felt that his three greatest works were "The Last Picture Show", "Lonesome Dove", and "Leaving Cheyenne". After "Lonesome Dove", I think McMurtry lost a lot of his sense of reality as a writer. In "Leaving Cheyenne", McMurtry tells a common enough love triangle story but in a most unique method. The three characters tell their story from their perspective which, I'm sure, has been done before and probably with greater effect. However, what makes this book special and all the more enjoyable is that each perspective is given from a different point in time. Thus we have the serious young man's perspective, the pragmatic middle aged woman's perspective, and, finally, the fun-loving old geeser's perspective. Bear in mind that these three characters are all essentially the same age but looking at their lives together from a different point of maturity. It works, too. With the serious young man we sense the cold, calculated mistakes of a driven youth. With the pragmatic middle aged woman we see the acceptance that not everything works out the way you would want them to. With the fun-loving old geeser, we see that life is not judged by past mistakes; it's judged by how much fun you're having right now.

I noted some very negative reviews on this book. To each his own. However, it is a short read and I think you may get the same impression I did. It's worth a try.

Read without knowledge of the other Indian based accounts available; this is an interesting book. There are other books available also which are based on Indian accounts and seem more coherent. This book is pretty and interesting but adds very little to a serious student of the event. Some of the vignettes are interesting when compared with other indian accounts and blended with them. The story of Custer sitting around at Weir point while Reno's battalion was being routed is not well placed in time or detail. In short, the book is a quick and easy read. It is an interesting contrast to the "old" accounts of the Little Big Horn saga. In light of other recent works on the subject; it is a lightweight.

I found this book to be fascinating pictorially and in its presentation of Indian viewpoints of Little Bighorn.

Some other reviewers have criticized Herman Viola's inclusion of the accounts of Custer's Crow scouts, as if Viola is somehow doing a disservice to scholarship. However, I don't think he is necessarily presenting these accounts as gospel. Viola acknowledges the inconsistencies between witnesses' stories, but he gives the Crow a chance to speak for themselves, which seems like a good thing to me.

Perhaps by publishing these little-known testimonies, Viola will encourage other Indian sources to share their knowledge of Little Bighorn while that knowledge still exists.

In general I'm not really big on modern history (my notion of "modern" being everything after 1200 BC!), but Viola's book "Little Bighorn Remembered," featured as it was as the "untold Indian story of Custer's last stand," intrigued me. I have to admit to having had to take a second run at it before I really got into the subject. It isn't that the work is poorly written; it isn't. I think that the up front and in your face brutality of the 19th Century US government in dealing with the Native American population was just hard to deal with for me. It's not that I am myself Native American; I just have a strong sense of fairness and fairness had no part in it. When I finally did settle into the material, however, it read rapidly. In fact it probably classifies highly with some of those I-couldn't-put-it-down novels over which people burn the midnight oil. (In my case I should have been getting a quick nap between patients while I was on-call for the OR on a night shift).

The first two chapters of the book concern the antecedents leading up to the Indian confrontation with Custer and the 7th Cavalry. These included Custer's own pre-dawn attack on a sleeping Cheyenne village under the leadership of Chief Black Kettle on the Washita River in 1868 and an earlier similar attack on Plains Tribes camping at Sand Creek in 1864. In both instances dozens of men, women, and children were hunted down and shot and their bodies butchered. In the 1868 attack even the Cheyenne pony herd, some 900 animals, was also killed, severely crippling the people's ability to pursue their traditional lifestyle. The narrative of these two chapters is filled with unfulfilled promises and broken treaties with Native Americans in the furtherance of US territorial expansion during the 19th Century. Certainly anyone familiar with the attitudes of Europeans toward technologically less advanced populations world wide in areas they wished to exploit will recognize the pattern.

The remainder of the book is divided into chapters each dealing with various perspectives on the battle of the Little Bighorn. Here is where the book rises above others on the subject, for Viola makes use of very diverse sources in his effort to thoroughly and fairly cover the subject .

Included are the oral histories passed on by the Indian participants, stories from the Cheyenne and the Dakota on one side and from the Crow and Arikara scouts with Custer on the other. Probably the most interesting part of this material is the fact that not all Plains Indians felt the same about the coming of the army into the area. In fact the imperialism of the US government was actually superimposed upon on-going events among traditional enemies within the community of local people. The long standing enmity of certain groups actually facilitated the ultimate defeat of the Plains Indians. Even allies weren't necessarily of one mind and still are not. A popular saying among the modern Cheyenne is that "The Sioux got the glory, the Crows got the land, but the Cheyennes did the fighting(p. 27)."

Also among the narratives are notes left by Edward S. Curtis who undertook the mission of creating a photographic preservation of Native American Indian lifestyles before they disappeared. During the pursuit of this work Curtis took the opportunity of covering the battle site in the company of three of Custer's Crow scouts. From information about events provided by these individuals he came to the conclusion that the battle had not proceeded as recorded thirty years previously. His intent to publish his conclusions in his project was discouraged by President Theodore Roosevelt, primarily because the latter was concerned that pro-Custer factions would ruin Curtis. The information was preserved and given over to the National Museum of American History by his son Harold just prior to Harold's death at the age of 95 in 1988.

Among the "documents" preserving the Battle at Little Bighorn are the Indian drawings of the event of which Viola includes illustrations of many. Though simple line drawings they give every bit as clear an image of the violence and carnage of the battle field as do the photo images of the Civil War. Included are drawings by the Dakota, Red Horse, and some etched drawings by an unknown artists on flattened metal from trade kettles. Also presented, many for the first time, are some of the victory memorabilia collected from the battlefield and preserved by family members of the Indian participants through the generations.

A fire across the battlefield in 1983 made an archaeological examination of the site possible and almost imperative. Application of modern techniques to the charting, recovery and analysis of the material remains on the site by professionals and trained volunteers in the decade between 1985 and 1995 have allowed a reinterpretation of what occurred and an external verification of the stories of various participants. (For a more in-depth account of which see my review of "They Died With Custer : Soldiers' Bones from the Battle of the Little Bighorn.")

Among the most amazing reports of the battle and its events is that of the contribution of suicide to the death toll. Apparently the notion of torture at the hands of Indian combatants, fostered in part by the tradition of post mortem mutilation of enemy bodies (to prevent their full enjoyment of the afterlife) produced a "save the last bullet for yourself" mentality that led to a far higher mortality than might have occurred. One Indian witness reported having seen a man "murder" a compatriot and than shoot himself. Apparently he was not the only individual to have seen this puzzling behavior either.

Probably the most arresting facets of Viola's book, and certainly the ones I found most enjoyable, were the many rotogravure/tintype portraits of the various American Indian personalities involved in the drama of the Plains. The faces are filled with dignity, composure, and intelligence. It leaves the viewer with a sense of compassion and loss. One wonders what the country might have been like had the two worlds learned to coexist more peacefully and to learn from one another.