Bearstone by Will Hobbs

Sometimes I pick up a book because I need it to fill a gap. That's how I found this book. Next year, the reading challenge is going to have a tile about reading books about, by, or featuring an indigenous people. The obvious pick for us in the States is to read something by or about Native Americans but it really could be any displaced or, for lack of a better word, conquered extant people.

 I've actually read a fair bit in this area but not much that would be inherently appealing to teens. So, to avoid stocking the section entirely with books by Sherman Alexie and Chinua Achebe (both excellent authors) I've started casting about for options. That's how I tripped across Bearstone.

Cloyd Atcitty is a "troubled teen." His mom is dead and dad disappeared.He's run away, skipped school for years, and basically run wild in the canyons around his grandmother's home. So, his tribe decides to send him to a boys group home where he does not improve. The woman who runs the group home sends him into the mountains of Colorado to work the farm of a friend named Walter.

Up in the mountains, Cloyd has the opportunity to work hard and explore the mountain wilderness and comes to some realizations about himself and the nature of family.

I have mixed feelings. It was a very good story but the writing was a little clunky and many of the situations were implausible at best. I guess it's hitting me square in the educator button. I don't know much about tribal organizations but I don't think they would remove a kid from his home simple truancy. Additionally, assuming he's been removed, I have a hard time believing a state run facility would ship a kid up to some guy's farm even if they are an old friend of the director. The book was written in the 80's so maybe things were different. I don't know.

Aside from those issues, I think the emotional journey Cloyd undertakes in an interesting one. His reactions to situations reads true to me and reminds me of several kids I've taught over the years. Walter's capacity for forgiveness is a little unbelievable, but he's an amazing character who I wish we were given more information on.