Frazier, Charles "Thirteen Moons"

Frazier, Charles "Thirteen Moons" - 2006

My first Charles Frazier book was also Charles Frazier's first book "Cold Mountain". I love that book. So, naturally, I couldn't wait for his second one to be published. And I wasn't disappointed.

The topic is completely different from "Cold Mountain" but his style, his descriptive story-telling remains the same. An amazing story about an exceptionally strong and interesting man. The main character is brought up by Cherokee in the mid-19th Century. He takes over their traditions and lives according to them, although his "white" culture does interfere, as well. However, even his Indian "fathers" don't all follow the same path.

A wonderful story that introduces us and deepens our understanding of American history before the arrival of the first Europeans. And their hard life after that, the way they were pushed into reservations, onto land that was barely inhabitable.

A wonderful novel. Have read the next book by this extraordinary author. "Nightwoods". Amazing.

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2024.

From the back cover:

"At the age of twelve, an orphan named Will Cooper is given a horse, a key, and a map and is sent on a journey through the uncharted wilderness of the Cherokee Nation. Will is a bound boy, obliged to run a remote Indian trading post. As he fulfills his lonesome duty, Will finds a father in Bear, a Cherokee chief, and is adopted by him and his people, developing relationships that ultimately forge Will’s character. All the while, his love of Claire, the enigmatic and captivating charge of volatile and powerful Featherstone, will forever rule Will’s heart. In a voice filled with both humor and yearning, Will tells of a lifelong search for home, the hunger for fortune and adventure, the rebuilding of a trampled culture, and above all an enduring pursuit of passion."

How full moons got their strange names
Origins credited to Native Americans and early European settlers.