Cover Image: The Story of Little Horse & Traveler

The Story of Little Horse & Traveler

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Member Reviews

Thank you Netgalley for letting me read and review this book. "Follow the lives of two Indian boys, Little Horse and Traveler, from birth, growing up, getting married, growing old and living in harmony with the white people." The story and characters were interesting, and I liked following their lives. The writing style was pretty good, and I enjoyed the read overall.

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Two young Lakota men, Little Horse and Traveler, grow up as one with their brave horses, White Foot and Two Toes, avoiding trouble and war, living off the land and providing for the tribe. We see how even those who were injured or maimed could work - had to work, as the tribe needed to prepare for winter.

A New York artist and writer Lee Little heads west hoping to record what he sees, set up a cabin, and with luck, return and make his fortune. This tale resonates with hoofbeats and horse breaths as everything from scouting, hunting, war, dragging provisions and wounded, and carrying mobile housing, was done with horses. We also see how the peaceful tribe hunts only the necessities and often at a heavy cost to their members. As time passes, it looks as though old ways of life are passing too, and the tribe will have to find new ways to make a living.

I enjoyed this story, somewhat in the tradition of Max Brand, which is from time to time a romance. I could not quite see a white settler family giving their daughter away to an Indian young man, without even asking if he went to church, had any school learning, or could support a family. I noticed quite a few typos through the book, but they didn't detract from my enjoyment. The tale reads as though it had been dictated and not edited and comes across in a cheerful, straightforward tone.
I downloaded an e-ARC from Net Galley. This is an unbiased review.

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Standing on solid American soil, the author guided me back in time to the rustic plains of Omaha. It was a time for discovery in this pristine land. However, for our first Native American settlers, their way of life was slowly beginning to slip out of their hands. Bearing a tribute to early America, the two leading protagonist's of the storyline were well-drawn.

Little horse and Traveler born only a few days apart were Lakota Indian boys destined to become best of friends. From birth through manhood their lives were thoughtfully chronicled. Thick and thin, they remained loyal to each other.

The Lakotas were known for always being on the move. It was dictated by their four footed sources of food; they were indebted to always keep a step ahead for their next meal. Living off the land, especially, in times of difficult weather, I was fascinated by the depth of their survival.

Gray Owl was the chief of one such Lakota tribe. Respected by all, he was painted a fair, yet, just leader. His first and only son, Little Horse, would one day follow in his footsteps to become chief. Much growth lied ahead for the would-be leader.

At the tender age of thirteen, time fell upon the two young Indian Braves to set off in search of new land. For their culture, this was known as the right passage, a time for growing up. Unbeknownst to them, their travels would yield many twists and turns.

After the passing of his parents, Lee Little sold their dry goods store in New York and moved out West. It had always been a dream of his to explore the country. The narrative would see that fate would have him cross paths with the two young nomads. In time, they would become like family. Not much older than them himself, Lee taught them his inner passion of writing and drawing. No doubt, he was talented. During the cold winter months, Little Horse and Traveler's world began to open up to new possibilities.

After the three had spent about a year together, they ventured to return back to the boy's family. For Lee, this would prove to be a dangerous trek. By this time, the white man had become an enemy of the Indians.

Having befriended the boys, Lee was accepted by the tribe. After spending the winter and spring with them, Lee returned to New York to present his drawings and novel which he labored over for many months. To his delight, he was an instant success. He successfully found a publisher for his book, My Life in the West. It rocketed up and became a best-seller. Copies were flying off the shelf. With all the wealth and recognition that followed, he discovered it wasn't enough. He yearned for his simpler life out in the West. A breakaway from life in the city was calling to him. There had to be a way for him to return to his roots. He'd give anything to find it.

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This is an account of two Indian boys born close together whose fathers were best friends. They grew up together and watched the White man change their world. You can either be part of the change or be left behind. These two tried to embrace the change and keep their old traditions at the same time.

Dog Ear Publishing and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It has been published and you can get a copy now.

I was impressed by this read. It's factual, doesn't hide the tragedies the Indians faced but doesn't dwell on them either. They take them in stride and keep moving forward.

The book is written for middle graders and they should find this account very interesting. There's lots of Indian activities. The Lakota don't want to fight wars but they will defend themselves. You follow the young ones to old age and watch their families grow and change on the way. They even become friends with a White man.

The story sounds very realistic. I have Indian relatives because my grandfather's brother married an Indian woman. When we played cowboys and Indians, I was the Indian and the Indian boys were the cowboys. We liked it that way but it made our parents laugh.

Here's a great way to introduce your young ones to an age that has almost disappeared in present times.

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