Blackfeet Season [Mass Market Paperback]

Vella Munn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 15, 2000

Winter is coming, but the Blackfeet have not yet begun the journey to their southern hunting grounds, stalled while Chief Sleeps Too long and the shaman, Bunch of Lodges argue whether spirituality or a warrior's wisdom is the best was to guide the tribe.

White Calf, a young woman of great spiritual power, dreams that the buffalo have wandered far from their usual grazing lands and that the Blackfeet must quickly mount a hunt of risk winter starvation.

While White Calf chooses to marry one of the shaman's sons, political rivalry becomes outright war. The tribe splits in two as the chief's faction heads for warmer lands, while Bunch of Lodges leads his people on an ill-fated buffalo hunt.

Painfully aware that only unity will allow the tribe to survive the harsh winter their dreams have foretold, the shaman's sons and White Calf struggle through an unending blizzard to rejoin their people. their only guide is a spirit wolf who seems both a menace and protector.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A chronicler of the history of Native Americans, Munn (Seminole Song) once again turns to their historic struggle for identity and survival in her new tale of love, courage and family bonds. In the early 1860s, life is precarious for the Blackfoot tribe on the Western plains. Many enemies surround them?the Snakes, the Crow, the Cree and the ever-encroaching white invaders. In this hostile environment, Night Thunder comes of age, participating in his first Sun Dance and achieving warrior status while hunting horses that have been stolen by raiding Snakes. Also jostling for honor and rank is Raven's Cry, Night Thunder's older half-brother. Soon the two find themselves vying for the hand of White Calf, a clairvoyant woman so beautiful it will cost many horses to marry her. The rivalry intensifies and Raven's Cry ultimately succeeds in winning White Calf; Night Thunder finds love with Little Rain, a Cree captive taken in a raid against the Crow. But this happiness is threatened when Little Rain is taken prisoner yet again by the Snakes, and Night Thunder undertakes a desperate journey to find her. Munn details many intriguing aspects of Native American life, including buffalo hunts, practical marriage unions and an immutable code of honor. Articulating more interiority and character development than is sometimes found in this genre, while not sacrificing the requisite action, she sturdily constructs an unpredictable tale.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Vella Munn is a major talent in historical fiction. Her stories never fail to lift the spirit and warm the heart."-Susan Wiggs

"Vella Munn is highly regarded as one of the decade's great American Indians romance storytellers. her latest historical novel is an incredible accomplishment...awesome...filled with action. Anyone who enjoys Native American historical fiction should try Ms. Munn, who is obviously second to none."--The Midwest Book Review

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Tor Books; 1st edition (April 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812570650
• ISBN-13: 978-0812570656
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #790,696 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Munn is second to none, April 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Blackfeet Season (Hardcover)

In the 1860's on the Great Plains, the Blackfeet have reached a critical point in their history. Enemies threaten to engulf them from without, while their leaders are divided as to how to proceed. Two camps have sprung up. One group backs the tribal chief while the other supports the shaman. Amidst the chaos steps forward White Calf, a tribe member who has the spiritual power to foresee the future. Her picture is bleak, but she cannot determine what path the tribe should follow.

Adding to the troubles is the fact that the next generation compounds the current leadership rivalry. The shaman's two sons compete to ultimately replace him and they, in turn, vie with the chief's son for power. White Calf chooses to wed Raven's Cry, one of the shaman's sons. However, her selection could be the catalyst that leads to civil war and ultimately to their seeming destiny of total destruction.

Vella Munn is highly regarded as one of the decade's great Americana Indian romance story tellers. Her latest historical fiction novel, BLACKFEET SEASON, is an incredible accomplishment that will gain the author much tribute from fans, critics, and writers. The research that the author must have done is awesome because authenticity can be felt throughout the novel. The story line is filled with action, but it is the reader's sensing of life at this critical juncture that makes this a necessary read for sub-genre fans. Anyone who enjoys a Native American historical fiction should try Ms. Munn who is obviously second to none.

Harriet Klausner