Crazy Weather [Paperback]

Charles L. McNichols (Author), Natachee Scott Momaday (Introduction)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

'This is the story of a boy who became a man in four days. Into it Charles McNichols has packed an amazing amount of action, adventure, Indian lone, and satisfying psychology...A splendid piece of fiction that can stand up in any company of contemporary novels' - "New York Times Book Review". 'One might almost say that Indian tales in America run the gamut from the romanticism of James Fenimore Cooper to the brilliant realism of Charles L McNichols. Almost within the Greek unties of time, place, and action, he has given us an unforgettable story which embraces the entire Mojave culture' - "Chicago Sun Book Week". '"Crazy Weather" belongs with our best beloved stories of a boy's growing up. But it is a story for adults in every sense of the word...McNichols belongs in the great tradition of storytellers' - "New York Herald Tribune".'The book has anthropological interest and it is filled with good bits of psychology...It is a reminder that racial enmities would die out in a single generation if they weren't kept alive by tradition and adults' - "New York Times". 'The story of the white boy who runs away from Civilization with his Indian brother appears often in American literary history from Natty Bumpo to the Lone Ranger; but McNichols tells a more mature story than either of these..."Crazy Weather" is an important document in our cultural history' - "Western American Literature". A naval aviator in World War I who later worked in the movies and wrote for magazines, Charles L McNichols will always be remembered for "Crazy Weather", originally published in 1944 and his only book-length work of fiction. For this "Bison Book" edition Natachee Scott Momaday of Jemez Springs, New Mexico, has provided an introduction. She is the author of "Owl in the Cedar Tree", also a "Bison Book" (1992).

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is the story of a boy who became a man in four days. Into it Charles McNichols has packed an amazing amount of action, adventure, Indian lore, and satisfying psychology. . . . A splendid piece of fiction that can stand up in any company of contemporary novels."—New York Times Book Review

(New York Times Book Review )

"One might almost say that Indian tales in America run the gamut from the romanticism of James Fenimore Cooper to the brilliant realism of Charles L McNichols. Almost within the Greek unties of time, place, and action, he has given us an unforgettable story which embraces the entire Mojave cul-ture."—Chicago Sun Book Week

(Chicago Sun Book Week )

"Crazy Weather belongs with our best beloved stories of a boy''s growing up. But it is a story for adults in every sense of the word. . . . McNichols belongs in the great tradition of storytellers."—New York Herald Tribune

(New York Herald Tribune )

"The book has anthropological interest and t is filled with good bits of psy-chology. . . . It is a reminder that racial enmities would die out in a single generation if they weren''t kept alive by tradition and adults."—New York Times

(New York Times )

"The story of the white boy who runs away from Civilization with his Indian brother appears often in American literary history from Natty Bumpo to the Lone Ranger; but McNichols tells a more mature story than ether of these. . . . Crazy Weather is an important document in our cultural history."—Western American Literature

(Western American Literature )

About the Author

A naval aviator in World War I who later worked in the movies and wrote for magazines, Charles L McNichols will always be remembered for Crazy Weather, originally published in 1944 and his only book-length work of fiction. For this Bison Book edition Natachee Scott Momaday of Jemez Springs, New Mexico, has provided an introduction. She is the author of Owl in the Cedar Tree, also a Bison Book (1992).

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Paperback: 195 pages
• Publisher: University of Nebraska Press (February 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0803282192
• ISBN-13: 978-0803282193
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,442,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Boy finds his path after four day quest in Mojave country., June 21, 1999

By 

Lawrence D. Walker (Salt Lake City) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crazy Weather (Paperback)

This book first appeared in 1944 and has been reissued by the University of Nebraska Press. Supposedly a book for adolescents, it is far more that that. It is the story of a search for one's identity and an introduction the the culture of the Mojave. Internal evidence places the story in about the last quarter of the nineteenth century. The location is around the lower part of the Colorado River. The nearest city seems to be Needles, California. The book is of interest to adolescents, but perhaps even more to those interested in the lives of the desert dwellers in that part of the world. About the story: in four days of scorching heat, South Boy and his Mojave friend, Havek, set out on a quest to do a "Great Thing". Great Things are done, but they leave South Boy even more uncertain as to who he really is, caught as he is between the Mojave and white cultures. Along the way the reader learns a great deal about Mojave culture and rituals and meets some fascinating desert dwellers, both Indian and white. There is almost a dream-like quality to the story as we feel the heat of the Crazy Weather and move through the customs of the desert tribes. When rain finally breaks the heat, South Boy acts as the man he has become and understands the path he is to take. You may not like the outcome, but the quest itself is haunting.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative, and a good story too, May 12, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Crazy weather

Having recently moved to Mohave County in Arizona (not far from the Colorado River), I was interested in reading "Crazy Weather" to get a little of the "flavor" of the area, and to learn something about the Mojave Indian culture as well. The book lived up to my hopes in both of those respects, but what surprised me was how absorbed I became in the story itself. On one level, it's a simple adventure story involving South Boy (who's actually white but was partially raised by Mojaves and was given that name by them) and his best friend Havec (a Mojave) as they travel up the Colorado River into Piute territory --- and in some places it almost reminded me of Huck Finn travelling along the Mississippi with the runaway slave, Jim, and meeting an assortment of characters along the way. On another level, though, it's really about the challenges of truly understanding another culture and way of thinking --- and in the end the pull of their respective societies is too strong and the two friends inevitably have to part and follow their separate destinies.

The author seems quite knowledgable about Mojave culture and history, as I've confirmed from subsequent readings on the subject. If you're interested in the American Southwest, the Colorado River, native American cultures, or just a good story, I think you'll enjoy this book.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good forever, March 4, 2001

By 

"whreid" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Crazy Weather (Hardcover)

McNichols crisp writing, detailed knowledge of Mojave Indian and Colorado Desert ranching, and realistic plot make this a genuinely timeless work., My tattered copy was given to me 45 years ago by the writer Madge Harrah. Every half decade or so I dig it out and read it again. It taught me to write and, in a way, was a model for my North Of Nowhere. Bravo Charles!