Cynthia Ann Parker: The Life and the Legend (Southwestern Studies) [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Margaret Schmidt Hacker (Author)

Book Description

Series: Southwestern Studies | Publication Date: September 1990

Although Cynthia Ann Parker never recounted her experiences as a captive of the Comanches (1836-60), her story is probably the most familiar of all the pioneer women captured by Indians in the Southwest. Margaret Hacker's five years of research have produced a balanced and dependable account of this tragic story.

Product Details

• Paperback: 52 pages
• Publisher: Texas Western Pr; 1st edition (September 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0874041872
• ISBN-13: 978-0874041873
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,154,995 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The West's Most Famous Indian Captive, June 11, 2001

By 

SeashellPoint "Nancy" (Fort Myers, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cynthia Ann Parker: The Life and the Legend (Southwestern Studies) (Paperback)

On May 19th, 1836 nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker, a member of a group of religious families occupying Fort Parker in Texas, witnessed the massacre of friends and relatives by combined bands of Caddos, Kiowas and Comanche warriors. Abducted by the Comanches, Cynthia was raised for the next 25 years as a tribal member and became "fully" Comanche, giving birth to Quanah Parker, the last Comanche Chief and one of the most influential intermediaries of his time, a representative of both the Native American and White cultures. Abducted a second time as an adult by a well-meaning Texas Ranger, Cynthia Ann was forced to return to White society, but mourned deeply for her Comanche family, ultimately starving herself to death out of grief.

Much lore and legend has grown around the story of Cynthia Ann Parker over the years, and it has often been difficult to separate the myth from the reality of her dramatic story. However, Margaret Schmidt Hacker has done just that. Over a period of five years, Ms. Hacker painstakingly researched the archives in Texas, Oklahoma, California and Washington, D.C. and objectively weighed all the accounts of Cynthia Ann's life. The result of her efforts is what is considered the most authoritative book on the subject. Although scholarly, it is at the same time, a gripping drama of the Texas prairies, and very readable by anyone with an interest in the Old West. Highly recommended reading.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Examining the Myth, October 14, 1999

By 

Fred Rhodes (Houston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cynthia Ann Parker: The Life and the Legend (Southwestern Studies) (Paperback)

Countless folk tales and sagas have focused on the story of Miss Parker, a captive of the Comanches for more than 15 years. Many of them deal only with her years as the mother of the famous Quanah Parker. Author Margaret Schmidt Hacker devoted five years to researching the life of the Cynthia Ann to reveal the history behind the myth. This is the tragic story of the abduction of a nine year old girl who returned reluctantly to white society when she was 24. A fascinating portrait of her life among the Comanches on the Texas frontier.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Straight-forward, focused, no frills or detours, May 29, 2002

By 

Jennifer B. Barton "Beth Barton" (McKinney, Tx) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cynthia Ann Parker: The Life and the Legend (Southwestern Studies) (Paperback)

This is a compact history ... but it does just what you want - gives what history is known of Cynthia Ann Parker. This is an excellent resource if you are wanting to know about Cynthia Ann Parker from the settler's perspective - the people she left behind, the family she had come from, and the search for her that continued throughout her 'captivity'. The author seems to steer clear of any area of conjecture, such as why Cynthia Ann got shuttled between family members after her return or what may have happened to her pension, and sticks only to documentable history. She also avoided sidetracking into the history of Cynthia Ann's famous son or the other people in her life except for as far as they pertain to Cynthia Ann's life. Focus is very tight, very informative.