A Distant Enemy [Paperback]

Debra Vanasse (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

Fourteen-year-old Joseph, part Yupik Eskimo and part white, struggles to maintain his people's ancient culture as the western world encroaches on his Alaska village.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coming of age in a remote Alaskan village, a mixed-race boy lashes out in anger. In a starred review, PW called this sensitive first novel "a vivid portrait of modern Eskimo lifestyles, conflicts and fears." Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8. A good adventure novel about a Yup'ik Eskimo/Caucasian teenager in a small Alaskan bush village. Joseph is forced to deal with growing up; restrictions from "outside" influences, such as the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; a long-absent Anglo father; and the difficulties of the clash of cultures. The boy holds to the "old ways," as portrayed through his close relationship with his Ap'a, his grandfather, and lashes out at the kass'aq or the "white man's" world of his absent father. As a result of his anger, Joseph creates hardship for himself, his friends, and his family, and it takes a brush with death for him to come to grips with his all-consuming rage. An understanding kass'aq teacher bears the brunt of much of the teen's anger, yet ultimately, Mr. Townsend provides the deliverance Joseph so desperately needs. The ending is a bit too pat, but Vanasse is right on target in her depiction of existence in a contemporary Alaskan village and her descriptions of the tundra are lovingly drawn. Joseph may be wise beyond his 14 years, but the issues raised here are current and valid. Students wanting to know more about this Alaskan Native culture and the issues facing Native People today would do well to read this first offering from a former bush teacher and Fairbanks resident.?Mollie Bynum, formerly at Chester Valley Elementary School, Anchorage, AK
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Puffin (January 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 014038670X
• ISBN-13: 978-0140386707
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.3 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,659,888 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

An Alaskan since 1979, Deb Vanasse has traveled extensively throughout the state, including remote areas of Southwestern Alaska, where she lived and worked for eight years. Her two children were born in the Bush, where riverboat, snow machine, and small plane are the only ways to get from one village to another. Eventually she moved to Fairbanks and then to Anchorage, where she enjoys hiking, biking, and camping. A retired teacher, Deb is the author of several books set in Alaska, including Picture This, Alaska; A Distant Enemy; Out of the Wilderness; Under Alaska's Midnight Sun; Alaska's Animal Babies; and Totem Tale. She is also the author of the Insider's Guide to Anchorage and Southcentral Alaska and co-author of Off the Beaten Path: Alaska (sixth edition). Deb stays active in the Alaskan writing community by blogging at www.49writers.blogspot.com. She also maintains a web presence at www.DebVanasse.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A Well-Written Book, January 10, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Distant Enemy (Paperback)

A Distant Enemy, by Deb Vanasse, is about a young Eskimo named Joseph who hates white people-his white father had abandoned his family when he was young. The Fish and Game closes the fishing season early because of the shortage of fish. Joseph, however, doesn't tell his grandfather who takes him fishing. His boat is seen, and he rushes home to the bewilderment of his grandfather. The Fish and Game hold a meeting about the closed fishing season and tell about the sighting of a fishing boat. Out of rage Joseph slashes the Fish and Game's tires on their plane, and finds himself in a heap of trouble. Will he be able to fix what he has done? Read this vivid, engrossing and well-written book to see.

This book has wonderful description of scenes and characters, and provides a vivid image in the reader's head. When the Fish and Game assemble a meeting, Deb Vanasse describes the scene and the characters so well that the scene and the tension can be pictured, but it is not so long that it becomes boring. She tells of Joseph's rage, his grandfather's disappointment, and the feelings of protagonists and minor characters alike. Another great thing about this book is how engrossing it is. After Joseph seems to get caught slashing tires, you wonder what will happen-and there are plenty of twists in the plot to keep it interesting. Many people will like this book because of these reasons.

One problem with this book is that it starts in the middle of a scene, where Joseph is going fishing with his dad. This is confusing, and stays confusing for a couple of chapters. But after that, the book clarifies and is interesting. In the end, it is a very well written and engrossing book, and I recommend that you read it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Children of Alaska and their life as it is today, January 5, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: A Distant Enemy (Hardcover)

A Distant Enemy by Deb Vanasse is a book of a child growing up in a difficult climate and having to find a way to a way to withstand constant commotion. Joseph lives in a small town in southwestern Alaska where everyone knows everyone. When Joseph commits an unfortunate crime, his life is turned upside down. He becomes angry for being different from his native looking people. He is angry at his father who is American for making him look like him. He wants to look like his hard working, loving mother, a true Eskimo. When the story unravels, it becomes a well written and thoughtful book that shows the daily struggles of our rural Alaskan culture as it is today. A Distant Enemy is a book about not judging people by their looks and about coming of age, and I recommend it for its powerful words and interesting plot. Joseph must face the reality of knowing he is an Eskimo yet still American. This book is fun, exciting, and I recommend it to a reader who is ready for an adventure.

3.0 out of 5 stars Distant enemy-a mediocre book, February 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: A Distant Enemy (Paperback)

On a scale from one to five I give this book three stars. It was a mediocre book because the author needed to add more feeling and an in-depth perspective of the characters. Her plot also could use a little work, but for being her first book she did pretty good. I also think she needed to add more to the other characters profiles besides Joseph's (the main character) because you never know much about how they feel or why they reacted the way they did to a certain situation. More details were also needed. For example there was some kind of a feud between Joseph's family and another family a while back that kept the two families away from each other. But you never know what the feud was about. I usually read science-fiction books so I really don't know how to compare this book to others very well. I liked the book "In the Hand of the Goddess" better because it had an excellent plot and showed more how the other characters felt and why they reacted the way they did instead of staying entirely focused on the main character like in "A Distant Enemy". I would recommend this book to people who like fiction books a lot and also to those that like books about different races and racism.