Echohawk [Hardcover]

Lynda Durrant (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 20, 1996 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 4 and up

Adopted and raised by Mohicans in the Hudson River Valley during the 1730s, Jonathan Starr is sent to an English settlement to attend school.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Raised since the age of four as a son to Glickihigan, one of the Mohican warriors who massacred his parents in their Hudson Valley encampment, 13-year-old Echohawk (born Jonathan Starr) recalls only vague, disturbing impressions of his early childhood, and nothing of his natural family and native English tongue. Glickihigan, who like his own father has been schooled in the colonists' languages, sends Echohawk and his younger, Mohican brother to Saratoga-on-the-Hudson to live with a white teacher and his wife. The experience awakens in Echohawk long-buried memories and emotions, but the experiment in peaceful coexistence backfires when Echohawk overhears the teacher's plans to prevent him from ever returning to Glickihigan. First-novelist Durran imbues Echohawk's story with solid, atmospheric details about Mohican culture and history; endnotes provide further information about the Native peoples who figure in her story. Although some passages or conflicts seem rushed, the author shows a strong talent for characterization. Readers will be sorry to see the story end. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9?Echohawk was born Jonathan Starr. Glickihigan, a Mohican warrior, finds the boy hiding in a log after an attack on the white camp. Though Echohawk's adoption is the result of violence, he receives enduring love as he grows up. Just as Glickihigan had been sent to school by his father to learn the language of the people in power, Echohawk is sent to learn English. His teacher is strict and disrespectful of the Mohican ways, and when he realizes that Echohawk is actually white, he decides to take him away to Boston. The man's plans trigger memories in Echohawk that culminate in the realization that Glickihigan killed his family, but in the end Echohawk says "I do not blame you." They leave the Hudson River Valley for a Mohican camp in Ohio following the murder of their people by the whites. Devastation and resilience begin and conclude the book. Details of Mohican culture, customs, and beliefs fill the pages, and the tribe's respect for nature is paramount. Durrant presents rich history, vast cultural information, and a story that will trigger discussion. An extensive bibliography demonstrates the author's depth of research. Echohawk could be compared to Conrad Richter's A Light in the Forest (Knopf, 1953); it has a great deal to offer.?Renee Steinberg, Fieldstone Middle School, Montvale, NJ
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 20, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039574430X
• ISBN-13: 978-0395744307
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,486,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Echohawk, August 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Echohawk (Hardcover)

At first I was skeptical about reading "Echohawk" but as I started to read it, it really held my attention and it turned out to be a great book. It is about a boy who is taken by the Mohicans and the boy lives the way the Indians do for 8 years. His adoptive father, Glickihigan, sends Echohawk and his little brother, Bamaineo, to school to learn English. When he finds out that the teacher is going to take him to Boston, he runs away with his brother.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Echohawk, March 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Echohawk (Paperback)

I love to read books about Native Americans, especially since I'm part Cherokee. This book was no exception. It told about a teenage boy who'd been captured and raised by a Mohican tribe at a very young age. He discovered his heritage when he and his Indian brother Bamaineo were sent to a school for white boys. They struggled in the "civilized" world, although they eventually made friends there. But how will Echohawk deal with his shocking past? Can he forgive his adoptive father Glickihigan and the other men for killing his biological family? I definitely reccomend this book. My mother and I read it at the same time and discussed it. We both enjoyed it, and I'm sure you will too.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a fantastic historical fiction., July 8, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Echohawk (Hardcover)

"Echohawk" literally draws the reader back in time. Durrant describes the life and times of these last Mohicans in a style that is realistic and accurate while at the same time is readable and eloquently written.

In telling the story of Echohawk, a white boy who is raised as an Indian, the reader experiences first-hand, the collision of two societies. Never have I read a book for children that is so successful at being truly entertaining and informative at the same time.