Customer Reviews

The Loon Feather

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Loon Feather is the perfect book for girls 8th grade (good readers) and up. The heroine is the daughter of Tecumseh, the Shawnee hero, but she grows up partly in French household. Strong, loving, and sensitive, Oneta is also self-aware--but never whiny.

A prophecy at her birth says that Oneta will marry a person stronger than a warrrior. When she acknowledges her true love, it is she who takes him by the hand to lead him on the path. What a wonderful heroine.

A very accurate picture of life in the early 1800s. Historically correct.

This book has been in continuous print since 1948--for a reason.

I was coerced into reading this by a friend and from the moment of picking it up, it never left my hand - I -carried- it with me for the three days it took me to fly through the amazing story of Oneta (yes, one 't'), an Ojibway of Mackinac Island. Native to Michigan myself, I make trips to the Island every summer, and it's pure magic to spend a weekend up there. Same with this book - trust me, if there was anything wrong with the author's interpretation, I'd bloody well let you know! =) A girl becoming a woman, plain and simple, but a different kind of girl in a different kind of time. She loves, hates, grows, grieves, and recovers, and provides examples to be followed while educating you in a brief bit of tense fur trading and Indian vs. White Man history. To me, _The Loon Feather_ ranks right up there with _Tale of Two Cities_, and it deserves every star I dealt.

Fuller's "The Loon Feather" is the story of Oneta, an Ojibway girl whose father is the legendary Tecumseh. Throughout the story, she searches for an identity that can encompass her French and Ojibway heritiges. This novel is historically accurate and well- imagined, a triumph for young adult readers. Its relevance today can not be questioned, especially for children who are dealing with their own searches for identity.

This is one of the best books I've read in years, along with Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter. The characters are richly portrayed-believable, and the author avoids stereotyping the whites and the Indians. There's drama, romance, history, and an almost lyrical description of the Mackinac Island terrain. My only complaint is the typeset in this edition is somewhat blurry.

As a native Michigander who has not spent summers on the Island, but many summers in Northern Michigan, my sister recommended strongly that I read this novel. I began reading it and was immediately swept up into Oneta's life and her struggles to find her own identity. Even more moving was this character's ability to find the strength and goodness in all who touch her life, from her unbending French step-father to her high spirited step-grandmother, to the natives who were so much a part of her early life.
The death of Oneta's great father and leader, Tecumseh, is where the story begins. Life changes for this native girl when her mother re-marries Pierre. Tragic loss occurs when her mother dies of a disease contracted from the unity of these two populations. Options are limited for our central character, and yet she always finds her way because of what she has learned from those who surround her. Her father's wisdom transcends, even as early Michigan's natural abundance becomes substantially limited. This is a MUST read!!

Beautifully written, wonderfully drawn characters
This story takes place on Mackinac Island in the Great Lakes. The island was the center of the fur trade in the late 18th and early 19th century. The island, the Great Lakes, and the scenes of nature are beautifully described. The story revolves around the cultural clash between the Native American (Chippewa), American and French (of French Canada)cultures. The main character is the daughter of the famed Indian fighter Tecumsah (he, however, was not Chippewa). She grows up on Mackinac during the height of the fur trade and has to make her own way. This book would appeal to all ages, but especially to people who live, or spend their summers, on the Great Lakes.

I read The Loon Feather for the first time as a teenager and have read it every few years since. It is a fascinating story of Onetta, the (I believe fictional) daughter of the Shawnee leader, Tecumseh.

At first grounding us in the seasonal nomadic life of the tribe, the story develops after the death of Tecumseh, when Onetta and her mother are left on Mackinac Island because of her mother's illness.

Aside from the portrayal of frontier life, what makes this book compelling is the depiction of the misunderstandings and prejudices in this collision of Indian, French, and American cultures. With Onetta, we at first see things only from the Indian point of view, but as she is adopted by a Frenchman and convent-raised as a proper French girl, she is torn between her true identity and her upbringing.

As tensions rise on the island with the breaking of treaties and promises, Onetta recognizes her true heritage.

The colorful setting is populated by French voyageurs, American soldiers and capitalists, and Indian tribes who slowly learn that their way of life is coming to an end. When I first went to Mackinac Island, I couldn't wait to explore, searching for the places where Onetta's moccasines had trod.

i am so glad i overheard a discussion about this book...and then found it at amazon....living in michigan it has increased my interest in the experiences of the american indians who lived in this area....and on "turtle island"..i loved it now i am frantically looking for another book like it!

I have spent all or some of 37 summers on Mackinac Island. More than any other author, Iola Fuller describes how Mackinac "feels" to those who know it. The brief prologue by itself articulates how I feel about the Island. The story is first-rate. But if you love Mackinac Island--or have visited it just once--treat yourself to this book. You'll love the story and never forget the Island.

I first read this book when I was nine years old. It was my first trip to our town's Library. What an exciting adventure in itself, but an even greater one awaited me as I scanned the many shelves of books so wondering what I might choose to read. There I found the book, "The Loon Feather".
That evening as I began my read, I was filled with adventurous, visionary images of mind that even a young person like myself could thoroughly comprehend. 'Twas an indepth read of an Indian maiden, the daughter of the great Chief, Tecumseh. Within it she shared her tale of life's encounters with clarity, purpose and character.
I am now 66 years young and have recently given several copies of this book to St. Joseph's Indian School in South Dakota. May those students have an equal adventure, reading of this wondrous account of the life of an Indian girl who overcame all odds. She shared her voyage through the frontier's of Mackinac Island and more, far beyond any Indian-dreamcatcher's wildest presentation. An incredible story, one I recommend to anyone, young or old, who treasures adventure, accurate history, and the viewing of another's unwavering perserverance. It delights me still.