The Morning the Sun Went Down [Paperback]

Darryl Babe Wilson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 1998

Born into the Achumawi and Atusgewi tribes (often called the Pit River Nation) of northeastern California, Darryl Babe Wilson's early years were spent with his parents and eight brothers and sisters, in a world still rich in Indian tradition, feeling, and language. Through this compelling autobiography, we experience both the beauty of the Indian world and the deep tragedies of his young life, and celebrate his triumphant journey to adulthood. Wilson has blended Native American myths with stories of youthful innocence and experience to produce a richly textured, lyrical, and unforgettable memoir.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

When his father lost his job in town, Wilson, age six, moved with his parents and siblings to a dilapidated country cabin, where he found richness in a life closer to nature. He learned to hunt and fish as his Native American ancestors had, "tamed" rattlesnakes with his brothers, and gloried in the Elders' legends about Silver Fox and Old Coyote. But the pastoral interlude was short-lived. When his mother and one of his brothers were killed in a car accident, the family fell apart, and Wilson became a foster child, unable to bend his spirit to the demands of a white community. In this collection of intricate, loosely connected childhood memories, Wilson recalls, with both stark bitterness and affection, his growing up caught between cultures and his struggle to find a place of his own. Laced with dreams, legends, and a scattering of words from the Iss/Aw'te language, his heartfelt recollections take us on a vivid personal journey to a place few of us will have visited--and none will soon forget. Stephanie Zvirin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Kirkus Reviews

paper 0-930588-81-9 A slim, modest, and altogether extraordinary memoir of rural Native American life. Wilson, a poet and scholar from the Achumawe and Atsugewi tribes of northeastern California, came into adolescence in the mid-1950s, when his people had all but disappeared through assimilation or extermination. Blame for part of that disappearance he lays squarely at the door of whites; but, he adds, the neglect of our Elders to teach us our traditions was equally damaging. His own parents did their best to teach Wilson and his siblings something of the old ways: how to hunt deer, how to tame rattlesnakes, how to listen for mountain lions, lessons that he imparts to his readers with precision and graceand not a little humor. But when his mother and younger brother were killed in a collision with a logging truck, Wilson was sent off to live with white foster parents among unfriendly neighbors (he remembers, touchingly, one young girl who did not accuse me with her eyes or attitude, principally because we were not enemies''). When it appeared that his foster parents wanted to strip away his Indian identity, Wilson rebelled, for which he was sent off to a boarding school where the young California Indian charges were locked in their rooms at night and punished by day for minor infractions. Wilson recounts these horrors matter-of-factly but doesnt dwell on them; instead, he celebrates a teacher who sagely corrected his compositions, encouraged him to improve himself, and urged him to become a writer. Readers have reason to be grateful to that teacher as well. Wilson is a careful and compassionate observer of his life and those of other young Indians, and his book is a fine addition to the growing library of Native American autobiography. -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 178 pages
• Publisher: Heyday Books (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0930588975
• ISBN-13: 978-0930588816
• ASIN: 0930588819
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #313,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Kirkus Reviews (2/15/98), March 9, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Berkeley, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Morning the Sun Went Down (Hardcover)

from "Kirkus Reviews" (starred review): A slim, modest, and altogether extraordinary memoir of rural Native American life. Wilson, a poet and scholar from the Achumawe and Atsugewi tribes of northeastern California, came into adolescence in the mid-1950s, when his people had all but disappeared through assimilation or extermination. Blame for part of that disappearance he lays squarely at the door of whites; but, he adds, "the neglect of our Elders to teach us our traditions was equally damaging." His own parents did their best to teach Wilson and his siblings something of the old ways: how to hunt deer, how to tame rattlesnakes, how to listen for mountain lions, lessons that he imparts to his readers with precision and grace- and not a little humor. But when his mother and younger brother were killed in a collision with a logging truck, Wilson was sent off to live with white foster parents among unfriendly neighbors (he remembers, touchingly, one young girl "who did not accuse me with her eyes or attitude," principally "because we were not enemies"). Whe it appeared that his foster parents wanted to strip away his Indian identity, Wilson rebelled, for which he was sent off to a boarding school where the young California Indian charges were locked in their rooms at nights and punished by day for minor infractions. Wilson recounts these horros matter-of-factly but doesn't dwell on them; instead, he celebrates a teacher who sagely corrected his compositions, encouraged him to improve himself, and urged him to become a writer. Readers have reason to be grateful to that teacher as well. Wilson is a careful and compassionate obeserver of his life and those of other young Indians, and his book is a fine addition to the growing library of Native American autobiography.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Literary autobiography of California Indian., May 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Morning the Sun Went Down (Paperback)

Every once in a while a book is written that changes everything. This is one of those books. This autobiography written by Darryl Babe Wilson about his Achomawi/Atsugewi (Pit River) Indian childhood in northern California is filled with wonder and lyrical beauty, and at the same time with painful tragedy and brutality. This is the masterful recounting of a personal journey that enfolds us warmly in a child eye's view ofWilson'sfamily and tribal relations, as well as the intrinsic and permanent relationship with theland in its ancient and essential dimensions. This book is simultaneously literature, an autobiography and the history of a People. Thebook begins with a dream in which Wilson is tested and reminded by the Elders of his responsibility to his People. It combines observations both minute and practical with those that sweepinglyencompass infinate place and time, understood both by the heart and mind. We are deftly drawn into a world that is simultaneously rugged and sweet. The family tragedy, the death of his mother and baby brother, and the subsequent family separation are described in wrenching detail, mirroring and paralleling the descriptions of historic events resulting from the lethal coming of whites into his homeland following the discovery of gold in California. Wilson places us, as readers, in a spot that is at the same time ancient, historical and contemporary. This is a story of growingself-assurance and human understanding as Wilson matures and comes to see the world from a broader vision, as well as his place and potential role within that world. He says, "...we must seek a power or a series of powers outside of ourselves which we identify as 'helpers.' Helpers can be a tree or animals, rocks or mountains, stars or flowers, frogs or rainbows. Helpers come to us in our time of need, and they guide our dreams." This book is utlimately the story of strength and power. Near the end of the book, he says, "For it was a song, according to our narratives, that caused all of the universe to have a beginning. We must seek within ourselves the spiritual terrain from our watu/ah'lo (spiritual umbilical cord) to the Great Power, cultivating our personal power and creating wholesomeness with our thoughts and intentions...It is taught in our lessons and legends, and by our Elders, that The People are responsible for life upon earth. Honoring the lessons then becomes a mandate from Great Power/GReat Wonder/Great Spirit that we are bound to obey. All people must obey the Great Law, so the sweetness of life can continue."

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an excellent/must read book, March 15, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Morning the Sun Went Down (Paperback)

Every once in a while a book is written that changes everything. THE MORNING THE SUN WENT DOWN is one of those books. This autobiography written by Darryl Babe Wilson about his Achomawi/Atsugewi (Pit River) childhood in northeastern California is filled with wonder and lyrical beauty, and at the same time with painful tragedy and brutality. This is the masterful recounting of a personal journey that enfolds us warmly in a child eye's view of Wilson's family and tribal relations, as well as the intrinsic and permanent relationship with the land in its ancient and essential dimensions. This book is simultaneously literature, an autobiography and the history of a People. It is highly recommended.//This is a portion of the review by Susan Lobo that will appear in the journal NATIVE AMERICAS (Cornell)