Customer Reviews

Orphan Ahwak

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At a time before Europeans set foot on the American continent, Aneze, a young First Nations girl, survives the brutal raid of her family's camp by an enemy tribe. As she struggles to survive on her own, first in the forest and then in a remote world of tundra and sea-ice, she endures cold and hunger and befriends people whose customs are foreign to her own.

In my continual search for well written Native American stories, stories that I judge have an authentic Native American voice and viewpoint, I reject many. But this one's a keeper. It's a wonderful wilderness survival story with a rapid pace both boys and girls will enjoy. I only wish it was longer. The only other story of Inuit life I find that I can compare it favorably to is Julie of the wolves by Jean Craighead George. If you like one, you will like the other. Both stories will linger long in your memory.

I offer a few more of my favorite Native American stories:
For young readers (if you want them to explore Inuit life) I recommend Angela from the Arctic written by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. It describes the life, family and activities of an Inuit (Eskimo) girl living today in Alaska. The pictures are most enjoyable. For middle school to adult readers: Trouble's daughter (the story of Susanna Hutchinson, Indian captive) by Katherine Kirkpatrick. And finally, The birchbark house by Louise Erdrich, for which I recommend you get the audiobook version as read by Nicolle Littrell.