People of the Masks (The First North Americans Series) [Hardcover]

Kathleen O'Neal Gear (Author), W. Michael Gear (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 1998 | Series: The First North Americans Series

Archaeologists Kathleen O'Neal Gear and W. Michael Gear continue to entertain an avid international audience with their rousing historical epic of the adventure, triumph, and heartbreak of the pre-Columbian peoples who struggled to make this great continent their home.

This time the Gears begin in the northeastern region of North America known now as New York and Ontario, where nine years earlier an important child was born. His name is Rumbler, though the Elders call him "Manitou Child", the name the prophets gave him when they foretold the birth of this one of power. As he nears maturity, many greedy warriors covet the young boy as a weapon to use against their enemies. But none are as ruthless as War Leader Jumping Badger, who murders the boy's mother and burns their village to the ground.

Stealing the power child was bloody, but easy enough. Holding onto him is proving to be more than Jumping Badger and his whole village can handle. His warriors are dying one at a time, and it is not long before Rumbler escapes into the frozen forests with the help of 12-year-old Wren, a village girl who has befriended him.

A desperate race begins as Jumping Badger pursues the children across the winter landscape of New York and Ontario. He fears the boy's power now and seeks only to kill him. The pair's only hope is to stay alive long enough to find Rumbler's legendary father, known only as "The Disowned".

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Set in northeastern North America in approximately A.D. 1000, this arresting 10th novel in the First North American series by the Gears (People of the Mist, etc.) focuses on the Earth Thunderer Clan, peaceful hunters and gatherers who move their small villages on a regular basis in search of subsistence. In ancient Iroquois culture, the miraculous deeds of dwarfs were the stuff of legend, so the birth of one has made Paint Rock the most feared village in the Turtle Nation. Nicknamed Rumbler by his mother, the boy, now nine but only as tall as a four-year-old, is pampered and coddled and consulted before any major clan decision is made. A precious member of the clan, Rumbler's premonition of his abduction worries the others, especially since Jumping Badger, the cruel war leader of Walksalong Clan, is known to believe Walksalong would be invincible if it had Rumbler. When Jumping Badger and his war party attack, they slaughter all in their path and take Rumbler captive. But instead of feeling empowered, the Walksalong villagers are frightened by the Power Child, and condemn him to death. Gangly, fearless 12-year-old Little Wren befriends him, and the bulk of the book is made up of their escape and flight from an enraged, insane Jumping Badger and his warriors. Though the prologue is left strangely unresolved, the book is fast-paced, fluid, rich with smoothly integrated background detail and softened by a touch of romanticism that deflects the violence and brutality. It's sure to please fans of this seamless run of works on the indigenous people of the New World. $125,000 ad/promo.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Great trouble begins for two tribes in what is now northeastern North America when Jumping Badger, a sadistic war leader, raids and destroys Paint Rock village and kidnaps the dwarf child Rumbler, whose power in the spirit world is legendary. Blue Raven, Jumping Badger's cousin, believes that the tribes need to work together to survive attacks from fiercer enemies. But as warriors begin to die, Rumbler is accused of casting evil spells, and Blue Raven can no longer protect him. Little Wren, a young village girl, realizes that Rumbler's only hope for survival is for her to help him escape through the wintry forests. In their latest novel of prehistoric American Indians (e.g., People of the Mist, LJ 2/1/98), the Gears spin a fascinating, heart-rending tale of two children fighting for their lives and making an everlasting impact on the fate of their tribes. Recommended.
-?Mary Ellen Elsbernd, Northern Kentucky Univ. Lib., Highland Heights
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 416 pages
• Publisher: Forge; 1st edition (October 20, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312858574
• ISBN-13: 978-0312858575
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,672 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well written, and historically accurate!, August 12, 2000

By 

Lissa (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: People of the Masks (The First North Americans, Book 10) (Mass Market Paperback)

I thought that People of The Masks is one of the best books that I've read all year.

People of the Masks follows the story of Rumbler, a False Face child, and Little Wren, a young girl in the Bear Clan. Rumbler is a dwarf, and as such is said to have great powers. The war leader of one of the bear clans wants that power, so he mounts a party and steals Rumbler away from his clan. And thus begins the story.

I really liked this book because the relationships between the various characters are explored. Aside from the main characters, the supporting character have their time in the spotlight. In fact, I think my favorite characters were Silver Sparrow, and Dust Moon. Dust Moon divorced Silver Sparrow after 35 years of marriage, and some of the dialogue between them is quite funny. I also appreciated the fact that People of the Masks (and really all of the "People of" books) was historically accurate. I know a fair amount about Native American cultures, espeically the Iroquois, and this is important.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in Native American cultures, or anyone who enjoys a good read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating reading!, December 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the Masks (The First North Americans, Book 10) (Mass Market Paperback)

What a wonderful book. I read it quite quickly. The characterizations are perfect and the history fascinating. I feel I have lived the experience and it was very spiritual and close to nature. I really felt like I had been tracking in the snowy winter with the *people* - totally engrossing! I have already purchased another in the series, couldn't stand for this one to end without having my hands on the next one! Very highly recommend.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME series... but this book here is just, well..., August 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: People of the Masks (The First North Americans, Book 10) (Mass Market Paperback)

I don't want to pick things apart... but I was really confused as to who wrote this book. It was flat, dopey, simple, almost childish... I hold the series and authors in high esteem... that's why this one leaves me a bit confused. I mean it is a big transition to go from some of the books, hidden treasures of depth and wisdom, to this one -- so... unenlightened... common... Mickey Mousey Gee Golly. It isn't that the adventure doesn't go to dark places, it's that it goes there with such Movie of the Week obviousness. Really.

Take a look at two main character pairings -- Little Wren, and Rumbler, two children set up against incredible harsh odds, and constant torment from the foolhardey madness of the adult empire... and Sparrow and 'Dust', two divorced clan elders of a different tribe, who learn to love again. Everything that happens is shallow, predictable, and made up of cliche to cliche. I kid you not, most of the children's dialogue is s-stuttered, that must be the way to show the intensity of all situations.

I do enjoy the series, and like I said, have found other books among it to be remarkable. This one, I just didn't dig.

There was one thing of worth, a historical afterward (the history really did not tie into the story at all here by the way) but the actual historical information and point of view offered in a couple pages at the end of the book brought me to tears as it talks about the founding of democracy and some stuff about it I hadn't realized. Unfortunately, the story had nothing to do with that, which is once again, why I have to find this as the first dud I've come across in this series of books.

I recommend People of the Lakes (Astounding!), and People of the River. The mysticism is one of the best things about these books, so if that's not your bag then you may not find them as incredible as I.