Real [Hardcover]

Felice Holman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997

When Colly's father, a stuntman working in the movies in the 1930s, is injured, they retreat to an adobe shack in the desert so he can recuperate. It is there that Colly meets Sparrow, an Indian boy of centuries past, who is trapped in a Forever Day--and who needs Colly's help to be free.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7. Early talking moving picture Westerns bore little resemblance to the true history of the old West. Stereotypical "Indians" rampaged on technicolor lit backlots. Imagine, then, two boys, one a Cahuilla Indian sentenced to repeat forever a day from 1774 on which he and his grandmother were murdered; the other, a boy discovering the "real" West, out on location in a California desert in 1932 with his stunt-actor father, who enters Sparrow's world. If Colly can find Sparrow and his grandmother's accidental burial spot and set up a traditional nukil (burial ceremony) before the bulldozers arrive, their spirits will be set to rest. The story flips back and forth between Colly and Sparrow; different typeface as well as a differing tone make it easy for readers to keep up with the boys' stories. Sparrow's story is more gripping than Colly's?perhaps because Sparrow is grappling with eternity, while Colly is coming to terms with his mother's death. Fringe characters, including a caricature of a foreign-sounding movie director and a kind actress with the proverbial heart of gold and a tired subplot featuring a grave-robbing thief are a bit distracting. The foils for Colly and his dad are Benjamin, an abysmally stiff university professor (and cello playing Native American) who mouths ironic epigrams, and Ozro, his nephew. Some readers may enjoy this show; most can pass.?Marilyn Payne Phillips, University City Public Library, MO
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Kirkus Reviews

Holman (Secret City, U.S.A., 1990, etc.) weaves a terrific story about the nature of reality, honoring the past, and the experience of loss, set in the California of 1932. Colly's mother died in a car accident the year before; his father is a movie stuntman, and everything Colly knows he learned from the movies and from being on the set. When his dad is injured in a stunt, they go to stay in an adobe house in the desert to heal, where Colly meets Benjamin Grey Fox, a retired professor, and his nephew, Ozro, who aren't at all like ``Hollywood Indians.'' Set in italics and alternating with Colly's story is one of a Cahuilla boy, Sparrow, and his grandmother, who see white settlers approaching in 1774. Colly's movie view of the past and Sparrow's history intersect in dreams, in talismans, in animal spirits. How Colly lays both his sorrow and Sparrow's to rest is told in language that dips and soars like the flight of an eagle, carrying readers along with their need to know what happens. While Holman occasionally preaches about the legitimate rights of the First Nations, the bits of movie lore, gorgeous desert descriptions, and deeply moving final scenes amply compensate. (Fiction. 9-14) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum; 1st edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689807724
• ISBN-13: 978-0689807725
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,298,656 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good story, not accurate Indian information, June 24, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Real (Hardcover)

I wanted to read this book because I have spent time in the Anza Borrego Desert where the majority of this book took place, and I have studied the local Native Americans. I really enjoyed the story aspect of this book and think Holman chose an interesting parallel between the movies of the 1930s and the reality of Native Americans. Unfortunately, she made some errors in their lifeways. The Indians of southern California ate acorns rather than corn, and the eucalyptus leaves that play an important role in the Forever Day "poultice" in the 1700s could not have been used. Eucalyptus trees were introduced to California from Australia many years later. Does this matter? Not if you want a good story, but yes, if the book is used in a classroom to teach local history.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This book is great for adventure lovers!, February 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Real (Hardcover)

Colly's mother has died in a car accident and his father Matt is a stuntman in Hollywood. Matt has hurt his back doing a stunt and has to rest for a while. Colly and Matt decide to go to a desert while Matt is resting. They are going to stay at a small house that used to belong to Matt's father. When they arrive, they are surprised to find two Native Americans named Benjamin and Ozro. Ozro, a boy about Colly's age, has a great time showing Colly around the desert. A museum company is digging up ancient Indian artifacts that belonged to Benjamin and Ozro's ancestors. One day, Colly decides to do a little exploring by himself to find gold for Benjamin and Ozro. He finds himself very exhausted and hot when he reaches the place where he thought gold might be, but he is determined to find gold, so he continues on. Colly doesn't realize that he has crossed into the "Forever Day." The "Forever Day" is a tragic day for the two shamans that repeats over and over. Sparrow and his Grandmother die in this forever day, so this means that they die every day. Colly somehow entered the forever day and met Sparrow. Sparrow thought that if Colly could find Sparrow and Grandmother's bones and give them a proper Indian burial ceremony, they could be free from the "Forever Day." Colly questions why, but Sparrow just says that he will see. Colly is unsure of this, but he wants to help Sparrow and his Grandmother. After a few hours of talking with Sparrow, Colly is instructed to hide. Colly obeyed and was surprised at what he saw. He saw Sparrow and Grandmother running towards a cliff . Close behind them were white men with guns! Suddenly, there was a loud bang and Grandmother and Sparrow were flying off the cliff! Suddenly, Colly forgot what he was supposed to do to help Sparrow and Grandmother.

This book is good for anyone who is in the mood for a really great adventure with lots of suspense.