Stronghold [Paperback]

Terri McIntyre (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2009

Joe Aberdeen, 13, has to move to Arizona from Indiana to live with his father when his mother dies. The sudden changes he faces create a feeling of helplessness mixed with anger. He withdraws into an inner sanctum, but it is not free from nightmares and anxieties. Supported by a loving family and a new friendship with a Native American boy, Joe moves cautiously out of his private and miserable mental world into the physical world of people, places and events, some comfortingly ordinary and some quite out of the ordinary. Joe builds a tree fort where he feels safe and strong, but it is the wisdom and love from beyond the grave that reveal to Joe the source of his real strength.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Terri McIntyre taught writing and gifted classes for Navajo children for over twenty years. She also taught in Pakistan as a Peace Corps Volunteer. A graduate of the University of Arizona in Tucson, she received a degree in creative writing and literature and wrote documentary scripts for the College of Engineering and for KUAT-TV, as well as essays for the University Yearbook in 1969. A short story published as a play, "Theodore's Music," about a Navajo youth coping with ADHD, appeared in READ Magazine in November of 2001. Stronghold is her first novel. The story was inspired by her children when they asked for help in building their "forts" in the juniper trees close to their home and by the discovery of ancient ruins under the nearby community of Sanders when surveys were made for the new high school. Ms. McIntyre lives with her family and the ravens in northeastern Arizona.

Product Details

• Paperback: 266 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (October 6, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 144041727X
• ISBN-13: 978-1440417276
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,728,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born Theresa Mary Stephens, Terri started writing when she was a third-grader in South Side Chicago. Growing up in a bilingual home (Hungarian), contributed to her interest in different cultures. In the Sixties, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in a girls' school in Pakistan. She taught writing and gifted classes for Navajo children for over twenty years.

A student of the Institute of Children's Literature and a graduate of the University of Arizona, she received a degree in creative writing and literature and wrote documentary scripts as well as essays for the university yearbook. In 1968, Story, the Yearbook of Discovery (ed. Burnett/Four Winds Press) published her Peace Corps story, "Vision Through a Veil." A short story published as a play, "Theodore's Music," about a Navajo youth coping with ADHD, appeared in READ Magazine in November, 2001. Other articles and poems were published in various newspapers and magazines.

Some favorite authors/thinkers: Douglas Adams, Sherman Alexie, Madeleine L'Engle, Paula Gunn Allen, C.S. Lewis, Rabindranath Tagore, Katherine Paterson, Helen Hughes Vick

Stronghold was inspired by her children when they built their own forts in the juniper trees near their house, and by the discovery of ancient ruins under their town when surveys were made for the new high school. The Navajo Tribe required that the ruins be re-buried to protect them and their artifacts from decay and looting. The ambiguous element of magic in the novel was derived from her fascination with ravens and their place in the lore of American Indians.

Terri lives with her family and the ravens in northeastern Arizona.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining and Educational, December 29, 2009

By 

Carol Lee Vie "Carolita" (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stronghold (Paperback)

I read STRONGHOLD in one evening. I could not put it down until I knew the ending. Terri has a descriptive way of writing that was so visual, I felt part of the story. It was very entertaining and educational for me to learn about some native customs. I would highly recommend STRONGHOLD to anyone with an open mind and a youthful heart.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for young teens and adults alike., October 10, 2009

By 

Doug Mcintyre "dmc" (Arizona) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Stronghold (Paperback)

This story draws you in from page one and connects you with the main character immediately. As an adult, young adult, teen or pre-teen, you will find inspiration as Joe travels through his world and conquers his fears and insecurities. And you will love the magic and mystery that surrounds this young boy in the wide open lands of Arizona. Young teens will be able to relate to the difficulties Joe faces and feel the hope that the author so eloquently weaves into the pages.

An excellent addition to your library. Heartwarming and fun to read - you will not want to put it down.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!, November 1, 2009

By 

Joe Draper - See all my reviews

This review is from: Stronghold (Kindle Edition)

Stronghold is a beautiful and inspirational story! It has a timeless, universal appeal and I could easily see it being made into a motion picture. Highly recommended! - Joe Draper