Thunder Rolling in the Mountains [Hardcover]

Scott O'Dell (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

This powerful account of the tragic defeat of the Nez Perce Indians in 1877 by the United States Army is narrated by Chief Joseph's strong and brave daughter.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

At the request of the late Newbery medalist O'Dell ( Island of the Blue Dolphins ), his widow, Hall, collaborated on this story about Sound of Running Feet, the daughter of Chief Joseph of the Ne-mee-po, or Nez Perce Indians. Sound of Running Feet narrates the betrayal of her people, their flight, last battles and final surrender. In typical O'Dell fashion, the novel serves up a generous helping of historical fact and general information about the Ne-mee-po and their way of life. Unfortunately, a formal and reserved tone ("I had loved him for a long time, for as many moons as there were stars") keep the reader at arm's length from the characters, which in turn does little to amplify or personalize their plight. Readers may find that the novel's choicest parts are those trimmed closest to the factual bone--though topping Chief Joseph's "Hear me, my chiefs" speech will prove difficult, this work may encourage youngsters to sample some of its source material. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-8-- A poignant story as told by Sound of Running Feet, the daughter of Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce people. In her clear, unflinching voice, she tells of the long, tearful, bloody trail that her people were forced to follow from their beloved home in Wallowa Valley, Oregon, to their final confrontation with the American soldiers at the Bear Paw Mountains in Montana. There, in now famous words, `` `. . . From where the sun now stands, I will fight no more forever,' '' Chief Joseph surrenders on behalf of his once proud warriors who are cold, surrounded, and outnumbered. As stated in the foreword written by O'Dell's wife, who finished the book after his death, many of the people, events, and even words used in the story are based on historical record. Other characters and events are fictionalized or composites. Most notable among them is Swan Necklace, who is initially a pacifist but who becomes enraged as he witnesses the oppression and injustice his people suffer at the hands of the soldiers. The story's effectiveness is weakened, however, by the unnecessary and sometimes jarring romance story line between Sound of Running Feet and Swan Necklace. Despite this flaw, this is an admirable final addition to O'Dell's legacy of powerful novels. --Jane Marino, White Plains Public Library, NY
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children (April 27, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0395599660
• ISBN-13: 978-0395599662
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,774,486 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thunder Rolling in the Mountains, May 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Thunder Rolling in the Mountains (Paperback)

Have you ever read a book where people are on the run and it seems like one big chase? This is your book. The main character in this book is an Indian girl whose name is “Sound of Running Feet”. Her tribe and basically her entire family is run out of her homeland by a mean one armed General who is a white man. The General and his army give this Indian Tribe thirty days to get off the land so they can bring people in to dig for gold. The Tribe does move off the land but every night they run into small wars with the Army so they are constantly being hunted and shot down. Sound of Running Feet was supposed to be married and planning for her wedding to “Swan Necklace” her fiancee. He becomes a big warrior fighting every night with the rest of the tribe. They are constantly in battle and it’s interesting how many twists this story takes. It is all set in South Dakota as they move out of the state. How do they find food to live on, and water to drink? The weather plays a nasty role throughout the entire book. If your looking for sunny skies and happy days? Then this is not the book. It grabs you from the beginning and keeps you hooked till the very end. Believe me!! Sound of Running Feet doesn’t end up in Disneyland.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Let Bigotry Rule You, March 4, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Thunder Rolling in the Mountains (Paperback)

Don't Let Bigotry Rule You

General Howard has run the Nee-Mee-Poo out of their territory but the tribe wants to stay. Howard is taking the tribe to a reservation. The tribe strikes back in battle. They flee to the west when they have got Howard's army on they're heels. But the army isn't giving up. They track and fight the Nee-Mee-Poo many times during the story, when will it ever end?
Find out! I thought this book was outstanding book because of the emotion and how you feel like part of the story. I think this is a good book for anybody who likes to read. This is by far the best book I have ever read, by far!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book! Great for any Nez Perce Indian lover, October 8, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Thunder Rolling in the Mountains (Paperback)

This book is an excellant one! I recomanded this book for anyone interested in Nez Perce Indians, how the white people affeted them, adventure, etc. While being way too young for the target age, I defianlty enjoyed it and would recommend it for anyone 10 years or older.