By Madge Harrah
Fourteen-year-old Robert Bradford is caught between 2 worlds: the colonists in Virginia and that of his friends Naokan and Powanah, Susquehannock Indians hated by the colonists, thus the title. The story takes place in 1676, and Robert returns from a hunting trip to find his family murdered. At the site, he recognizes an arrow belonging to Naokan, his blood brother. Robert joins Nathaniel Bacon, whose band was also seeks victory over the Indians. When Robert leads Bacon's band to find Naokan and his people, Robert learns that Naokan had tried to stop the massacre of the Bradfords and indeed has had his head shaved for having disgraced his tribe by trying to prevent the killing. But Naokan and his sister have already been captured, also the rest of the story revolves around Robert's efforts to help them escape. Robert is eventually sentenced to hang for treason (for signing a petition denouncing loyalty to the king) but he is rescued by Naokan at the last minute.
An author's note confirms the accuracy of this story, accepted as the first attempt by American colonists to gain freedom from England. Good glossary in back.
This book was the Young Adult Book of the Month back in Feb 1998, and it is a riveting look at early colonial history, but young adult books tend to get weeded from collections and there is only one copy in RI public libraries of this writing.
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