| Title | : | Moccasin Trail |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0140321705 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780140321708 |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 256 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1952 |
| Awards | : | Newbery Medal (1953), Lewis Carroll Shelf Award (1963) |
Moccasin Trail Reviews
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(I'm reading all the Newbery Honor books from the year Charlotte's Web got the Honor, to see if any of them are any good.)
I can see why this got the honor, or was at least up for discussion; it's deeper than most "captive" narratives (the main character wasn't a captive in this case, but lived in a similar situation), an interesting story, well-written, although it goes on too long in the middle. I don't know when I've read such good descriptions of culture shock.
It's a good thing this didn't win, though. The attitude toward Indians ranged from OK (mostly in the beginning) to almost vomit-inducing, in the last few pages. It's pretty clear that what we have here is the native Oregonian's pride in the (mysteriously) romantic story of the Oregon Trail that I grew up with myself--the white settlers are absolute heroes; the Indians were fascinating, but their time was over.
So, besides thinking that the prose is not as good as in Charlotte's Web, I'm also relieved for that reason that this isn't part of the canon. But is it better than Secret of the Andes, the winner? Well... it's better-written, for sure, even if it is more offensive. -
I admit this book made me cringe over the attitudes towards Indians. Crows saved a young white boy's life when he was left for dead, and they raised him as their own. However, Jim always felt unsettled with his Indian family. As an adult, when he left to rejoin his biological family, he felt even more out of place. It was interesting to follow the internal struggle as Jim tried to come to terms with who he was and where he fit. In the end, Jim cuts his braid, removes his feather, and turns from his Crow background, which made me a bit sad. To be fair to the author, she does depict the love and care the Crows gave Jim, and she does have the biological family overcome their initial rejection of Jim's Indian ways and accept him as he is.
The story is a product of its time and should be accepted as such. It's not a story I would recommend to a child without discussion of the attitudes involved. -
This book changed my life. I read it when I was twelve and it gave me a place to hang my storytelling hat. I am a writer, I believe, because of this book. It is a perfect story for a young reader who is wondering who they are and where they're going. It is about balancing the wild and the everyday. It is about two cultures, American Indian and White American. I often wonder, if I hadn't read this book, would I have ended up in Oregon? The novel comes to Oregon, where Jim, who was captured and raised by Indians, reunites with his long lost family. His parents are gone, but his brothers and sister are trying to make a new life. It is a wonderful tale that goes way beyond the usual rite-of-passage genre. I just can't say enough about how deeply it affected me. It is the kind of story that I always want to write.
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The boy is caught between a life of "savagery" and civilization?! Omg, how does this pass as acceptable?
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It is understandable why this is a Newberry Honor book -- terrific adventure, historical accuracy, and sympathetic, well-portrayed characters. The cultural attitudes of the time are accurately portrayed as well, and while that may make a modern reader uncomfortable, it is an opportunity for discussion with young readers. Erasing and rewriting history is a mistake. It is also important to note that not every part of every people group's culture is admirable and worthy of imitating. We should be able to discuss critically aspects of every culture, including our own, and note what is commendable and what needs redeemed. This book lends itself to several of those types of discussions from relational conflicts to cultural conflicts. All these elements make it a worthy read.
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I can't recommend this. Not because the story line isn't exciting but because it's just one more example of the savage indian/civilized white man malarkey that's all to prevalent in most all stories about Native Americans. It's not framed so much as perspectives and opinions of the characters but rather 'truth' of the right (read 'white') way.
Disappointing. -
The conflict and clash of cultures in this book was interesting and engaging, but the time the story was written adds an unintentional layer to the story. The story was written in the 1950s and there are aspects to the story that make me uncomfortable - not because there is any bad language or inappropriate advances, but because the cultural view of Indians has changed since the book was written. Oddly, I'm quite sure the book was actually trying to be sympathetic to Indians and help paint them in a better light than they were typically seen at the time. That doesn't negate what makes me uncomfortable, but we can try to understand their times and not judge too harshly against our own times.
Somewhere in the latter part of the middle of the book I struggled to keep reading. The story was too long. I didn't know where we were going. Part could have been edited out and help keep the book more engaging, but then it picked back up again.
I struggled with if I should add the book to our personal library as planned or not after I finished reading it. Its valuable for showing the Oregon Trail in a relateable way, for showing differences in culture and thought between Indians, Mountain Men, and the Pioneers, but I wish something's had been written differently. Ultimately, I decided to keep the book - we can't only read things that make us comfortable because we will never learn and grow and grow if we do that. Those parts that cause discomfort? They are springboards for discussion with our children about why we react the way we do. Why people 70(+) years ago may have reacted differently than we do. It's a chance to learn about the culture of the book and culture of the publication. Ignoring uncomfortable parts of history doesn't change it, but we deny our world betterment if we fail to engage and learn and change. In fact, we will just find ourselves repeating it. -
Moccasin Trail encases a powerful story about the strength of family in a page turning adventure from the days of the pioneers. Jim Keath ran away from home as a young boy and now, at the age of 19, is more Indian than white. When he receives a letter from his younger brother pleading for help in staking a claim, Jim rejoins what is left of the family he ran away from nine long years ago and finds himself stuck between two worlds.
Jim's confusion over how to fit in and the pain of rejection that he tried to hide even from himself makes him an easy character to like. Eloise Jarvis McGraw does an amazing job of showing his struggle and inability to understand what his family expects of him while maintaining his rugged, impenetrable personality. You will be routing for him the entire time as he transforms from a rugged, wandering loner to an equally rugged but devoted, responsible family man. A masterfully told story. -
Good writing but I feel it’s an ‘freedom and progress’ whitewash propaganda for the Oregon Trail. Jim who was left to die by a bear attack was found by the Crow nation. He stayed, became a part of that family. Though I understand you always want to search out your biological family and he did so. But the way the Indigenous tribes were eventually seen as savages was awful. he always mentioned the Crow females were squaws, but mentioned the white women by their proper names. It was said that the white women were more beautiful then the Crow women ( again comparing women against each other) eventually it gets worse for the Indigenous nations. Saying all injuns are the same. Savages and murderers and thief’s. And made the white way the best way to live.
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Eloise Jarvis McGraw has written some of my favorite books of all time, and I pulled this off the shelf at the library because it was the only book there by McGraw. However, this book is problematic for numerous reasons, many of them recounted by other reviewers (e.g., indigenous peoples = savages = bad; white = good). The writing is also very slow and stilted, and I skimmed after the first few chapters. Don't waste your time on this one.
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obvious re-read needed because I was assigned this for school . . . and now I realize it's most definitely problematic because of its time, yet I do still hold a sense of nostalgia towards it that I want to explore and see if it still holds up (but I'm not holding my breath)
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This book was one of the worst books I have ever read. I rated it 1 star because:
1. It was very slow.
2.It was very misleading
3.It was disappointing
4. In some parts of the story, you didn't know what was happening.
5. There was too many characters; you always got confused
6. The scenes changed to quickly, one second you were at the Crow camp, the next second you are somewhere off west with your siblings. -
A bit violent in the end. I would have liked a bit of romance in the story. Over all a good pioneer story.
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Moccasin Trail is a truly different Native American book. This is because I feel it is quite realistic. More realistic then some other Indian fiction books. Some people find that this books reads in a “white man” way. While that is true, that was how it was back then, and it is a sad truth. However, that does makes it much more realistic as a book. Overall, I did find this book long, but I must say it is a good book, and I would recommend it.
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In all of our reading on this fascinating topic, we have most enjoyed Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. The story centers around a boy who was adopted into the Crow tribe after running away from his family’s farm back east. Providentially reunited with his siblings who were orphaned on the Oregon Trail, Jim/Talks Alone makes a decision about his role in the booming West and in his family.
This book generated many interesting discussions about the Native American way of life versus the pioneers, because it came at the distinction from a very unusual perspective. I did have a serious issue with the conclusion of the book though, in which [spoiler alert!] Jim chooses Christianity (of a sort) over his Crow “medicine.” His brother says that Jim was “white all along” because of the parallels between Jim’s medicine dream and Psalm 23. Many of the pioneer characters imply that to be a Christian Jim would need to cut off his Crow braids and act like the settlers rather than like an “injun.” Super cringe. It did lead to a very good talk with the kids about how that attitude was prevalent back then, but that the Bible says Christ is for all the nations, with no mention of having to dress, act, or look like a Western believer to be saved. The kids got it, but I’m glad we talked about it.
In any case, Moccasin Trail was a rip-roaring adventure tale and we all enjoyed it. The kids are actively trading each other Lego sets for the privilege of reading it again right away.
Get more recommendations for great kids chapter book read alouds (and adult books too) on A Spirited Mind -
4 stars. This is an engaging adventure set in the Oregon Territory. Jim (James) Keath is a teen runaway; escaping from his hard-handed father he abandons his mother and siblings to follow his maternal uncle when he passes by heading off westward to become a trapper. Jim finds himself being adopted by a group of Crow when they find him lying beneath the corpse of a grizzly that had tried to kill him. He lives among them for five years, learning their ways before he doubts himself and joins up with a white mountain man/trapper. Now in his early twenties, he receives a letter from his brother Jonnie that relates the family's plans to stake a claim in one of Oregon's river valleys. Jim heads off to find them and help them stake the claim - the story is about this and Jim's struggle between being white, Crow, and trapper. Generally, the author is more sympathetic towards the Native Americans than most writers of her time. Jim has Crow prejudices; he doesn't respect certain of the other tribes and considers Sioux to be the enemy outright. Initially he is totally uncomprehending of his family's goals; he has internalized his Crow life that much. But the point is that Jim is going to have to adapt to white ways, just as the Native Americans are forced to adapt. My only real objection in the book at the end when Jim decides to get rid of his helpers (he destroys his medicine bag); I would have preferred that not to have happened. What happens to the contents is only slightly ameliorating. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (Popsugar "western") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1953).
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Yikes, I don't know why everyone else appears to love this book. After the litany of other Native American-era fiction I've read lately, this one didn't even compare. Wasn't even in the same village, let alone tribe. Ha ha, a joke.
I hated Jim. What a moron. Always running away and being a jerkface. Sure, he gets over himself, but only in the last 30 seconds of the book (it ends kind of abruptly.) I didn't like the way the characters spoke either.
It did not entirely suck because I want my own Moki wolfdog and a horse like Buckskin (though COME ON, I would totally pick a better name than that. So boring.) -
What a weird portrayal of Indians (feather-not-a-dot). At the beginning of the book the reader gets all noble savage, and at the end it's the white man all the way, too bad about the Indians and they were fun and all that, but it's time to put away childish things so let's not worry about them any more.
I thought the struggle of Jim Keath to find his place in the world was quite interesting, though. -
Incredible details and meticulous depictions about Native American life and practices, the tension between the identities of the Native American and the white settler, and the realities of Native American and pioneer life in the changing Columbia River basin. This is my favorite of all the "Indian-white man pioneer" books I have read. I highly recommend it.
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This book is great for those who find themselves in the midst of culture shock or loving someone walking through it. That is where we were when we read this book, and it really blessed us to be able to identify with the main character.
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BEST BOOK EVEEER
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Boooooooooring
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I read this novel to my three children in elementary school at the time as a part of their homeschool curriculum. It is set in the Western United States during the migration of Americans to settle the wild west. Some of the reasons why I rated this novel 5 stars: the "coming of age" nature of the novel with the protagonist Jim coming into his own after having been raised by American Indians but then returning to his flesh and blood family and having to come to terms with his two very real and legit identities, the setting of the wild and untamed Western U.S. as the settlers traveled in their wagon trains and had to clear the land in order to build a life for themselves, the exciting and pulse-pounding action.
Jim is young enough for young readers to find a relatable character, while old enough to be capable of living in the wilderness on his own and fending for himself. I think this makes him intriguing to younger readers, in a similar way to the protagonist of 'My Side of the Mountain'. Jim has character flaws - sometimes stubborn, hotheaded, overly independent - but he balances them out in his love and devotion to his family members and in ultimately doing the right thing. I think this duality of his nature makes him an ever "realer" character and even more relatable. The other main characters in the story complement Jim very well, and his interactions and dialogue with them, including times of conflict, are part of what make this novel un-put-down-able.
I don't recall any bad language and the violence and action in the novel are well-placed and serve a purpose, without being overly descriptive or frequent, in my opinion.
I don't want to give anything away, but there are a couple intense scenes of suspense that really made this book a hit within my family. This is a book that I will definitely reread at some point. I would highly recommend this book to young readers (8-16) who are looking for an exciting read with good characters, and/or particularly enjoy the wild west and pioneer times in America.
My kids and I still say "By gor!!" every now and then for fun, like Jim. :-) -
This book sounded interesting and it was.
Jim was a young boy when his uncle came to visit his family. He talked about the fur trade in the western mountains and that got Jim interested and wanting to go home. So when the uncle left, Jim followed.
Jim and his uncle came across a bear. While the others fled, Jim shot at the bear that ravaged his body, but he did kill the bear. Next thing he knew when he woke, he was among the Absaroka Indians (the Crow). He slowly healed and became part of their tribe. He seemed to have forgot when he came from. He lived with the Indians for 6 years. Then he met Tom, a fur trader and left the tribe to follow him.
Then a letter came. Neither Tom nor Jim could read it except to make out a few words--his brother, Jonnie. Jim found someone who could read and found out his family was heading west to the Willamette Valley. And Jonnie wanted Jim to come home.
He wasn't quite accepted by his family and the people around him--they were white and Jim was more Indian than white. After mush trials, will Jim finally learn to fit in with his family or will he always be an outcast?
This book is about the time when beaver pelts were in high demand for hats and the trappers basically trapped the beaver to near extinction (remember the buffalo?). So you will learn a bit about the fur trade and Indians if you are interested in reading the book. -
There was some problematic material in here (as there is in a lot of things) and there were some things that made me cringe, but overall, I quite enjoyed reading this novel. I think most of that had to do with the setting, there's something about the Old West that just calls to me.
I loved Jim's story of the Crow saving him after he was attacked by a bear. I wish we could've learned more about his life with them. I liked how confident Jim was surviving in the wilderness and how he knew how to help with certain parts of the settlement.
The part that made me cringe the most was when Jim was talking about how beautiful his blonde, white sister is, and not ugly like all the squaws. Ugh. Even just writing that makes me feel like I may need to take off a star. It's so gross on a number of levels.
I hated how Jim's family viewed him as "savage" because of his ways. I get that probably was the view at the time period this book is set in, but it's still frustrating to read so blatantly.
I don't know what was right for Jim and if he made the correct choice in the end. Family is a pretty big deal, but so is being authentic. I guess that's another reason I liked it, gave me some things to think about.
I tried reading another Newberry by McGraw and it was dull as beans, so I'm glad this one turned out better. -
Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw is a book about a boy who runs away from his family in Missouri, all the way to Oregon. He followed his uncle to Oregon. This book takes place in Oregon in 1844-1845. The main character's name is Jim Keith, he is a boy that grew up in a white family but when he ran away to Oregon, and was attacked by a bear, an Native American tribe found him and he started to follow and go along with the Native American ways. In 1844 his family is moving west in search of new land in Oregon. They write a letter that they hoped would get to Jim. Jim found them in a town, the reason why they wanted Jim is because both of their parents had died and they needed someone to claim land for them. His three siblings that made the journey to Oregon were Jonnie who was 17, Sally who was 15, and Danl who was 12. Jim agrees to help them move farther towards the west, and they make the long journey to get there. Once they arrived it was really hard for Jim trying to settle in to a farming life when he was used to the Native American ways. Another big issue for Jim was trying to reconnect with his family that he hadn't seen in a long time. In the end Jim does find a way to reconnect, by letting go of his past. The major theme in this story is family, this is because Jim was have hard times in his family, but towards the end he realized it was the most important thing to him. I believe Jim made the right decision in helping his family move west. Overall this is a good book.
