Morning Girl

Dorris, Michael

ISBN 10: 0780742338 ISBN 13: 9780780742338

Publisher: Turtleback Books, 1999

Synopsis

The award-winning author of A Yellow Raft in Blue Water presents a tale based on an entry in the diary of Christopher Columbus that tells of a native family living in a vibrant community striving to coexist with the natural world.

About this title

Review:

A peaceful, tropical world is the setting for Morning Girl, a simple yet rich glimpse into the lives of a young sister and brother. Morning Girl and Star Boy grapple with timeless, universal issues such as experiencing simultaneous anger and love toward family members and the quest to discover the true self. As all siblings do, these children respond to, play off of, and learn from each other. Precisely where Morning Girl and Star Boy are growing up is not revealed, but it's clearly a place where the residents have no modern amenities. Living in harmony with nature is a necessary priority here, and--given the descriptive names of the characters--a Native Indian culture seems likely. But not until the epilogue do readers discover that the story takes place in 1492. Suddenly we realize that the strange-looking visitors Morning Girl welcomes to shore are not as harmless as they may appear. The excerpt from Christopher Columbus's journal provides an ominous footnote: these gentle people, who seem so very much like us, will not be permitted their idyllic existence much longer.

About the Author:

Michael Anthony Dorris (1945-1997) was an American author and winner of the 1989 National Book Critics Circle Award for his memoir, The Broken Cord. He and his wife, author Louise Erdrich, frequently collaborated in their writing. Michael also helped found the Native American Studies program at Dartmouth.

About this edition

• Publisher: Turtleback Books
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0780742338
• ISBN 13: 9780780742338
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 74