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A review by gillothen
Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Susan Cooper addresses the European invasion of New England in the seventeenth century, told by a member of the Wampanoag people. There are some problematic aspects, as the focus switches halfway through the book to one of the settlers, making the Indigenous experience secondary, and the "white saviour" element of the figure introduced at the end is also somewhat questionable.
On the other hand, Cooper writes with her customary fluency, developing strong characters and some moving situations, while confronting the devastating effects of Europeans on the culture and people of the area and the hypocrisy of the church-centred society unable to recognise the "Indians" as fellow human beings.
I understand why some critics of the First Nations peoples have objected to this, though I have no reason to doubt Cooper's sincerity or the accuracy of her research. I enjoyed the story, though it is not in the same league as her best work, particularly the "Dark Is Rising" sequence.
On the other hand, Cooper writes with her customary fluency, developing strong characters and some moving situations, while confronting the devastating effects of Europeans on the culture and people of the area and the hypocrisy of the church-centred society unable to recognise the "Indians" as fellow human beings.
I understand why some critics of the First Nations peoples have objected to this, though I have no reason to doubt Cooper's sincerity or the accuracy of her research. I enjoyed the story, though it is not in the same league as her best work, particularly the "Dark Is Rising" sequence.