Juv Historical Novelization: The Arrow Over the Door, by Joseph Bruchac

The Arrow Over the Door
Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by James Watling
ISBN: 0803720785
Read Oct 20, 2014
A pacifist Quaker boy outside of Saratoga in 1777 is stung by accusations of cowardice in the face of the American Revolution, while an Abenaki boy (from what is now Canada) travels south to decide if his people will fight on the side of the distant King to punish his unruly colonists.



This is an interesting novelization of an actual historical event between Quakers and Native Americans.  The author has done extensive research to puzzle out the actual records of the event, to reach past stereotypes and assumptions of the past to present a (hopefully) historically-accurate narrative of what may have happened.

What we KNOW: there was a Quaker (Friends) meeting where a notable friend of the Native Americans was visiting.  A party of Native Americans with a prisoner arrived at the meeting house, discovered it full of friendly pacifists, and declared friendship with the people within, recognizing them as people of peace who would not be involved with the impending conflict.  A Friend invited the guests to dine, and after dinner, they left, leaving the Friends and their belongings in peace.

On this historical framework, we get a nice (very slender) dual-narrative from two author-invented characters; the teen Friend and the teen Native, as they navigate their own consciousnesses and the responsibilities and expectations of their cultures and religions.

Very short, and raises lots of questions about intentions and cultural responsibility and personal growth, and doesn't really answer them in any depth; the ending is perfunctory and abrupt for the amount of buildup.  That ending is actually a bit of a let-down, considering the time and care taken in establishing moods and personality and cultural perspectives for each boy.

Still, in addition to being a good look at both Friends and Abenaki culture, this is an interesting short vignette about the founding of America, from not one, but two marginalized and often-overlooked perspectives.