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Book Overview
First published in 1954 and long out of print, this novel of pre-Hispanic Indian life in the Southwest combines the authenticity of an anthropological report with the suspense of a mystery novel. The author, best known as an anthropologist during his lifetime, is now recognized as a major Native American novelist. Hitherto virtually unknown, Runner in the Sun is sure to take its place next to McNickle's The Surrounded, also available from UNM Press, as a classic of Native American fiction.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:0826309747
ISBN13:9780826309747
Release Date:August 1987
Publisher:University of New Mexico Press
Length:259 Pages
Weight:0.70 lbs.
Dimensions:0.7" x 5.5" x 8.3"
Age Range:12 to 17 years
Grade Range:Grades 7 to 12
Customer Reviews
1 rating
Happy Endings Tend to be Mythical
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 24 years ago
A society under stress must change or be destroyed. A pre-columbian Native American village in the Southwest has endured many years of drought and has reached its breaking point. Will the external forces of nature or the internal strife of the people be the hammer that shatters the village? This question is explored through the eyes of a boy, named Salt in the language of his people. Salt survives the machinations of a powerful member of his tribe, then begins a quest to find salvation for his people. Ostensibly a novel for young adults, Runner in the Sun presents a complex metaphor to explore the forces of societal change within a familiar hero-quest plot. The story seems simple but has rich soil in which anthropological and linguistic fruit may grow. Even the boy's name, Salt, carries metaphorical depth. As the village's water evaporates in drought, what is left is the people's true essence--the minerals the water carried. D'Arcy McNickle's lifelong focus on the shape of Indian society and its relationship to its surrounding world are expressed in the mythic context of Runner in the Sun (which is also a plain good read, too).
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