The Last Rainmaker

The Last Rainmaker, by Sherry Garland, epitomizes the struggles of a girl to be recognized in both the American Indian world and the white. Sherry Garland, however, touches on something more wordly here as well: respect of other cultures comes not by ignorance, but by acceptance of their gifts to nature and civilization. Though Caroline Long, the protagonist, is urged to ignore her mother's background, she discovers that all cultures must and can live together if they gain a respect for each other. Using the innocence of a child, Garland embodies all aspecs of a struggle of a girl to "fit in" wherever she goes, a childish act completed by so many youths today, even if it means drugs or violence. A good accompanying book is A Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter, for the boy in that book must also, in the end, choose the path he wants to take, not having the option of the best of both worlds. Maybe these authors want to state that harmony comes with acceptance.