The Last Renegade

It's 1877 in Texas. In a heart-wrenching scene, Young-Man-Listens is taken prisoner by buffalo hunters who see the possibility of selling him. The nine-year-old Kwahadi Comanche is purchased by Shelley McDuff, the shyster who owns a traveling circus. Young-Man-Listens suffered a broken ankle during the battle, and over the next two years of his captivity, it didn't heal right, leaving him with a permanent limp. Locked in a cage, he is displayed as "Chief Raging Buffalo, the Last Renegade," and all he can think of is escape, revenge, and freedom. Reverend Reid is doing a booming business in the town of Redemption, selling "Living Water," spring water that bubbled up under the church property. He's selling it as a curative for all man's ailments. But then eleven-year-old Jake Miller and his friend, Marty Rios, find a similar spring at Jake's cabin, and become a target for the mercenary Reid and his sidekick, Durward. These kids can't be allowed to sabotage his booming business in the precious commodity. Now, the circus is coming to Redemption, and Jake and Marty may be the answer to the young Indian's prayers. Perhaps they can help him escape McDuff's prison. THE LAST RENEGADE is the riveting story of a child rising up against injustice to become a man. The characters are believable and sympathetic, and McDuff is a villain that is easy to hate. The plight of the Indian youngster is one that was played out all too often in Frontier America, and Kearby does a masterful job of characterization and plotting. The fast action gets violent at times, but definitely keeps you turning the pages. It's a western story that is sure to appeal to even reluctant readers. Reviewed by: Grandma Bev

A traveling sideshow is no way to live. "The Last Renegade" is the story of Young-Man-Listens, a young boy captured from his tribe and sold to a circus troupe, promoted as the Last Renegade, a vicious native chieftain. Miserable in captivity of cruel master McDuff, he finds that to find his freedom, he must make his character a bit more real to turn it against McDuff. "The Last Renegade" is a riveting story of a child rising up against injustice and becoming a man.

I just downloaded and read this amazing novel. Mike Kearby is right up there with Lois Lowry when it comes to weaving empathy into an engaging work of fiction. THE LAST RENEGADE should be required reading in schools all over North America.