The Loon Feather

This is one of the best books I've read in years, along with Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter. The characters are richly portrayed-believable, and the author avoids stereotyping the whites and the Indians. There's drama, romance, history, and an almost lyrical description of the Mackinac Island terrain. My only complaint is the typeset in this edition is somewhat blurry.

Fuller's "The Loon Feather" is the story of Oneta, an Ojibway girl whose father is the legendary Tecumseh. Throughout the story, she searches for an identity that can encompass her French and Ojibway heritiges. This novel is historically accurate and well- imagined, a triumph for young adult readers. Its relevance today can not be questioned, especially for children who are dealing with their own searches for identity.

As a native Michigander who has not spent summers on the Island, but many summers in Northern Michigan, my sister recommended strongly that I read this novel. I began reading it and was immediately swept up into Oneta's life and her struggles to find her own identity. Even more moving was this character's ability to find the strength and goodness in all who touch her life, from her unbending French step-father to her high spirited step-grandmother, to the natives who were so much a part of her early life.The death of Oneta's great father and leader, Tecumseh, is where the story begins. Life changes for this native girl when her mother re-marries Pierre. Tragic loss occurs when her mother dies of a disease contracted from the unity of these two populations. Options are limited for our central character, and yet she always finds her way because of what she has learned from those who surround her. Her father's wisdom transcends, even as early Michigan's natural abundance becomes substantially limited. This is a MUST read!!

The Loon Feather is the perfect book for girls 8th grade (good readers) and up. The heroine is the daughter of Tecumseh, the Shawnee hero, but she grows up partly in French household. Strong, loving, and sensitive, Oneta is also self-aware--but never whiny.A prophecy at her birth says that Oneta will marry a person stronger than a warrrior. When she acknowledges her true love, it is she who takes him by the hand to lead him on the path. What a wonderful heroine. A very accurate picture of life in the early 1800s. Historically correct. This book has been in continuous print since 1948--for a reason.

I was coerced into reading this by a friend and from the moment of picking it up, it never left my hand - I -carried- it with me for the three days it took me to fly through the amazing story of Oneta (yes, one 't'), an Ojibway of Mackinac Island. Native to Michigan myself, I make trips to the Island every summer, and it's pure magic to spend a weekend up there. Same with this book - trust me, if there was anything wrong with the author's interpretation, I'd bloody well let you know! =) A girl becoming a woman, plain and simple, but a different kind of girl in a different kind of time. She loves, hates, grows, grieves, and recovers, and provides examples to be followed while educating you in a brief bit of tense fur trading and Indian vs. White Man history. To me, _The Loon Feather_ ranks right up there with _Tale of Two Cities_, and it deserves every star I dealt.