A Great Read-Aloud

Moccasin Trail , by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, is an excellent book to read with your family.

A runaway boy attacked by a bear is rescued and raised by Indians, then reconnects as an adult with his now-orphaned sister and brothers. As he helps them realize their parents’ dream of settling in Oregon Territory, he and they struggle with his inability to integrate fully with white mans’ values and ways. Eloise Jarvis McGraw has written a riveting narrative full of action, tension, historical detail, and surprise. It’s all woven together with a deeply humane treatment of the personal prejudices, spiritual growth and relationships of her characters. She avoids all temptation to oversimplify, caricature, or propagandize. Instead, this story’s complex themes are resolved with an honesty and transcendent beauty that is profoundly satisfying. I recommend this book very highly, especially for family read-alouds.