2018 School Spending Survey Report
Graphic the Valley
Tyrus. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9781440562037. $24.95; pap. ISBN 9781440568930. $16.95; ebk. ISBN 9781440562044. F
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Born in a car and named after a Yosemiti tribal chief, Tenaya lives with his parents in the backcountry of the Yosemite National Park, surviving by fishing and scavenging for leftovers thrown away by tourists. Educated by reading books left behind by campers, Tenaya is also taught by his father to appreciate the oral history, traditions, and legends of their Yosemiti ancestor. While working with a park crew, Tenaya meets Lucy, a descendant of the rival Miwok tribe. Ultimately, he must choose between his love for Lucy and the traditions he values.
VERDICT The author of the acclaimed memoir The End of Boys and award-winning fiction collection Loss has written an excellent coming-of-age debut novel. He skillfully interweaves the story of modern-day life in Yosemite with the the area's turbulent and tragic history in the 1850s when Native Americans lost control of the land, but the author's attempt to link Tenaya and Lucy to the biblical story of Samson and Delilah is a bit heavy-handed and unnecessary. Still, the book's sense of place is strong, capturing Yosemite's wild beauty. Both adult and mature young adult readers and lovers of literary ecofiction will enjoyed this fast-paced love story.
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