Title: Peacemaker
Author: Joseph Bruchac
Major Themes: Native Americans, Iroquois
Synopsis: Okwaho and his clan wanted to live in peace, but the rest of the clans of the Five Nations of the Iroquois thrived on war—until the Peacemaker came.
We have read several of Joseph Bruchac’s books, and enjoyed each one. He does an excellent job of writing historical fiction from the Native American’s point of view without glamorizing their culture. I enjoyed reading Peacemaker to my daughter soon after we started a study of American history.
Publisher’s description:
Twelve-year-old Okwaho’s life has suddenly changed. While he and his best friend are out hunting, his friend is kidnapped by men from a neighboring tribal nation, and Okwaho barely escapes. Everyone in his village fears more raids and killings: The Five Nations of the Iroquois have been at war with one another for far too long, and no one can remember what it was like to live in peace.
Okwaho longs for revenge for his friend, but before he can retaliate, a visitor with a message of peace comes to him in the woods. The Peacemaker shares his lesson tales—stories that make Okwaho believe that this man can convince the leaders of the five fighting nations to set down their weapons. So many others agree with him. Can all of them come together to form the Iroquois Great League of Peace?
My thoughts:
Peacemaker is an amazing story. I was glad to find the author’s note at the end of the book, which explained the background of the story. Parts of the Peacemaker’s life sound like Jesus, and the ultimate result of his coming was what Jesus brought. We were quite intrigued with who, exactly, the Peacemaker was—but there is no way to know for sure. This picture shows clearly what happens to a culture when war and revenge are a way of life, and what can happen when people stand for peace.
One person who entered into this story a little was Hiawatha. He became a companion and helper to the Peacemaker. Now, I want to read Longfellow’s poem about him and see if I can see any resemblance to this story!
It was very interesting to read about the life of the Iroquois before the white men came to North America, and about how they interacted with each other. I also noticed the power of story—stories were used to get points across and to influence people. In fact, Okwaho talked about how he felt when a story was being told, as if he were there in the story. Once again, I am quite impressed by Joseph Bruchac’s writing.
One thing I will mention: See the warning about Chapter 9. I sent my youngest daughter out of the room while I was reading that chapter to my 9-year-old. The older girl was able to handle hearing this, but it would have been too much for my very sensitive younger one. Parents should definitely preread that chapter before giving the book to their child or reading it aloud.
WARNING: Chapter 6: Man ordered several people killed as an example, threatened to kill others. Chapter 9: Baby born without having a father, woman tried multiple times to kill the baby. Chapter 10: Village attempted to kill a man. Chapter 13: Family poisoned.
Age levels:
Listening Level—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Reading Independently—Ages 10 – 12, 12 – 15
Links to buy this book:
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audible Audiobook (unabridged) | Audio CD (unabridged)
AbeBooks: View Choices on AbeBooks.com
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