Title: shadow of an indian star
The revision
When sixteen-year-old Smith Paul walked away from his North Carolina home in the dead of a September night in 1824, he had little awareness of how his rash behavior would shape not only his immediate life but that of generations to come. The lonely young man who found life living in a home with a recently married widowed father, an unkind stepmother, and lonely sadness over the death of his unbearable mother; He soon learned that life on his own was also full of pain. Several of the people Smith first met were not only cruel and untrustworthy; they were often also common thieves, and on occasion thoughtless murderers. Smith was lucky enough to meet Hezekiah Burkitt, a knowledgeable black man, who taught him the secrets of the fur trapping trade. The death of Burkitt and his donkey, Scrap Iron, at the hands of scheming dealers, sent Smith on a desperate run for his own life.
A chance encounter with an Indian trapped in the jaws of a massive bear was the catalyst that propelled Smith Paul into a life he hadn’t sought, came to love, and shaped not only his destiny but that of those around him. Book one of the three-part narrative continues Smith Paul forward from that chance meeting with Ja-Paw-Nee to the Chickasaw’s expulsion from their ancestral lands and into Indian Territory. Smith, named Ikhimilo for his brave countenance in attacking the bear bent on savaging Ja-Paw-Nee, lives with the Chickasaw in Mississippi until 1838, when the people of Yaneka Village begin their journey down the Trail of Tears. It is during the trip that Smith meets an old nemesis, this time, however, Smith Paul is no longer a sixteen year old and the encounter has a very different result. Book One continues the narrative in Indian Territory, the death of Reverend McClure, the white man who came to preach the gospel to Chickasaw and stayed to become a local carpenter, Smith’s marriage to the woman he adores and their young man. family beginning their life in Indian Territory.
Book Two begins in 1858 as the Smith Paul family becomes well known, prosperous, and influential in the valley still called Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. Smith’s eldest son, Sam, is disappointed when he returns from a campaign as a scout for G. A Custer. Sam buries his brother and begins a rise to power, political and personal over the years. Sam borders on the edge of legality and brutality, marrying more than once, fathering children in and out of wedlock, and proving that he’s not a good husband or father much of the time. However, he is a likeable character. Sam’s ability to see beyond the present and the cruelty of the federal government and the greed of those in power propels him politically despite all odds.
The third book begins in Santa Barbara, California, in 1890. Smith is now eighty-two years old, has remarried after the death of his beloved wife, and has passed his business on to his heirs. He leaves the territory to start a new life in California with a new wife. When his grandson Joe shows up in California after a fight with his father, Smith decides it’s time to go home. He convinces Joe to come with him, but doesn’t tell anyone they’re coming. If old Pablo had done it. the story could have been different for the family. The rift between Sam and Joe Paul cannot be mended even as Paul’s story continues with more setbacks, marriages, births, deaths, and life.
The Paul writers have crafted an entertaining and compelling read grounded in both research and family lore. Smith Paul’s story is easy to read, well written, and very enjoyable. The writers state ‘This is a work of fiction. The names of the main characters, places and events are not the product of the authors’ imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or places is purely intentional. This is the story Bill Paul’s grandfather told him.
As a lifelong reader of historical facts, social customs, and just plain good books, I found shadow of an indian starDifficult reading at times. Reading about the Scrap Iron and Burkitt massacre saddened me greatly. Whether this incident was imagination or based on fact, the reality is that similar cases took place in those days and that is what makes the sketch compelling. I enjoyed the narrative as a whole, found the inclusion of various news clips taken from newspapers added to the story, and wish I had seen an image or two of the main characters added to the work.
shadow of an indian starIt will make an excellent addition to the home library, high school and college library, home school, high school reading list, and for those who like a well-crafted book full of vigorous characters and realistic, lots of action and direct language. Brutal death, realistically portrayed, human emotion and depravity are portrayed with a delicate hand.
As a bonus, the writers manage to portray a vigorous and cordial group of people in robust language without resorting to graphic sex or profanity. I don’t keep many of the books submitted for review, this is one I’ll keep.
Enjoyed the read, happy to recommend.
Reviewed by: Molly Martin Classroom Teacher for over 20 years
http://www.angelfire.com/ok4/mollymartin
http://www.AuthorsDen.com/mjhollingshead
Genre: biographical/historical fiction
Author: Bill Paul, Cindy Paul
http://www.shadowofanindianstar.com/ Bill Paul PO Box 250 Stratford, OK 74872
Publisher: Austin, TX Synergy Books, 2005 2100 Dramer Lane, STE 300 Austin, TX 78758
ISBN: 097559222X
Compelling read… Highly recommend… 5 stars
