Overview
Young Malian lives contentedly with her parents and extended family in an Abenaki village near Montreal in the mid-eighteenth century. One night, Malian's life changes abruptly. Silently, her father carries her off to the woods, blanket and all, and orders her to run to their tribe's winter camp. Malian obeys, but not before she turns to watch her father slip back to the village through the trees. She never sees him again.
Malian's Song is based on the true story of a deliberate attack by English Major Robert Rogers on Quebec's St. Francis Abenaki community in 1759. Malian's account of "Rogers's Raid," passed down through generations of Abenaki oral tradition, reveals that many Abenaki people survived the attack that destroyed their village, in direct contrast to Rogers' journal accounts. Jeanne Brink, a descendant of Malian living in Vermont, told the Vermont Folklife Center the little-known Abenaki version of the brutal attack. In this first Abenaki and English picture book, preeminent Abenaki historian Marge Bruchac and illustrator William Maughan portray Malian's story of a people's strength and fortitude in the face of unspeakable loss.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly
Inspired by the true story of the 1759 English attack on the St Francis Abenaki community, Malian's Song by Marge Bruchac, illus. by William Maughan, describes the event from young Malian's point of view. At the village Friendship Dance, a scout for "the White Devil" warns Malian's cousin that the "strangers" would come at dawn to burn down their homes. Many got away thanks to the scout's warning, but more than 32 died. An endnote lays out the facts in detail, and Malian demonstrates the power of story in keeping alive the memory of the fallen. Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.Children's Literature -
An Abenaki legend is based on an actual raid on their community by British Major Robert Rogers in 1759. Rogers' journal records the story quite differently. Bruchac retells the tale from the point of view of young Malian. Her village is preparing for a big feast. But during the night, as the dancing in the Council House has begun, Malian awakes to the smell of smoke. Her father tells her to run. When she joins the others, she finds that an attack has been planned on the village. Warned, the people have left the Council House. They watch as the houses and even the church are set on fire. People have died, their food for the winter is gone, and so is her father. Malian vows to remember and pass the story on to her children. Maughan paints his full-page scenes like stage sets for the most dramatic moments of this history, from Malian's life before the tragedy, to her father running off to fight with musket in hand, to the women and children watching the fires in the night. The characters are all individuals who seem to possess the inner strength we associate with Native Americans. An extensive note fills in the factual details and brings the story up to date, with a bibliography. A fascinating contrast between the native legend and the more familiar history.School Library Journal
Gr 2–4
This story, based on an English attack on the Abenaki in 1759, is notable for relating a lesser-known piece of history passed down through oral storytelling. Before the raid, Malian lives a happy life with her family. All that is destroyed when the English set fire to the entire village and her father is killed. Grief stricken, the girl makes a Lonesome Song. Eventually, the people rebuild, but vow never to forget. The art captures the details of the child's life, including homes, dress, and daily experiences. An afterword describes the event and how it was passed along and "discovered" nearly 200 years later. The story is told by Malian, with the text appearing in boxes over the full-page illustrations. The colors are muted, creating a feeling of reflection. Although the book relates a devastating experience, many of the scenes are peaceful, and the use of the past tense distances readers from the violence. Recommend this to history or English teachers for use in oral-history units.
—Cris RiedelCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.