Plains Warrior: Chief Quanah Parker and the Comanches

School Library Journal

Gr 6-9This biography is a throwback to the sensationalistic dime novel Westerns of the turn of the century. As much a recounting of Comanche/Texan warfare as a biography of the man who guided the Comanche transition from freedom to reservation life, the book is largely based on soldiers' memoirs and captivity accounts, which are noted for their frequent biases and misunderstanding of Native cultures. Author of many earlier titles on various military topics and battles, Marrin uses that perspective here. Beginning with the abduction of nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker, her adoption and subsequent marriage into the tribe, he then devotes nearly half of the book to various military activities in Texas, such as the formation of the Texas Rangers and daily life for the enlisted men. Interesting, perhaps, but peripheral to a biography of a Comanche leader. The second half of the book, beginning with Cynthia Ann's (now Naduah's) recapture by the Texans after 25 years, finally turns its focus back to the subject at hand, her son Quanah. But is almost too little too late. The constant use of inappropriate vocabulary (women are always "squaws"; men are always "braves," "warriors," or "chiefs"); inflammatory descriptions; and just plain inaccurate information make it difficult to recommend this title for purchase.Lisa Mitten, University of Pittsburgh, PA

Chris Sherman

Marrin's fine new history is every bit as engrossing as his award-winning 1994 books "Unconditional Surrender" and "Virginia's General". Following the same effective approach he used in those books, he melds biographical information about Comanche leader Quanah Parker with a balanced, carefully documented history of the relationship between settlers and the Comanches. Vivid descriptions of life on the Great Plains, compelling anecdotes, and lavish use of black-and-white photographs provide a strong sense of time and place as well as the personalities involved in the struggle to settle the Southwest. Marrin's evenhanded analyses of U.S. policy toward Native American peoples and of Quanah Parker's battles to ensure the survival of the Comanches will generate much discussion and can be used to introduce units on the Indian Wars. The text is so smoothly written that relevant chapters can easily be read aloud in class, and chapter notes and an extensive bibliography will allow students to pursue their research further. Recommend this title to American history buffs and to teens who have read Carolyn Meyer's "Where the Broken Heart Still Beats" (1992), the story of Quanah Parker's mother, Cynthia Ann, who was kidnapped by Comanches in 1836 and eventually married a Comanche chief.