ABENAKI CAPTIVE

A wealth of detail on Native American life provides background for the dramatic conflict between a young Abenaki with a grudge and captive trapper John Stark, later a major general in the American Revolution. After his elder brother is killed by the English, Ogistin goes on a vision quest in order to become a man and exact revenge. Five years later, he's in the party that captures Stark and another young trapper; only by consulting his guiding animal spirit, the lynx, does Ogistin control his still-vengeful feelings. The other captive is sold to the French; Stark is adopted into the tribe and eventually leaves with its blessing—even Ogistin's. Based on real events, this entry in the Adventures in Time series is distinguished by the author's insight into mid-18th century Native Americans, pressed by the white culture yet firmly based in their own ways. Her characters aren't well defined—Ogistin's mellowing isn't convincingly motivated, and we're never privy to Stark's emotions. Still, a swift-moving story that opens a window on an era. Glossary; bibliography. (Fiction. 10+)