Mountain Windsong: A Novel of the Trail of Tears - Hardcover

Conley, Robert J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0806124520 ISBN 13: 9780806124520

Publisher: Univ of Oklahoma Pr, 1992

Synopsis

Set against the tragic events of the Cherokees' removal from their traditional lands in North Carolina to Indian Territory between 1835 and 1838, Mountain Windsong is a love story that brings to life the suffering and endurance of the Cherokee people. It is the moving tale of Waguli ("Whippoorwill") and Oconeechee, a young Cherokee man and woman separated by the Trail of Tears. Just as they are about to be married, Waguli is captured by federal soldiers and, along with thousands of other Cherokees, taken west, on foot and then by steamboat, to what is now eastern Oklahoma. Though many die along the way, Waguli survives, drowning his shame and sorrow in alcohol. Oconeechee, among the few Cherokees who remain behind, hidden in the mountains, embarks on a courageous search for Waguli.
Robert J. Conley makes use of song, legend, and historical documents to weave the rich texture of the story, which is told through several, sometimes contradictory, voices. The traditional narrative of the Trail of Tears is told to a young contemporary Cherokee boy by his grandfather, presented in bits and pieces as they go about their everyday chores in rural North Carolina. The telling is neither bitter nor hostile; it is sympathetic but unsentimental. An ironic third point of view, detached and often adversarial, is provided by the historical documents interspersed through the novel, from the text of the removal treaty to Ralph Waldo Emerson's letter to the president of the United States in protest of the removal. In this layering of contradictory elements, Conley implies questions about the relationships between history and legend, storytelling and myth-making.
Inspired by the lyrics of Don Grooms's song, "Whippoorwill," which open many chapters in the text, Conley has written a novel both meticulously accurate and deeply moving.

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Reviews

In his engrossing new novel (after Go-Ahead Rider ), the noted writer on western and Native American themes again turns his attention to the history of his people, the Cherokees. Conley chronicles the Trail of Tears--the forced removal of the tribe in the 1830s from its homelands in the southeastern U.S. to alien territory in Oklahoma. He gives this epic drama a human scale by focusing on the story of Oconeechee, daughter of a famous Cherokee chief, and Waguli (Whippoorwill), the young man she loves. Separated by the genocidal march--one-quarter of the participants died en route to Oklahoma--the pair spend much of the novel searching for each other. A young Native American named LeRoy (or "chooj,"chooj is lc as he is called) narrates their saga, related to him by his grandfather after he asks about the beautiful "windsong" he has heard on a North Carolina reservation occupied by descendants of the Cherokees who escaped relocation. "It's the love song of Oconeechee and Whippoorwill," replies the grandfather, who uses the couple's tale to teach chooj about his heritage. Uncompromisingly accurate and authentic, the narrative incorporates historical documents (the full text of the 1835 treaty the Cherokees signed with the U.S. government is included; as a result, the story slows for some pages) and many words in the Cherokee language. As the tragic tale unfolds, the novel acquires power and resonance and the reader cannot failed to be moved by Conley's insights into Cherokee history and culture.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Conley, a member of the United Keetoowah Bank of Cherokee and the author of numerous works of fiction ( Nickajack , Doubleday, 1992; Go-Ahead Rider , LJ 6/15/90), delivers a very accessible and moving account of the Trail of Tears, told by a grandfather sharing the ancient culture with his young grandson. Mountain Windsong focuses on two individuals caught up in this monumental event shortly after their betrothal: Waguli is forced on the long, hard government-imposed migration, while Oconeechee manages to remain behind with a small band hiding in the mountains. Waguli struggles with the hardships he encounters on the trail and with the effort to adjust to the new life imposed upon him. Oconeechee holds onto her love for him, while her people strain to hold onto their land and their way of life. After four long years, the lovers are reunited, but the reader shares in the sadness expressed by the young boy who knows that, despite this happy ending, the tale was one of utmost sorrow. Highly recommended for public libraries.
- Debbie Bogenschutz, Cincinnati Technical Coll.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Univ of Oklahoma Pr
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0806124520
• ISBN 13: 9780806124520
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 240