Last Warrior

The captivating story of a young warrior apprentice to Geronimo.

Grade 6-8. Mercilessly wrenched from his home in Arizona, a young Apache warrior struggles against becoming "white-manized" at the Carlisle Indian School. Solito is forced to wear a white man's rough clothing, to learn English, to sleep on a bed, and to treat bluecoats with respect. The ultimate insult is a new name: Daniel. Despite his hardships and acts of rebellion, Solito eventually learns a trade and is apprenticed to an elderly Quaker harness maker, whom he comes to love and admire. When the old man dies, Solito remains with the man's widow, whom he now calls grandmother. However, after killing a nightime intruder who is attacking the woman, the young man flees the area, puts aside any trust he had in white people, and courageously resolves to travel back to Arizona where he learns the truth about his birth. Gradually, he is accepted by whites and Apaches alike for his bravery. Ellison deftly portrays the conflict between Solito's anger at the injustices done to him and his slowly dawning realization that some white people are honorable. This work is well researched and rich with historical detail. However, the text is dense and may intimidate less competent readers.?Peggy Morgan, The Library Network, Southgate, MI
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