BestBook,NewMexicoBookAwards,2007It’s1923.TheU.S.BureauofIndianAffairsanditseducationalarm,theIndianService,areunderfirefora“Christianizeandcivilize“policythatseekstodrawNativeAmericanchildrenfromtheirancestralcultures.TheschoolprincipalatthefictionalNewMexicopuebloofAwahihasbeencaughtslippinggovernmentpropertytoamissionary.TheIndianServiceseekstostillaCongressionaluproarbygivingtheprincipal’sjobtoQuillThompson,acriticof“Christianizeandcivilize.“Awahiisanisolated,inhospitablepost.Quillisadvisedtopackagunandstayindoorsatnight.Hiswife,Jane,anurse,decidesitisnoplacetostartthefamilytheybothwant.ForcenturiesAwahihasmanagedbyguileandflexibilitytokeepitsrichcultureintact,despiteSpanishconquistadors,FranciscanandProtestantmissionaries,theIndianService,andtheteacherwhomighthavehadQuill’sjobhadshenotbeenawoman.Heralliesaretwoentrepreneurialproselytizers,whoshareonlycontemptforthe“savages“theyseektoconvert.QuillandJanejoinforceswithaone-eyedIndiantrader,aFranciscanstudentoftheAwahilanguage,andtwoAwahileaders,PuebloGovernorKenotiandRainPriestoftheNorthNinsulka.Whenawhitemanisfounddead,Quillfacesanethicaldilemma.ShouldheallowAwahitometeoutjusticetheAwahiway?Orshouldhecallinoutsideforcesthathefearswilldestroyanancientsocietybeforeitcanadjusttoanencroachingmodernworld?HaroldBurtonMeyersgrewuponPima-Maricopa,Zuni,Navajo,andHopireservationsinArizonaandNewMexico.AformerTimecorrespondentandFortuneeditor,heistheauthoroftwoearliernovelsabouttheSouthwest,Geronimo’sPoniesandReservations.
