First published 2016
An Inupiaq boy lives with his family in the Arctic until golden eagles descend from the sky. These eagles can shift into human form, and they seize the boy from everything he knows. The eagles deliver a stark ultimatum: he must master a series of lessons they will teach him, or they will kill him. The boy faces this terrifying choice while separated from his loved ones in an unfamiliar world. Through his struggle to survive and learn what the eagles demand, he becomes part of the origin story that explains how his people first received their music and dance traditions. Hopson draws this tale from an ancient Inupiaq myth that families have shared across hundreds of years. The story connects one boy's frightening ordeal to the cultural inheritance that defines his community.
Genres: adventure, fantasy, folklore
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: chosen-one, fish-out-of-water
Setting: Arctic
102 pages · Paperback · lulu.com