by Mari Sandoz
First published 1986
Young Elk watches the wild mustangs thunder across the plains while his Cheyenne tribe expects him to take up weapons and fight. The thought of killing turns his stomach. Even slaying an enemy fills him with revulsion. He dreams instead of capturing and training the free-running horses that roam in great herds across the grasslands. His family and fellow tribe members cannot understand his choice. They see only a young man avoiding his duty as a warrior. Young Elk knows his path demands its own kind of bravery. Catching wild horses requires courage that matches any fighter's strength. He must prove himself worthy of living according to his own vision. The struggle forces him to find his place within his community while staying true to his nature.
Genres: american-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, 19th-century, native-american
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Cheyenne
Period: 19th-century
192 pages · Hardcover · University of Nebraska Press