Description:

By Kristen Bailey

Before fur traders or missionaries touched the Pacific Northwest . . . . The River People flourished. River-Song lives in a valley of meandering streams that give them salmon and trout to eat. Oak trees abound in the valley. A forest of cedar and fir surround them, making a canopy and giving them planks for their long houses, canoes, and totem poles. River-Song’s father, Chief Sits-and-Thinks, is growing old and sick, but he trusts in her to lead their people. Her best friend has become her rival as they compete to marry the same man. She must use her gift of words when a wandering band of braves seek a new home with them. River-Song feels pulled to their leader. Can this young girl hold her tribe together when hostile warriors attack?