A review by jessabbe
Ishi in Two Worlds: A Biography of the Last Wild Indian in North America by Theodora Kroeber

5.0

She did us all a service, documenting and interpreting what she learned from those who knew Ishi. As hard as it is to read of the maniacal killings of northern California tribes, the book is also an extraordinary story of the man Ishi and the beauty and resourcefulness of his doomed culture. It is a tribute to him, and also gives respect to those few newcomers who at least tried to resist the madness, advocate for survivors, and keep their stories alive. The 50th anniversary edition has an illuminating forward by Theodora and Alfred Kroeber's son Karl. When the book was originally published in 1961, the New York Times declared it "A book that all Americans should read." This is still true. Readers today benefit from the critical eye we cast on historians of 100 years ago and 50 years ago, before the word genocide was used to accurately describe what happened in the mountains and meadows and canyons where Ishi alone carried his people's memories, and then politely shared what he could with a few people who had a dawning comprehension of how grievous was this loss.