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emilywiese 's review for:
Indian Horse
by Richard Wagamese
Richard Wagamese crafts a powerful story inside of Indian Horse that is not only heartbreaking, but thought provoking. Some history of boarding schools of Native Americans I already knew, but I found myself shocked over and over again when discussing abuse- physical, mental, and sexual.
Saul Indian Horse, the main character of the book, begins his life with his parents, brother, and grandparents, but slowly his family is destroyed as white men move in on them and eventually Saul is taken away to boarding school. Retelling the accounts of a small child in the midst of such abuse made the reader feel for Saul and also wondering how terrified he must be. The story continues to grow and moves past his day of boarding school that detest to a harsh life and constantly grappling with his time at boarding school and his talent of playing hockey.
Not wanting to give much away, Saul turns to hockey as a form of therapy and a way in which he bonds with others to form his own kind of family. Hockey not only dominates his life, but truly is Saul’s saving grace and a place where he forms a brotherhood. Though Wagamese breaks the readers heart towards the ending of the book, I felt that Saul was given a justified ending.
Saul asks in the middle of the book, “Where is God then?” truly culminating the essence of this novel and the tragedy many Native American families faced and still do. In boarding school, Saul was surrounded by white man values and throughout the book he faces how he forms his own identity as a Native American in now a white man’s world. Not only a powerful read, but one I feel is necessary to add into the list of senior reading before heading off to college. Showing this to students may be a reality to what really was happening in America and also such a personal way to tell such painful history, but history that truly happened. As a future teacher, I will want to incorporate this into the classroom and discuss the bigger question of “Where is God for Saul in this novel?”. Because I am still left wondering how one man can live out such horrible realities.
Saul Indian Horse, the main character of the book, begins his life with his parents, brother, and grandparents, but slowly his family is destroyed as white men move in on them and eventually Saul is taken away to boarding school. Retelling the accounts of a small child in the midst of such abuse made the reader feel for Saul and also wondering how terrified he must be. The story continues to grow and moves past his day of boarding school that detest to a harsh life and constantly grappling with his time at boarding school and his talent of playing hockey.
Not wanting to give much away, Saul turns to hockey as a form of therapy and a way in which he bonds with others to form his own kind of family. Hockey not only dominates his life, but truly is Saul’s saving grace and a place where he forms a brotherhood. Though Wagamese breaks the readers heart towards the ending of the book, I felt that Saul was given a justified ending.
Saul asks in the middle of the book, “Where is God then?” truly culminating the essence of this novel and the tragedy many Native American families faced and still do. In boarding school, Saul was surrounded by white man values and throughout the book he faces how he forms his own identity as a Native American in now a white man’s world. Not only a powerful read, but one I feel is necessary to add into the list of senior reading before heading off to college. Showing this to students may be a reality to what really was happening in America and also such a personal way to tell such painful history, but history that truly happened. As a future teacher, I will want to incorporate this into the classroom and discuss the bigger question of “Where is God for Saul in this novel?”. Because I am still left wondering how one man can live out such horrible realities.