Ancient Child - by N Scott Momaday (Paperback)

About the Book

Locke Setman (Set), a Native American, is raised far from the reservation by his adopted father. Set feels a strange aching in his soul and, returning to the tribal lands for the funeral of his grandmother, meets a stunning young medicine woman with a gift of astonishing visions--who turns his world upside down.

Book Synopsis

"An intriguing combination of myth, fiction, and storytelling that demonstrates the continuing power and range of Momaday's creative vision....These are magical words. Listen." --Washington Post

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poet N. Scott Momaday shapes the ancient Kiowa myth of a boy who turned into a bear into a timeless American classic.

The Ancient Child juxtaposes Indian lore and Wild West legend into a hypnotic, often lyrical contemporary novel. It is the story of Locke Setman, known as Set, a Native American raised far from the reservation by his adoptive father. Set feels a strange aching in his soul and, returning to tribal lands for the funeral of his grandmother, is drawn irresistibly to the fabled bear-boy. When he meets Grey, a beautiful young medicine woman with a visionary gift, his world is turned upside down. Here is a magical saga of one man's tormented search for his identity--a quintessential American novel, and a great one.

From the Back Cover

In his first novel since the Pulitzer Prize-winning House Made of Dawn, N. Scott Momaday shapes the ancient Kiowa myth of a boy who turned into a bear into a timeless American classic. The Ancient Child juxtaposes Indian lore and Wild West legend into a hypnotic, often lyrical contemporary novel--the story of Locke Setman, known as Set, a Native American raised far from the reservation by his adoptive father. Set feels a strange aching in his soul and, returning to tribal lands for the funeral of his grandmother, is drawn irresistibly to the fabled bear-boy. When he meets Grey, a beautiful young medicine woman with a visionary gift, his world is turned upside down. Here is a magical saga of one man's tormented search for his identity--a quintessential American novel, and a great one.

Review Quotes

"An intriguing combination of myth, fiction, and storytelling that demonstrates the continuing power and range of Momaday's creative vision . . . As Momaday's vision unfolds, the reader recognizes storytelling that is continuous and timeless . . .These are magical words. Listen." - Washington Post

"A tour-de-force of clarity and brilliance." - San Francisco Chronicle