To Spoil the Sun

by Joyce Rockwood

A classic about the devastation of smallpox is back in hardcover after many years

"'You cannot imagine what it [smallpox] is like. It falls on everyone and soon there is no one who can stand. It is like a fire that sweeps through the town, an invisible fire. People begin to fall with fever, and blisters rise on their skin and turn to running sores, and there is no way to give them comfort.'

I reeled at the force of it, horror-struck, unable to imagine it."

It is the sixteenth century and Rain Dove, a young Cherokee girl, lives in Mulberry Town. If things continue the way they always have, she can look forward to choosing a husband (her grandmother advises picking a young warrior) and raising a family. But after smallpox strikes, life for the people of the Seven Clans will never be the same.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Cultural, Middle Grade

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

JOYCE ROCKWOOD HUDSON is the author of five works of fiction, including the award-winning novel To Spoil the Sun, and two works of nonfiction, Looking for De Soto: A Search Through the South for the Spaniard's Trail (Georgia) and Natural Spirituality: Recovering the Wisdom Tradition in Christianity.

Reviews

[Jimmy Westerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was a good way to relate to American Indians but over all it was a great book.

[Kevin Rod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to learn about the history of the native Americans

[Books With Betty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! it was hard to get into at first because there was no book summary and I couldn't tell what time period the book was in. you figure it out as it goes - great insight into Cherokees in the 1500s and how disease affected them. it was a short read that kept me turning pages ♥️

[Evelyn Backus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book broke my heart into a million pieces and I’m still putting them back together again 😭

It takes you through the story of Rain Dove a you girl, member of the Cheeroke tribe. Her town has received 4 omens, before smallpox (or the invisible fire) tears through the town, changing everything. We also see inside the life of this young girl and what it means to be a woman during that time.

This book was so incredibly heartbreaking, yet inspiring at the same time. The only reason this wasn’t 5 stars (4.76) is because it was very hard to understand. If you enjoy historical fiction this book is a must.

[Tamera Tillman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 9: The story of a Cherokee girl coming of age in the early 16th century, also known as the beginning of European colonization. This girl named Rain Dove tells , as she comes of age, marries, has kids and loses most of her world to small pox. A peek into what being a girl is like in other times and cultures, I loved this when I read this.

[Cassidy Schultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read about a young Cherokee girl grow up to be a woman, facing the 4 omens and the deadly sickness they represent in To Spoil the Sun. I recommend this book because it teaches us about what the Native Americans experienced, since we don't learn about it.

[Tristan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not like this book very much at all because there was not very much suspense or action

[Jenna Missanelli-griffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is an excellent way to teach young adults about the realities of America's history with exploration.

[Rebecca Osbaldeston · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the book to spoil the sun but it was a little slow in some parts

[Mackenzie Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story is all about a young Cherokee girl growing with struggles and we follow her along her journey basically. Through this story is a 10/10 recommend must read.

[Cierra Litz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe the story was very interesting but pulled at the heartstrings while still teaching how the Native Americans lived in their time

[Gavin Welsh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this book successfully mimiced that of the native american history.

[Chris Connelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that this book is an outstanding representative of how things were at the time of Smallpox entering America and how everything was at that time.

[Artie · Rating 4 out of 5]

i thought it was a great book. it had a lot of suprises and suspense