Moccasin Trail

by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

A pioneer boy, brought up by Crow Indians, is reunited with his family and attempts to orient himself in the white man's culture. Jim Keath has lived for six years as a Crow Indian when he learns that his two younger brothers and a sister are journeying west to take up land. Although Jim finds it difficult to fit in with the family he hasn't seen since childhood, and though they are wary and distrustful of him, Jim feels his duty is to be at their side. But slowly, as they survive the dangerous journey west, the dangers of frontier life, and the kidnapping of their younger brother, Jim and hi family realize that the only way to survive is to accept each other and truly reunite the family. The grueling hardships on the journey to Oregon and in making a home provide exciting reading. Characters are portrayed so fully and sympathetically they might be alive today.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Adventure, Westerns

247 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1952

About the author

Eloise Jarvis McGraw was an author of children's books. She was awarded the Newbery Honor three times in three different decades, for her novels Moccasin Trail (1952), The Golden Goblet (1962), and The Moorchild (1997). A Really Weird Summer (1977) won an Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery from the Mystery Writers of America. McGraw had a very strong interest in history, and among the many books she wrote for children are Greensleeves, Pharaoh, The Seventeenth Swap, and Mara, Daughter of the Nile.

McGraw also contributed to the Oz series started by L. Frank Baum, writing with her daughter Lauren Lynn McGraw (Wagner) Merry Go Round in Oz (the last of the Oz books issued by Baum's publisher) and The Forbidden Fountain of Oz, and later writing The Rundelstone of Oz on her own. The actual writing of the books was done entirely by Eloise; Lauren made story contributions significant enough for Eloise to assign her co-authorship credit.

She lived for many years in Portland, Oregon before dying in late 2000 of "complications of cancer".

McGraw was married to William Corbin McGraw, who died in 1999. They had two children, Peter and Lauren.

-Wikipedia

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I'm reading all the Newbery Honor books from the year Charlotte's Web got the Honor, to see if any of them are any good.)

I can see why this got the honor, or was at least up for discussion; it's deeper than most "captive" narratives (the main character wasn't a captive in this case, but lived in a similar situation), an interesting story, well-written, although it goes on too long in the middle. I don't know when I've read such good descriptions of culture shock.

It's a good thing this didn't win, though. The attitude toward Indians ranged from OK (mostly in the beginning) to almost vomit-inducing, in the last few pages. It's pretty clear that what we have here is the native Oregonian's pride in the (mysteriously) romantic story of the Oregon Trail that I grew up with myself--the white settlers are absolute heroes; the Indians were fascinating, but their time was over.

So, besides thinking that the prose is not as good as in Charlotte's Web, I'm also relieved for that reason that this isn't part of the canon. But is it better than Secret of the Andes, the winner? Well... it's better-written, for sure, even if it is more offensive.

[J.R. Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life. I read it when I was twelve and it gave me a place to hang my storytelling hat. I am a writer, I believe, because of this book. It is a perfect story for a young reader who is wondering who they are and where they're going. It is about balancing the wild and the everyday. It is about two cultures, American Indian and White American. I often wonder, if I hadn't read this book, would I have ended up in Oregon? The novel comes to Oregon, where Jim, who was captured and raised by Indians, reunites with his long lost family. His parents are gone, but his brothers and sister are trying to make a new life. It is a wonderful tale that goes way beyond the usual rite-of-passage genre. I just can't say enough about how deeply it affected me. It is the kind of story that I always want to write.

[Joanne G. · Rating 3 out of 5]

SPOILER ALERT: I admit this book made me cringe over the attitudes towards Indians. Crows saved a young white boy's life when he was left for dead, and they raised him as their own. However, Jim always felt unsettled with his Indian family. As an adult, when he left to rejoin his biological family, he felt even more out of place. It was interesting to follow the internal struggle as Jim tried to come to terms with who he was and where he fit. In the end, Jim cuts his braid, removes his feather, and turns from his Crow background, which made me a bit sad. To be fair to the author, she does depict the love and care the Crows gave Jim, and she does have the biological family overcome their initial rejection of Jim's Indian ways and accept him as he is.

The story is a product of its time and should be accepted as such. It's not a story I would recommend to a child without discussion of the attitudes involved.

[BooksNCrannies · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's an average story, but still a bit interesting.

✏️ Review ✏️

Note: I read this book several months ago and never got around to reviewing it. So here's a shorter review of my thoughts.

Moccasin Trail isn't anything super impressive — it's just about average. The plot seems to go stale every now and then and the characters could use better development.

The idea of the story is interesting, but one thing that makes it too mainstream is the stereotypical display of Native Americans as "savages."

While it is hampered by lack of character development, the ending is satisfying nonetheless... I suppose. 🤷🏼‍♂️

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📊 A Quick Overview 📊

👍🏼 What I Liked:
• The ending (it's ok).

👎🏼 What I Did Not Like:
• The stereotypical depiction of Native Americans as "savages."

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📖 BOOK BREAKDOWN 📖 (Overall: 2/5)
~Fundamentals: (1=worst; 5=best)
— 📈 Plot: 3/5
— 📝 Writing: 3/5
— 👥 Characters: 3.5/5

~Content: (0=none; 1=least; 5=most)

— 🤬 Language: 2/5

• Several uses of God's name in vain directly and indirectly ("by gor"); also contains some other swear words (mostly cussing words from the 1950s era).

— ⚔️ Violence: 0/5

— ⚠️ Sexual: 0/5

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📣 Random Comments 📣

• Some aspects of Native American religion including magic are briefly discussed in the book.

• There is also emphasis on a a "good luck charm" the MMC carries with him.

• A note about my rating: Due to the frequency of the cussing within Moccasin Trail, I am subtracting one star from my original three star rating.

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💬 Favorite Quotes 💬

• (None)

[Cheryl]

The boy is caught between a life of "savagery" and civilization?! Omg, how does this pass as acceptable?

[Marlo · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is understandable why this is a Newberry Honor book -- terrific adventure, historical accuracy, and sympathetic, well-portrayed characters. The cultural attitudes of the time are accurately portrayed as well, and while that may make a modern reader uncomfortable, it is an opportunity for discussion with young readers. Erasing and rewriting history is a mistake. It is also important to note that not every part of every people group's culture is admirable and worthy of imitating. We should be able to discuss critically aspects of every culture, including our own, and note what is commendable and what needs redeemed. This book lends itself to several of those types of discussions from relational conflicts to cultural conflicts. All these elements make it a worthy read.

[Mckinley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I can't recommend this. Not because the story line isn't exciting but because it's just one more example of the savage indian/civilized white man malarkey that's all to prevalent in most all stories about Native Americans. It's not framed so much as perspectives and opinions of the characters but rather 'truth' of the right (read 'white') way.
Disappointing.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The conflict and clash of cultures in this book was interesting and engaging, but the time the story was written adds an unintentional layer to the story. The story was written in the 1950s and there are aspects to the story that make me uncomfortable - not because there is any bad language or inappropriate advances, but because the cultural view of Indians has changed since the book was written. Oddly, I'm quite sure the book was actually trying to be sympathetic to Indians and help paint them in a better light than they were typically seen at the time. That doesn't negate what makes me uncomfortable, but we can try to understand their times and not judge too harshly against our own times.

Somewhere in the latter part of the middle of the book I struggled to keep reading. The story was too long. I didn't know where we were going. Part could have been edited out and help keep the book more engaging, but then it picked back up again.

I struggled with if I should add the book to our personal library as planned or not after I finished reading it. Its valuable for showing the Oregon Trail in a relateable way, for showing differences in culture and thought between Indians, Mountain Men, and the Pioneers, but I wish something's had been written differently. Ultimately, I decided to keep the book - we can't only read things that make us comfortable because we will never learn and grow and grow if we do that. Those parts that cause discomfort? They are springboards for discussion with our children about why we react the way we do. Why people 70(+) years ago may have reacted differently than we do. It's a chance to learn about the culture of the book and culture of the publication. Ignoring uncomfortable parts of history doesn't change it, but we deny our world betterment if we fail to engage and learn and change. In fact, we will just find ourselves repeating it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

At eleven years old, Jim Keath runs away to follow his uncle, a mountain man. A year or so later he is attacked by a bear and left for dead. The Crow indians find him and he lives with them for six years before leaving to join another mountain man to trap beaver. He gets a letter from his brother asking for his help. The book is about changing, accepting and understanding and especially about family.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book by the author of Mara, Daughter of the Nile, one of my favorites as a child. Book about early settlers (and indigenous people) in Oregon, naming many familiar rivers and places. Handed it off to my husband after I finished. We both enjoyed the story. Bought a copy for our Oregon grandkids.

[Leah Good · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moccasin Trail encases a powerful story about the strength of family in a page turning adventure from the days of the pioneers. Jim Keath ran away from home as a young boy and now, at the age of 19, is more Indian than white. When he receives a letter from his younger brother pleading for help in staking a claim, Jim rejoins what is left of the family he ran away from nine long years ago and finds himself stuck between two worlds.

Jim's confusion over how to fit in and the pain of rejection that he tried to hide even from himself makes him an easy character to like. Eloise Jarvis McGraw does an amazing job of showing his struggle and inability to understand what his family expects of him while maintaining his rugged, impenetrable personality. You will be routing for him the entire time as he transforms from a rugged, wandering loner to an equally rugged but devoted, responsible family man. A masterfully told story.

[Petrichor · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eloise Jarvis McGraw has written some of my favorite books of all time, and I pulled this off the shelf at the library because it was the only book there by McGraw. However, this book is problematic for numerous reasons, many of them recounted by other reviewers (e.g., indigenous peoples = savages = bad; white = good). The writing is also very slow and stilted, and I skimmed after the first few chapters. Don't waste your time on this one.

[♠ TABI⁷ ♠]

obvious re-read needed because I was assigned this for school . . . and now I realize it's most definitely problematic because of its time, yet I do still hold a sense of nostalgia towards it that I want to explore and see if it still holds up (but I'm not holding my breath)

[Mackenzie L · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was one of the worst books I have ever read. I rated it 1 star because:
1. It was very slow.
2.It was very misleading
3.It was disappointing
4. In some parts of the story, you didn't know what was happening.
5. There was too many characters; you always got confused
6. The scenes changed to quickly, one second you were at the Crow camp, the next second you are somewhere off west with your siblings.

[Emily H · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most well-written stories. The four siblings in this novel all have realistic character growth. The emotional tenor of their interactions is so well done. And of course, this is also an exciting, fast-paced story about a white boy raised by Crow Indians, pioneers settling in Oregon, and hardships and dangers on the frontier.

Great characters, great dialogue, great plot. Everyone can find something in this book to appreciate.

[CindySR · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit violent in the end. I would have liked a bit of romance in the story. Over all a good pioneer story.

[Liv Loves Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Moccasin Trail is a truly different Native American book. This is because I feel it is quite realistic. More realistic then some other Indian fiction books. Some people find that this books reads in a “white man” way. While that is true, that was how it was back then, and it is a sad truth. However, that does makes it much more realistic as a book. Overall, I did find this book long, but I must say it is a good book, and I would recommend it.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cleanliness:

Sexual Content
Miscellaneous - 8 Incidents: Naked Indians (bare chested) are mentioned throughout the book. Indian dances are mentioned. A girl gets excited as a boy dances with her (she has a crush on him).
Virgin forest. A boy would strip his clothes at the edge of the woods. “The wind flowing past his naked body.” Mentions “his naked body” but probably more implying that he is shirtless. A boy strips down to his briefs.

Violence - 1 Incident: The main character kills an Indian up close that kidnapped his brother.

Profanity
Mild Obscenities & Substitutions - 49 Incidents: what the tarnation, what the devil, blasted, blast it, shucks, shut up, dratted, the devil with it, cussed lot of trouble, darn.
(Used repeatedly throughout the book but not counted: by golly, cracky, jiminy, thunder, thunderation, crimeny, What the Sam Hill)

Scatological Terms - 4 Incidents: Bl**dy (as in lots of blood), bl**dy (once)

Religious Profanities - 60 Incidents: By gor (by God), La (Lord), Good lord a'mighty, by all that's holy, by the almighty, Lord, Gee, doggone, oh lordy, for the land sake, for the lova creation, I declare to goodness, for the lord's sake, hallelujah (used several times throughout the book but not counted).

Conversation Topics - 7 Incidents: A young boy runs away from home. Mentioned a few times throughout the book. A smoking pipe and tobacco are mentioned a few times. Mentions Indian religion, spirits of the dead, and a medicine bundle (which was a glorified good-luck charm) throughout the book. Mentions gambling. “Promise or no promise, a fellow had to cut loose sometimes and just be himself!” A wife leaves her husband and he says he doesn’t blame her.
An explanation of Psalm 23 is given and how it helped a boy when he was feverish “from starvin’ and cuttin’” himself with a knife during the Indian boy’s right to manhood.

**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!

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[Catherine Gillespie · Rating 4 out of 5]

In all of our reading on this fascinating topic, we have most enjoyed Moccasin Trail by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. The story centers around a boy who was adopted into the Crow tribe after running away from his family’s farm back east. Providentially reunited with his siblings who were orphaned on the Oregon Trail, Jim/Talks Alone makes a decision about his role in the booming West and in his family.

This book generated many interesting discussions about the Native American way of life versus the pioneers, because it came at the distinction from a very unusual perspective. I did have a serious issue with the conclusion of the book though, in which [spoiler alert!] Jim chooses Christianity (of a sort) over his Crow “medicine.” His brother says that Jim was “white all along” because of the parallels between Jim’s medicine dream and Psalm 23. Many of the pioneer characters imply that to be a Christian Jim would need to cut off his Crow braids and act like the settlers rather than like an “injun.” Super cringe. It did lead to a very good talk with the kids about how that attitude was prevalent back then, but that the Bible says Christ is for all the nations, with no mention of having to dress, act, or look like a Western believer to be saved. The kids got it, but I’m glad we talked about it.

In any case, Moccasin Trail was a rip-roaring adventure tale and we all enjoyed it. The kids are actively trading each other Lego sets for the privilege of reading it again right away.

Get more recommendations for great kids chapter book read alouds (and adult books too) on A Spirited Mind

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. This is an engaging adventure set in the Oregon Territory. Jim (James) Keath is a teen runaway; escaping from his hard-handed father he abandons his mother and siblings to follow his maternal uncle when he passes by heading off westward to become a trapper. Jim finds himself being adopted by a group of Crow when they find him lying beneath the corpse of a grizzly that had tried to kill him. He lives among them for five years, learning their ways before he doubts himself and joins up with a white mountain man/trapper. Now in his early twenties, he receives a letter from his brother Jonnie that relates the family's plans to stake a claim in one of Oregon's river valleys. Jim heads off to find them and help them stake the claim - the story is about this and Jim's struggle between being white, Crow, and trapper. Generally, the author is more sympathetic towards the Native Americans than most writers of her time. Jim has Crow prejudices; he doesn't respect certain of the other tribes and considers Sioux to be the enemy outright. Initially he is totally uncomprehending of his family's goals; he has internalized his Crow life that much. But the point is that Jim is going to have to adapt to white ways, just as the Native Americans are forced to adapt. My only real objection in the book at the end when Jim decides to get rid of his helpers (he destroys his medicine bag); I would have preferred that not to have happened. What happens to the contents is only slightly ameliorating. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (Popsugar "western") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1953).

[Kris Irvin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yikes, I don't know why everyone else appears to love this book. After the litany of other Native American-era fiction I've read lately, this one didn't even compare. Wasn't even in the same village, let alone tribe. Ha ha, a joke.

I hated Jim. What a moron. Always running away and being a jerkface. Sure, he gets over himself, but only in the last 30 seconds of the book (it ends kind of abruptly.) I didn't like the way the characters spoke either.

It did not entirely suck because I want my own Moki wolfdog and a horse like Buckskin (though COME ON, I would totally pick a better name than that. So boring.)

[James Gwinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

For anyone interested in the history of the Pacific Northwest in the mid-19th century, particularly the death of the Mountain Man lifestyle, the development of the Oregon territory, and the gradual absorption of the landscape by white settlers, this book will prove interesting. For anyone not interested in the above, the narrative itself will do little to entice you. For students not interested in any such matters of history and narrative, and who are accustomed to thinking of literary criticism as the basic ability to point out something as racist, this book is certainly one to miss.

[Magda · Rating 2 out of 5]

What a weird portrayal of Indians (feather-not-a-dot). At the beginning of the book the reader gets all noble savage, and at the end it's the white man all the way, too bad about the Indians and they were fun and all that, but it's time to put away childish things so let's not worry about them any more.

I thought the struggle of Jim Keath to find his place in the world was quite interesting, though.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible details and meticulous depictions about Native American life and practices, the tension between the identities of the Native American and the white settler, and the realities of Native American and pioneer life in the changing Columbia River basin. This is my favorite of all the "Indian-white man pioneer" books I have read. I highly recommend it.

[Amanda Geidl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is great for those who find themselves in the midst of culture shock or loving someone walking through it. That is where we were when we read this book, and it really blessed us to be able to identify with the main character.

[Lyndsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

BEST BOOK EVEEER

[G. Hurley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel that the story is great for boys because Jim made a mistake as a boy that he would eventually rectify as a man.

[Bebop Pete · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boooooooooring

[Brian A · Rating 2 out of 5]

Spoiler-free summary: Jim Keath ran away from home at age 11 to follow his uncle and become a mountain man. Shortly after, he is attacked by a grizzly bear and nearly dies, but is rescued by a group of Crow Indians, who heal him up and raise him for the next six years. By age 19, he has left the tribe and is living as a skilled mountain man like he originally wanted. However, a letter makes it to him from his biological family, and the book is an internal struggle as Jim chooses between a settled-down life in territorial Oregon with his brothers and sister and the freedom of the wilderness. Like most 1950s books about American Indians, elements here did not age well, some of which are core to the central drama of the book. There are some interesting frontier and adventure elements, however.

Discussion: This is the kind of book you just never see anymore, for several reasons. One is the age of the main character – a book today would probably try to find a way to make him 13 or 14, not 19 years old. Maybe it would get told from the point of view of his youngest brother.

Another is the genre. I saw graphs on some social media feed or another showing film genre popularity, and the western fell off entirely in the 1970s. Earlier this year I watched through some old live action Disney movies from the 1950s and 1960s, and a lot of them are in this vein – the most famous might be the Davy Crockett miniseries-turned-movies, which came out a couple years after this book. From the sound of it, Boomer kids just loved stories of cowboys vs. Indians, but that almost completely disappeared by the time my millennial self was born. Maybe it was a greater sensitivity to the fact that Native Americans are, you know, people, and not forces of nature existing only to scare settlers and get killed by the hero. (The absolute worst Newbery winner is The Matchlock Gun, which has that plot.)

Granted, the Disney films are a little more nuanced than that, and so is Moccasin Trail. When someone insults Indians to Jim’s face, he recalls the moments of kindness he had with them. But he also recalls the brutal moments alongside them. The book wanders into racial essentialism a little too far – being an Indian by definition makes you violent, but luckily for the characters, Jim can never truly be an Indian, even if he acts like them sometimes. It veers into parody when it’s revealed to Jim in the final pages that his big spiritual moment that was required of him to become a Crow adult involved the 23rd Psalm in English, which is used as proof that he is a white man “clean through,” and he gives up the Indian religious items he used to hold dear for good as a result.

It’s also funny living on the opposite side of the environmental movement of the 1960s and 1970s and reading this. Jim starts out ruing the settlement of the west and wondering why white people can’t learn to live with the land instead of taming it. If this book came out today, his family would learn lessons from him about that, and get a little more in tune with nature. Instead, one of the big character turning points was Jim becoming a true believer of the settlers and their mission after watching some wagons fight their way through the mountains.

So, it’s tough to recommend this book. Given the title and the cover art, I kind of expected it to primarily be a travel story, and I was surprised when they got to Oregon less than halfway through the book. That might have been a more interesting route to go, since the stuff about Jim being a nature expert wasn’t bad. Maybe the plot is that Jim and his family learn about each other on the backdrop of an adventure through the west, and meet somewhere in the middle, instead of Jim rediscovering his whiteness being the main arc.

I’m working my way through all the Newbery honor books, you can follow me here or on my blog, itsanhonor.net.

[Andy Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this novel to my three children in elementary school at the time as a part of their homeschool curriculum. It is set in the Western United States during the migration of Americans to settle the wild west. Some of the reasons why I rated this novel 5 stars: the "coming of age" nature of the novel with the protagonist Jim coming into his own after having been raised by American Indians but then returning to his flesh and blood family and having to come to terms with his two very real and legit identities, the setting of the wild and untamed Western U.S. as the settlers traveled in their wagon trains and had to clear the land in order to build a life for themselves, the exciting and pulse-pounding action.
Jim is young enough for young readers to find a relatable character, while old enough to be capable of living in the wilderness on his own and fending for himself. I think this makes him intriguing to younger readers, in a similar way to the protagonist of 'My Side of the Mountain'. Jim has character flaws - sometimes stubborn, hotheaded, overly independent - but he balances them out in his love and devotion to his family members and in ultimately doing the right thing. I think this duality of his nature makes him an ever "realer" character and even more relatable. The other main characters in the story complement Jim very well, and his interactions and dialogue with them, including times of conflict, are part of what make this novel un-put-down-able.
I don't recall any bad language and the violence and action in the novel are well-placed and serve a purpose, without being overly descriptive or frequent, in my opinion.
I don't want to give anything away, but there are a couple intense scenes of suspense that really made this book a hit within my family. This is a book that I will definitely reread at some point. I would highly recommend this book to young readers (8-16) who are looking for an exciting read with good characters, and/or particularly enjoy the wild west and pioneer times in America.
My kids and I still say "By gor!!" every now and then for fun, like Jim. :-)