What do you think?
Rate this book
Ride The Wind: The Story of Cynthia Ann Parker and the Last Days of the Comanche
The astonishing, beautifully written epic story of a white woman who became a Comanche, of Indians free in spirit, at one with the land, driven by fate to RIDE THE WIND
In 1836, when she was nine years old, Cynthia Ann Parker was kidnapped by Comanche Indians from her family's settlement.
She grew up with them, mastered their ways, and married one of their leaders. Except for her brilliant blue eyes and golden mane, Cynthia Ann Parker was in every way a Comanche woman. They called her Naduah—Keeps Warm With (Is. She rode a horse named Wind.
This is her story, the story of a proud and innocent people whose lives pulsed with the very heartbeat of the land. It is the story of a way of life that is gone forever.
It will thrill you, absorb you, touch your soul, and make you cry as you celebrate the beauty and mourn the end of the great Comanche nation.
In 1836, when she was nine years old, Cynthia Ann Parker was kidnapped by Comanche Indians from her family's settlement.
She grew up with them, mastered their ways, and married one of their leaders. Except for her brilliant blue eyes and golden mane, Cynthia Ann Parker was in every way a Comanche woman. They called her Naduah—Keeps Warm With (Is. She rode a horse named Wind.
This is her story, the story of a proud and innocent people whose lives pulsed with the very heartbeat of the land. It is the story of a way of life that is gone forever.
It will thrill you, absorb you, touch your soul, and make you cry as you celebrate the beauty and mourn the end of the great Comanche nation.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1982
644 people are currently reading
8639 people want to read
About the author
Lucia St. Clair Robson
17 books213 followersLucia St. Clair Robson has been a Peace Corps Volunteer, a teacher and a librarian. Her first historical novel, RIDE THE WIND, appeared on the New York Times best seller list, and in 1983 received the Golden Spur Award from the Western Writers of America. Since then she has written seven more novels set in a variety of times and places. Kirkus Reviews wrote, "Few novelists working today have a better grasp of early American history than Robson.""
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 637 reviews
September 3, 2009
This book was recommended by a good friend of mine, and she hasn't steered me wrong yet. This book will break your heart. First it will make you sick, then make you mad, then you will fall in love...then you will repeatedly feel like you've been run over by tanks. For the past three days, I have been hard put to set this down, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.
It was kinda surreal reading it, because the story of Quanah Parker is pretty well known to me, I learned about him in various Oklahoma history classes growing up, and the mall I grew up going to is even in the city Cynthia Ann and Quanah are buried, and the mall is on the Quanah Parker by-pass.
Going into a book about the Indians' dying way of live will of course be sad, but the utter hopelessness and heartbreak of this ending left me upset and even vaguely unsatisfied. I'm not saying that as a fault of the book-it is what actually happened.
Anyway, even after having my heart broken at the end...I have to say it was worth it, this is a BEAUTIFULLY written story, and I will undoubtedly be picking it up again someday.
It was kinda surreal reading it, because the story of Quanah Parker is pretty well known to me, I learned about him in various Oklahoma history classes growing up, and the mall I grew up going to is even in the city Cynthia Ann and Quanah are buried, and the mall is on the Quanah Parker by-pass.
Going into a book about the Indians' dying way of live will of course be sad, but the utter hopelessness and heartbreak of this ending left me upset and even vaguely unsatisfied. I'm not saying that as a fault of the book-it is what actually happened.
Anyway, even after having my heart broken at the end...I have to say it was worth it, this is a BEAUTIFULLY written story, and I will undoubtedly be picking it up again someday.
June 15, 2023
Utterly heartbreaking, brutal and mesmerising. This truly captures the spirit of the West and the origins of Texas. It's an epic in every sense of the word, written masterfully.
May 26, 2009
A CAPTIVATING, HAUNTING GLIMPSE INTO TEXAS HISTORY
Many of the paperback covers make this book look like a cheesy western romance novel. Do not be fooled! Ride the Wind is based on the true story of Cynthia Ann Parker, who was kidnapped in 1836 during a brutal raid by the Comanche Indians, then adopted and raised by the tribe. I was stunned by my change in perspective – at the beginning, I was horrified by the savagery of the Indians; by the end, I was furious with the savagery and ignorance of the Whites. Cynthia, renamed “Naduah,” (sometimes translated as “keeps warm with us”), is assimilated completely into the tribe, marrying a respected warrior and eventually giving birth to Quanah Parker, the last free war chief of the Comanches. The novel sticks with the true story, and it ends in heartbreak, but it is truly a captivating, haunting glimpse into Texas history. It made the “best-loved books” list for both myself and my 97-year-old grandmother, and will be a favorite for readers who love adventure, history, romance, and Comanche Indian culture. Bonus: you can visit Old Fort Parker near Mexia, an authentic recreation of the original frontier settlement, and Palo Duro Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of Texas” so memorably described in the last chapters of the book.
Many of the paperback covers make this book look like a cheesy western romance novel. Do not be fooled! Ride the Wind is based on the true story of Cynthia Ann Parker, who was kidnapped in 1836 during a brutal raid by the Comanche Indians, then adopted and raised by the tribe. I was stunned by my change in perspective – at the beginning, I was horrified by the savagery of the Indians; by the end, I was furious with the savagery and ignorance of the Whites. Cynthia, renamed “Naduah,” (sometimes translated as “keeps warm with us”), is assimilated completely into the tribe, marrying a respected warrior and eventually giving birth to Quanah Parker, the last free war chief of the Comanches. The novel sticks with the true story, and it ends in heartbreak, but it is truly a captivating, haunting glimpse into Texas history. It made the “best-loved books” list for both myself and my 97-year-old grandmother, and will be a favorite for readers who love adventure, history, romance, and Comanche Indian culture. Bonus: you can visit Old Fort Parker near Mexia, an authentic recreation of the original frontier settlement, and Palo Duro Canyon, the “Grand Canyon of Texas” so memorably described in the last chapters of the book.
October 3, 2025
“A man who works cannot dream. And it is only through dreams that we achieve wisdom.”
― Lucia St. Clair Robson, Ride the Wind
Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson
As someone with an interest in Native American History I liked reading this story about Cynthia Anne Parker. It made me angry though and not at Native Americans, at OUR government. I felt almost embarrassed on her behalf.
This was a really long book and there's alot of violence in it, you have been warned. I did have to skim over some parts of it. But the book taught me alot..which is what great books do. I looked up Cynthia's story after reading this book. Then I got mad all over again.
SPOILERS:
This is really just a comment but.. I wish her story had had a happier ending. It was painful.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to see the "trail of tears" which also made me outraged. I can remember, as a child, loving Native American History and wanting to live free as they did. This book really is superb and like many others have wondered I do not get why it has not been turned into a movie(although with Hollywood being involved, who knows how it would turn out?)
But this was a great story and my hat's off to the author as I read the story of how she came to write this as well. Highly recommended.
― Lucia St. Clair Robson, Ride the Wind
Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson
As someone with an interest in Native American History I liked reading this story about Cynthia Anne Parker. It made me angry though and not at Native Americans, at OUR government. I felt almost embarrassed on her behalf.
This was a really long book and there's alot of violence in it, you have been warned. I did have to skim over some parts of it. But the book taught me alot..which is what great books do. I looked up Cynthia's story after reading this book. Then I got mad all over again.
SPOILERS:
This is really just a comment but.. I wish her story had had a happier ending. It was painful.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to see the "trail of tears" which also made me outraged. I can remember, as a child, loving Native American History and wanting to live free as they did. This book really is superb and like many others have wondered I do not get why it has not been turned into a movie(although with Hollywood being involved, who knows how it would turn out?)
But this was a great story and my hat's off to the author as I read the story of how she came to write this as well. Highly recommended.
March 1, 2009
Thought this was a romance, but it most definitely is NOT.
The beginning depicts, in graphic detail, a large group of American Indians attacking a Fort. Gang raping, scalping, killing, trampling kids with horses for fun, etc. The few that were unfortunate enough to be taken captive are then repeatedly gang raped, burned and abused.
Cynthia was 9 years old when she was taken as a captive by Wanderer who was 16. She was almost raped, but Wanderer prevented it. The author did not come right out and say this, but Wanderer and the others that Cynthia continues to live with, participated in the continued nightly rapes of her Aunt--who was pregnant and nursing a child.
The book goes into excruciating detail of the Indian way of life. Endless pages of narration and mind-numbing detail of how to skin a deer, how to use a deer body part for a sack for honey, how to get honey out of a bee hive, how to unpack camp, etc.
I just couldn't take it anymore and once I learned there was no HEA and what would happen at the end of this book, I lost all interest in continuing.
The beginning depicts, in graphic detail, a large group of American Indians attacking a Fort. Gang raping, scalping, killing, trampling kids with horses for fun, etc. The few that were unfortunate enough to be taken captive are then repeatedly gang raped, burned and abused.
Cynthia was 9 years old when she was taken as a captive by Wanderer who was 16. She was almost raped, but Wanderer prevented it. The author did not come right out and say this, but Wanderer and the others that Cynthia continues to live with, participated in the continued nightly rapes of her Aunt--who was pregnant and nursing a child.
The book goes into excruciating detail of the Indian way of life. Endless pages of narration and mind-numbing detail of how to skin a deer, how to use a deer body part for a sack for honey, how to get honey out of a bee hive, how to unpack camp, etc.
I just couldn't take it anymore and once I learned there was no HEA and what would happen at the end of this book, I lost all interest in continuing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2021
Overall I had to read this in spurts because the carnage seemed to become constant in this novel of the Comanche nation in their waning years. The raids of the tribes and settlers were brutal, some involved torture and were complete leaving nothing alive or standing. Life was harsh for both groups as they tried to survive in the elements. The Comanche working with the land and the cycle of nature, the settlers trying to harness or tame it. The focus of the novel is based on the true life story of Cynthia Ann Parker who was kidnapped when she was 9 y/o during a raid and was raised in the Comanche tribe. I didn't realize that many white children were taken in raids to be adopted by families who had lost their own children. Older girls and women were taken to be slaves and were treated horribly.
I appreciate the research and vivid description of life of the Comanche people. I just had a difficult time stomaching all the death and destruction of humans and animals alike. I'm sure it was authentic, I just wasn't in the mood for such grim reading. I can't give an accurate star rating.
I appreciate the research and vivid description of life of the Comanche people. I just had a difficult time stomaching all the death and destruction of humans and animals alike. I'm sure it was authentic, I just wasn't in the mood for such grim reading. I can't give an accurate star rating.
October 5, 2013
My favourite of the various books that Ms. Robson has written. Don't be fooled by the cover -- this is not a romance novel by any means. It's smart, intelligent and based around a real story -- that of Cynthia Ann Parker.
December 12, 2015
I'm a big book loaner. Every time I read something I loved, my first impulse is to give it to someone else immediately, "here, read this!". And a lot of times, I never get that book back. If I really loved it, I go and buy it again, so I still have a copy. Consequently, I have owned 7 copies of this book (yeah, I am dumb, because I kept loaning it out). The last time I bought it, I was told it was out of print, so I held on to that copy.
I've always been interested in Native American history, and I remember how that interest fired when I read the back cover of this. This is a fictional story based on factual events. Cynthia Ann Parker was 9 years old when she & her brother were captured by Comanches in a raid and later adopted into their tribe. Cynthia (later Naduah) grew up to marry one of the Comanche's fiercest chiefs, Nocona. Her son Quanah Parker grew up to be the last free Comanche war chief. Much of what Ms St. Clair Robson wrote of their lives was taken from published interviews with Quanah Parker, who by all accounts was quite charming and social and loved to talk about his mother.
I think I was just a few years out of high school when I first read this, yet I can tell you everything that happened here. I remember all the names and what they mean. I remember the battles, nights laughing under the moon, the sickness, conversations, Pah-mo the gazelle, betrayals, and deaths. The hatred, tenderness, sorrow, love, violence and stunning brutality. Everything. I've read this several times over the years, but there always comes the point where I just can't read on, and eventually I stopped re-reading. *there's your warning that there is no friggin' HEA*
If there is anything that I can think of that some might not enjoy, it's the detail of their day-to-day life, as it could maybe sometimes be a bit tedious, depending on how interested you were in the first place but I was always fascinated.
Might not be a book for everyone but it's one of the most wrenching, memorable stories I've ever read.
I've always been interested in Native American history, and I remember how that interest fired when I read the back cover of this. This is a fictional story based on factual events. Cynthia Ann Parker was 9 years old when she & her brother were captured by Comanches in a raid and later adopted into their tribe. Cynthia (later Naduah) grew up to marry one of the Comanche's fiercest chiefs, Nocona. Her son Quanah Parker grew up to be the last free Comanche war chief. Much of what Ms St. Clair Robson wrote of their lives was taken from published interviews with Quanah Parker, who by all accounts was quite charming and social and loved to talk about his mother.
I think I was just a few years out of high school when I first read this, yet I can tell you everything that happened here. I remember all the names and what they mean. I remember the battles, nights laughing under the moon, the sickness, conversations, Pah-mo the gazelle, betrayals, and deaths. The hatred, tenderness, sorrow, love, violence and stunning brutality. Everything. I've read this several times over the years, but there always comes the point where I just can't read on, and eventually I stopped re-reading. *there's your warning that there is no friggin' HEA*
If there is anything that I can think of that some might not enjoy, it's the detail of their day-to-day life, as it could maybe sometimes be a bit tedious, depending on how interested you were in the first place but I was always fascinated.
Might not be a book for everyone but it's one of the most wrenching, memorable stories I've ever read.
May 5, 2025
When I read this book years ago in a translation, I was so impressed, it never really left me.
Now I finally read the original version, and again I am blown away by this author’s ability to make this story come to life with her vivid descriptions of the every day life in Comanche tradition. While reading, it almost feels like it’s drawn from personal experience, memories of what it means to be one of The People, which can’t be, of course.
But it’s so thoroughly researched, it feels so real, it’s as if I was part of it all. I could imagine the camps, the vast landscape of the prairies, of the Llano Estacado. Of the brave warriors, their equally brave wives, their horses, their ways.
Of course I realise this is a romantic version of the life Cynthia Ann Parker lead by the Comanche tribe that adopted her. I KNOW. But still, with every word, every carefully crafted sentence, it feels like the way it could have been, the way she became one of The People and could never adjust to the white men’s way of living after she was recaptured.
While reading, the terrible feeling that we, as a race, took a very wrong turn somewhere, weighed heavily on my heart. How once the lives of these men and women, their beliefs, their being one with nature, their respectful ways were destroyed the way they were is an awful and painful truth of history. It cannot be undone, and it was part of the process of creating the world and life we know today, but even if I had no part in it, it puts me to shame at the realisation of the awful things that took place.
Today, on May 5th, my country and I celebrate Liberation Day. The day that in 1945 we became a free country again after 5 years of Nazi suppression. And as a nation we are still in debt of the people who liberated us.
It makes me think of Naduah and Quanah and their people. For them Liberation Day never came. Instead an end came to their cultures and their ways of living. There was no one who liberated them, who made sure they could survive as a people with their rich cultures and respect of nature and Mother Earth. That fact puts me to shame.
Now I finally read the original version, and again I am blown away by this author’s ability to make this story come to life with her vivid descriptions of the every day life in Comanche tradition. While reading, it almost feels like it’s drawn from personal experience, memories of what it means to be one of The People, which can’t be, of course.
But it’s so thoroughly researched, it feels so real, it’s as if I was part of it all. I could imagine the camps, the vast landscape of the prairies, of the Llano Estacado. Of the brave warriors, their equally brave wives, their horses, their ways.
Of course I realise this is a romantic version of the life Cynthia Ann Parker lead by the Comanche tribe that adopted her. I KNOW. But still, with every word, every carefully crafted sentence, it feels like the way it could have been, the way she became one of The People and could never adjust to the white men’s way of living after she was recaptured.
While reading, the terrible feeling that we, as a race, took a very wrong turn somewhere, weighed heavily on my heart. How once the lives of these men and women, their beliefs, their being one with nature, their respectful ways were destroyed the way they were is an awful and painful truth of history. It cannot be undone, and it was part of the process of creating the world and life we know today, but even if I had no part in it, it puts me to shame at the realisation of the awful things that took place.
Today, on May 5th, my country and I celebrate Liberation Day. The day that in 1945 we became a free country again after 5 years of Nazi suppression. And as a nation we are still in debt of the people who liberated us.
It makes me think of Naduah and Quanah and their people. For them Liberation Day never came. Instead an end came to their cultures and their ways of living. There was no one who liberated them, who made sure they could survive as a people with their rich cultures and respect of nature and Mother Earth. That fact puts me to shame.
September 3, 2009
This book is beautiful, uplifting, shocking, hopeful, desolate, almost any emotion possible to feel will be aroused. St. Clair Robson takes the kidnapping of a young plainsgirl, and tells the story that will live in your heart years after reading it. The white child who grows to marry a chief. Who bears the very last free Comanche chief in America. Is she still white?
She pulls no punches. She shows us the brutalities with which the Indians were treated, but on the other side of the coin, in the most fair portrayal I have seen, she shows us how brutal they could be. Not only to their enemies, but to each other.
She teaches you how harmoniously the Original Americans lived with the land. How they used every resource available to them and wasted nothing. They were so ahead of where we, as country, now want to be. They understood the value of the land, the animals, the human spirit. They valued their children as treasures instilled with their future.
The end of the book is brutal. Not physically, but it brings up the question: At what point is a kidnapping victim no longer a victim? At what point can we be left to our own decisions, regardless of race, creed, beliefs? Are some not good or intelligent enough to know what's best for themselves? Who gets to decide where someone belongs? Where they are most needed, wanted, regardless of their personal wishes?
I cry each time I come to the end. How could you not?
She pulls no punches. She shows us the brutalities with which the Indians were treated, but on the other side of the coin, in the most fair portrayal I have seen, she shows us how brutal they could be. Not only to their enemies, but to each other.
She teaches you how harmoniously the Original Americans lived with the land. How they used every resource available to them and wasted nothing. They were so ahead of where we, as country, now want to be. They understood the value of the land, the animals, the human spirit. They valued their children as treasures instilled with their future.
The end of the book is brutal. Not physically, but it brings up the question: At what point is a kidnapping victim no longer a victim? At what point can we be left to our own decisions, regardless of race, creed, beliefs? Are some not good or intelligent enough to know what's best for themselves? Who gets to decide where someone belongs? Where they are most needed, wanted, regardless of their personal wishes?
I cry each time I come to the end. How could you not?
September 4, 2008
One of my personal all-time favorites. Do not be put off by the rotten cover. This isn't a trashy sex romance. It is actually a true story - the major incidents did happen. You'll become deeply attached to the characters and be heartbroken, in more ways than one, when it ends.
I have spoken.
I have spoken.
October 6, 2010
The cheesy cover had me very skeptical about this book, but I think this is a book that is going to stay with me for years and years. Yes, there is better writing, but man oh man, what a story! I learned about Native Americans, the Texas Rangers, and Westward Expansion, in a way that I never learned in school. Learned about daily life, motivations, and how the Indians and settlers impacted each other. The book doesn't whitewash Indian attrocities, you do not get a trite, "at-one-with-nature" view of the Native Americans. Yet even after reading about cruel and twisted acts by the Indians I feel much more empathetic to what happened to them. Oh, and it is based on a true story! A great work of historical fiction.
July 31, 2010
I read this book years and years ago, and it's still one of my favorites. I could not put this down. The descriptions are so vivid I could smell the prairie air, and the characters are done so well they've stayed with me all these years. I loved the hero, Nocona, so much I even named my next dog after him :)
A warning though, this book is absolutely wrenching and not for the faint of heart. But I promise if you read it, you'll never forget it. Incredible piece of writing.
A warning though, this book is absolutely wrenching and not for the faint of heart. But I promise if you read it, you'll never forget it. Incredible piece of writing.
March 11, 2018
3.5
There is a great deal of details involving the lives and customs of the plains Indians in this version of the Cynthia Anne Parker story. This was a very romanticized depiction, but there are some extremely brutal scenes throughout the story. Aside from the gushy romance, this novel was told with great adventure and detail. Good for details on the lives of the Native Americans, good for an adventurous story, not so good for the facts about the life of Cynthia Anne Parker.
June 5, 2018
Still one of my all time favorite books! Based on historical events, this is a story of Cynthia Ann Parker’s abduction and assimilation into the lives of the Comanches that kidnapped her. It outlines the gradual fall of the people. Beautiful, yet haunting. The incredible sadness will stay with you for months, if not years.
July 20, 2009
If you are looking for a book about what it would be like to live with Indians, this is the book. It is based on the true story of a 9 year old white girl that was captured by Indians. The story line is definitely fictional though, as there is no written account from Cynthia Anne, the white girl, only that information from her white relatives and her oldest son, Quanah, the last free Indian Chief. She was raised by a Comanche Indian family and married an Indian chief and had three children with him. She lived with them for 24 years before she was discovered and returned to her family. It was a really interesting book, covered many events in the history of the Indians in the mid to late 1800's, and definitely portrayed the good and the bad. It made me feel sympathy for the plight of the Indians... and not so much for the whites. I found myself rooting for the Indians despite the terrible things they often did.
May 27, 2020
The cover of the edition I read is misleading. It gives the impression this book is a bodice-ripper romance about Native Americans. Not so. I read it in spite of the cover (what's that saying about don't judge a book….) because it had such good ratings on Amazon and Goodreads.
The lovers are a Comanche chief and a white woman whom he stole when she was 9-years old (I think she was 15/16-years old when he married her). The author didn't white-wash the evils of either the white settlers or the Comanche. I did have a hard time whipping up a whole lot of sympathy for the Comanche tribe whose modus operendi during raids included killing children by dragging them through cactus patches, kidnapping sex slaves, skinning prisoners alive, etc. In this novel the author, Lucia St. Clair Robson, did not have the hero participating directly in the atrocities but he was there when it happened. Apparently Robson did extensive historical research so I don't doubt the accuracy of her descriptions.
Don't read this book if you're squeamish. This story is based on an actual kidnapping of a white Texan child, Cynthia Ann Parker, in 1836. This is Robson's attempt to fill in the blanks and she did an excellent job.
The lovers are a Comanche chief and a white woman whom he stole when she was 9-years old (I think she was 15/16-years old when he married her). The author didn't white-wash the evils of either the white settlers or the Comanche. I did have a hard time whipping up a whole lot of sympathy for the Comanche tribe whose modus operendi during raids included killing children by dragging them through cactus patches, kidnapping sex slaves, skinning prisoners alive, etc. In this novel the author, Lucia St. Clair Robson, did not have the hero participating directly in the atrocities but he was there when it happened. Apparently Robson did extensive historical research so I don't doubt the accuracy of her descriptions.
Don't read this book if you're squeamish. This story is based on an actual kidnapping of a white Texan child, Cynthia Ann Parker, in 1836. This is Robson's attempt to fill in the blanks and she did an excellent job.
August 7, 2016
This book continues to remain one of my favorite books of all time. This is not a romance, it's one of one several historical fiction books written by this author that feature real people and real stories. Her research and portrayal of the Comanche is spot on. It's brutal and loving all at the same time. Robson doesn't sugar coat their lifestyle or the things they did, at the same time she shows their heart. It's a historical fiction because Cynthia Anne never spoke of her life. She was captured when she was 9, she spent 24 years with the Comanche and died within a few years of being rescued. This book has no happy ending, it's an unflinching look at the last years off their freedom and one white woman who became one of them so thoroughly she could not and would not adapt back to her original culture.
December 1, 2016
Despite the deceiving cover that makes it look like a cheap romance, Ride the Wind shares the story of a young girl who is adopted into a Native American tribe. As she grows, the American government's presence becomes even more prominent and threatens the traditional culture and way of life for her adopted family.
I felt that Lucia St.Clair Robson really wanted readers to get a feeling for 19th century life, the dangers faced by early settlers, the life of the Native Americans etc. The good and the bad. Some readers might find the graphic violence, including rape and torture, to be too much to stomach. Speaking plainly, I was more bogged down by the description of menial tasks and the shifting of viewpoints of characters within chapters that slowed the pacing of the story.
A thought out story, but one which I wouldn't revisit.
I felt that Lucia St.Clair Robson really wanted readers to get a feeling for 19th century life, the dangers faced by early settlers, the life of the Native Americans etc. The good and the bad. Some readers might find the graphic violence, including rape and torture, to be too much to stomach. Speaking plainly, I was more bogged down by the description of menial tasks and the shifting of viewpoints of characters within chapters that slowed the pacing of the story.
A thought out story, but one which I wouldn't revisit.
August 24, 2011
One of my favorite books of all time! The story of Cynthia Ann Parker, so if you are into Texas history you will love it! The opening scene is extremely gruesome, so just be forewarned. After that, it isn't quite so graphic. Lucia St. Clair Robson does a brilliant job relaying this story in a captivating, compelling and compassionate way. . .
September 8, 2008
This was one of my books from my high school days in the 1990's. I read it several times. I was very into historical fiction/non-fiction. It was amazing how much life St. Clair Robson breathed into a real story. A must read for any Native American History fan!!
February 16, 2016
One of my all-time favourite books. I still get emotional even though I have read it several times. A classic.
May 11, 2019
I read The Red Heart by James Alexander Thom, and I thought that was the best written account of a white adopted by native’s that I had ever read now I’m not so sure, this was a very moving and well written story, and while it was rather long it was well worth my time.
An excellent account of Nautdah (Cynthia Ann Parker ) who lived with “The People” for 24 years a story full of sadness and drama and love and some inaccuracies too, although not as many as can be found in any Google search of this subject I was excited to read this for I knew much about this story but I hadn’t as yet read a full accounting of Cynthia Parker’s life, nor that of her famous son Quanah Parker. I know the work of this author Lucia St. Clair Robson from having read her books before, and knew she did an excellent job of research as well as lending to her stories a clear women’s viewpoint which is not often heard in fictional (His Story) I also feel the author, in a strange way, seems to me to be something of a ghost-whisper able to bring alive people from the past who left no written records and who’s lives come down to us mostly from tales told from their white enemies, but under her direction they live they grow and they survive in very complex and intelligently written ways. This is a moving account of the changes brought to the Plains Indians by the advent of white society a legacy of love and hate of death and survival. A very good story five stars for this one well worth the month long effort it took to finish it.
An excellent account of Nautdah (Cynthia Ann Parker ) who lived with “The People” for 24 years a story full of sadness and drama and love and some inaccuracies too, although not as many as can be found in any Google search of this subject I was excited to read this for I knew much about this story but I hadn’t as yet read a full accounting of Cynthia Parker’s life, nor that of her famous son Quanah Parker. I know the work of this author Lucia St. Clair Robson from having read her books before, and knew she did an excellent job of research as well as lending to her stories a clear women’s viewpoint which is not often heard in fictional (His Story) I also feel the author, in a strange way, seems to me to be something of a ghost-whisper able to bring alive people from the past who left no written records and who’s lives come down to us mostly from tales told from their white enemies, but under her direction they live they grow and they survive in very complex and intelligently written ways. This is a moving account of the changes brought to the Plains Indians by the advent of white society a legacy of love and hate of death and survival. A very good story five stars for this one well worth the month long effort it took to finish it.
June 18, 2022
Captured in a raid, nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker is adopted by a Comanche couple and becomes integrated into the tribe, given the name Naduah, and eventually grows up to marry a Comanche chief.
I love long lush historical fiction, especially older ones that lean more heavily into sprawling plots than most modern books. Ride the Wind delivered on all these fronts, and told a fascinating true story to boot.
I enjoyed the style of writing, which was somewhat purple at times but created a vivid sense of time and place, making the prairie come alive. The author clearly did a lot of research to help depict the Comanche way of life during this time period. The love story between Naduah and Wanderer was sweet and romantic, if rooted in somewhat dubious beginnings. The various twists and turns of the plot pulled at my heartstrings and kept me engaged.
However, there was an awful lot of violence in this book, though I am glad the author for the most part did not gloss over atrocities committed on both sides. The story also dragged in places. Overall I found the second half of the book to be weaker than the first, as there are a lot of time skips and many characters exit the story with little fanfare.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this read quite a bit and learned a lot about the Comanche and settlers in this period before the advent of reservations.
I love long lush historical fiction, especially older ones that lean more heavily into sprawling plots than most modern books. Ride the Wind delivered on all these fronts, and told a fascinating true story to boot.
I enjoyed the style of writing, which was somewhat purple at times but created a vivid sense of time and place, making the prairie come alive. The author clearly did a lot of research to help depict the Comanche way of life during this time period. The love story between Naduah and Wanderer was sweet and romantic, if rooted in somewhat dubious beginnings. The various twists and turns of the plot pulled at my heartstrings and kept me engaged.
However, there was an awful lot of violence in this book, though I am glad the author for the most part did not gloss over atrocities committed on both sides. The story also dragged in places. Overall I found the second half of the book to be weaker than the first, as there are a lot of time skips and many characters exit the story with little fanfare.
Ultimately, I enjoyed this read quite a bit and learned a lot about the Comanche and settlers in this period before the advent of reservations.
April 12, 2018
Excellent book on the life of Cynthia Ann Parker and the last days of the free Comanche. This is a true story with a lot of information added on the daily lives of the Comanche.
This subject is close to my heart since Cynthia Ann (Naduah is her Comanche name) is one of my ancestors. However, that's not what makes this such a great book. St. Clair Robson is a wonderful storyteller. She is able to weave the true events of Cynthia Ann's life, and the daily details of the lives of the Comanche into a book that keeps the reader engaged and interested throughout the entire 600 pages. That's not an easy feat.
I would recommend this book for those interested in Native American culture, historical novel readers, Texas and/or the Old west history lovers and those who like very sweet love stories.
This subject is close to my heart since Cynthia Ann (Naduah is her Comanche name) is one of my ancestors. However, that's not what makes this such a great book. St. Clair Robson is a wonderful storyteller. She is able to weave the true events of Cynthia Ann's life, and the daily details of the lives of the Comanche into a book that keeps the reader engaged and interested throughout the entire 600 pages. That's not an easy feat.
I would recommend this book for those interested in Native American culture, historical novel readers, Texas and/or the Old west history lovers and those who like very sweet love stories.
May 18, 2014
It's been a while since I have given 5 stars, but this book is incredible and just might be a new favorite. My mom and sister have been telling me for a while to read it, but to be honest, the cover sort of put me off. When I finally cracked it open and started reading I COULD NOT put it down....it was like finding a treasure!
This book is worth reading for the history alone. It's the true story of young girl who was captured by the Comanche Indians at 9 years old. I have always loved reading about the Native Americans and this is one of THE BEST I have ever read. I loved learning about the day to day lives of the People, and found that this book was acurate on so many levels. I knew that the story was true, but I was blown away by the details of the different tribes, the differences in raiding, hunting, moving, eating, even the way they abused and mutilated their captives (and themselves while grieving).
I did a lot my own research while reading, because although I know the author obviously took liberty with the characters and even some of the timing of events, I really wanted to know how deep the fiction went. From what I could find, this is an extremely accurate account of events. Even Cynthia Ann, the young captive who quickly assimilates into the tribe and finds herself not only happy, but thriving among the people is supported by many accounts. It is true that she was deeply in love with the man she marries, the Chief of the Naconi band (he was one of the leaders of the raid at Parker's Fort where she was captured). Chief Nacona was every bit the great warrior and leader that he is in the book, and it is true that he did not take any other wives after Cynthia, something unheard of for a chief. It is also true that Cynthia was a healer in the tribe and was greatly respected. She always rode at the front alongside her husband and carried his lance and shield (a sign not only of her place but of her husbands love and respect for her).
This book is not for the faint of heart however....and I have to warn you...it is GRAPHIC. This is the real story and the author does not spare the details of war or of life. I found myself appalled at times, the brutality of the Indians was hard to read and the way they mutilated their captives was more than I could take. And yet I loved them and felt sorry for them when the White men took their lands and the life they had known. I cried when the white buffalo hunters came along, killing off the buffalo in order to obtain their hides, and then leaving the meat to rot. It felt so wrong knowing that the Indians used every inch of the animals they killed, even the massive buffalo, leaving nothing behind (not even bones or brain), and knowing that without buffalo to hunt the Indians would not survive.
This is a great book. For it's history and for the story surrounding it. Beautifully written with so many details and beautiful descriptions. The characters felt so real to me, I loved them, cried with them and even missed them when I finished the book.
I think everyone should read this book, should know the story Comanche Indians. And this leads me to the only real issue I have with the book.....it's too graphic to recommend. I could handle the bloody war details and for the most part felt that their authenticity was important (although wished at times the author would have been brief), but there are a couple of sex scenes that are just too graphic for young readers (and even for me). And for that reason I feel like I can't recomend it to others without a strong warning.
But it really is my new FAVORITE. And I will read it again...and again.
This book is worth reading for the history alone. It's the true story of young girl who was captured by the Comanche Indians at 9 years old. I have always loved reading about the Native Americans and this is one of THE BEST I have ever read. I loved learning about the day to day lives of the People, and found that this book was acurate on so many levels. I knew that the story was true, but I was blown away by the details of the different tribes, the differences in raiding, hunting, moving, eating, even the way they abused and mutilated their captives (and themselves while grieving).
I did a lot my own research while reading, because although I know the author obviously took liberty with the characters and even some of the timing of events, I really wanted to know how deep the fiction went. From what I could find, this is an extremely accurate account of events. Even Cynthia Ann, the young captive who quickly assimilates into the tribe and finds herself not only happy, but thriving among the people is supported by many accounts. It is true that she was deeply in love with the man she marries, the Chief of the Naconi band (he was one of the leaders of the raid at Parker's Fort where she was captured). Chief Nacona was every bit the great warrior and leader that he is in the book, and it is true that he did not take any other wives after Cynthia, something unheard of for a chief. It is also true that Cynthia was a healer in the tribe and was greatly respected. She always rode at the front alongside her husband and carried his lance and shield (a sign not only of her place but of her husbands love and respect for her).
This book is not for the faint of heart however....and I have to warn you...it is GRAPHIC. This is the real story and the author does not spare the details of war or of life. I found myself appalled at times, the brutality of the Indians was hard to read and the way they mutilated their captives was more than I could take. And yet I loved them and felt sorry for them when the White men took their lands and the life they had known. I cried when the white buffalo hunters came along, killing off the buffalo in order to obtain their hides, and then leaving the meat to rot. It felt so wrong knowing that the Indians used every inch of the animals they killed, even the massive buffalo, leaving nothing behind (not even bones or brain), and knowing that without buffalo to hunt the Indians would not survive.
This is a great book. For it's history and for the story surrounding it. Beautifully written with so many details and beautiful descriptions. The characters felt so real to me, I loved them, cried with them and even missed them when I finished the book.
I think everyone should read this book, should know the story Comanche Indians. And this leads me to the only real issue I have with the book.....it's too graphic to recommend. I could handle the bloody war details and for the most part felt that their authenticity was important (although wished at times the author would have been brief), but there are a couple of sex scenes that are just too graphic for young readers (and even for me). And for that reason I feel like I can't recomend it to others without a strong warning.
But it really is my new FAVORITE. And I will read it again...and again.
November 22, 2022
What a great read this book turned out to be! It's the historical fiction retelling of the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, kidnapped at the age of nine by a Comanche war band who massacred her family’s settlement in Texas. She was adopted by the Comanche and lived with them for 24 years, eventually marrying a Comanche chieftain and having three children with him, including the last free Comanche chief Quanah Parker. When she was 34, she was finally "rescued" by the Texas Rangers and returned to her white family. She spent the remaining years of her life in lonely misery, refusing to adjust to life in white society. The author appears to have thoroughly researched the conflict between the Comanche tribe and the Texans. I appreciated the way she told both sides of the story and the way Cynthia Ann Parker (Naduah in Comanche) is portrayed. In reality she never told anyone about her life among the Comanche but based on the stories from her son, Quanah Parker, I would like to think that the author's version was how it happened.
I enjoyed this book very much but it is very difficult to read in places. It's often violent, very shocking reading, and is not for the faint of heart. Some of the atrocities were very difficult to read through especially the deaths of the children and babies. They die from disease and from the elements but many of them are brutally tortured and murdered.
This is a wonderfully written and readable book. The author does a great job of describing the culture and time period. In many ways it is a heartbreaking book that documents a time and way of life that is gone forever.
I enjoyed this book very much but it is very difficult to read in places. It's often violent, very shocking reading, and is not for the faint of heart. Some of the atrocities were very difficult to read through especially the deaths of the children and babies. They die from disease and from the elements but many of them are brutally tortured and murdered.
This is a wonderfully written and readable book. The author does a great job of describing the culture and time period. In many ways it is a heartbreaking book that documents a time and way of life that is gone forever.
June 29, 2013
This book leaves me in a quandary. It was so well written, and yet parts were SO BORING. And parts were amazing, but some parts were not.
I thought the character development of everyone was so well done it was ridiculous. As I read the book I became one of the People and I fell in love with the characters. When they died, parts of me died with them.
I thought the beginning was a little much. It was ridiculously graphic and could have been... not that graphic. Also, Rachel Plummer didn't need to keep making reappearances. That was weird and unnecessary. The sex and violence were not my favorite. It wasn't necessarily gratuitous sex as it was extremely detailed. Just as the violence was pretty detailed.
Everything else was fascinating. The culture and the people and the story line. I did get pretty bored during the Texan soldier bits. I don't know why those were ever necessary because they were drop dead boring. The book could have been at least 100 pages shorter if we didn't have to read about random hairy soldier guys.
Best love story ever. Well, how about best love story with the weirdest beginning ever. Yeah, that's more accurate.
I don't know. I couldn't stop thinking about the book, I couldn't put it down but I don't think I'll ever read it again. It was a little much for me. But I'm glad I read it once.
(Also what the heck happened to Pecan?!)
I thought the character development of everyone was so well done it was ridiculous. As I read the book I became one of the People and I fell in love with the characters. When they died, parts of me died with them.
I thought the beginning was a little much. It was ridiculously graphic and could have been... not that graphic. Also, Rachel Plummer didn't need to keep making reappearances. That was weird and unnecessary. The sex and violence were not my favorite. It wasn't necessarily gratuitous sex as it was extremely detailed. Just as the violence was pretty detailed.
Everything else was fascinating. The culture and the people and the story line. I did get pretty bored during the Texan soldier bits. I don't know why those were ever necessary because they were drop dead boring. The book could have been at least 100 pages shorter if we didn't have to read about random hairy soldier guys.
Best love story ever. Well, how about best love story with the weirdest beginning ever. Yeah, that's more accurate.
I don't know. I couldn't stop thinking about the book, I couldn't put it down but I don't think I'll ever read it again. It was a little much for me. But I'm glad I read it once.
(Also what the heck happened to Pecan?!)
September 25, 2022
So I know this book is from 1985, but starting with the child Cynthia mid-being raided by the Comanche yet writing the native men as having "sensuous" mouths & "tightly muscled" torsos is NOT the place for those descriptors, especially from a child's POV. Super incongruous.
And then including multiple scenes of Wanderer's (a grown man's) sexual interest in her as she ages from 9-13 is very uncomfortable to read. Who knows why the author felt she had to include that, she could've easily kept in Cynthia's POV until adolescence and introduced her relationship with Wanderer from that angle only, and not include Wanderer's POV making us think he was desiring a pre-pubescent girl for years, since his POV is all fictional speculation anyway.
While the descriptions of indigenous life on the prairie were interesting, and the characters and relationships engaging, I can't help feeling that this book is only one step up from what could be called "noble savage" porn. (And all the sections from various white soldier groups were completely superfluous and contributed to the book being VERY long.)
And then including multiple scenes of Wanderer's (a grown man's) sexual interest in her as she ages from 9-13 is very uncomfortable to read. Who knows why the author felt she had to include that, she could've easily kept in Cynthia's POV until adolescence and introduced her relationship with Wanderer from that angle only, and not include Wanderer's POV making us think he was desiring a pre-pubescent girl for years, since his POV is all fictional speculation anyway.
While the descriptions of indigenous life on the prairie were interesting, and the characters and relationships engaging, I can't help feeling that this book is only one step up from what could be called "noble savage" porn. (And all the sections from various white soldier groups were completely superfluous and contributed to the book being VERY long.)
November 23, 2009
I'm a little torn on this book between 3 and 4 stars. Part of me LOVED it. I'm a fan of historical fiction and this story about the last few decades of the "free" Comanches is something I was unfamiliar with. The plot was quite fascinating and I liked the Wanderer/Nadua love story.
On the other hand, the first half of the book was markedly better than the second half. The second half was full of cliches,e.g., "We're in love and our two awesome horses had TWINS that look just like their parents". Cheesy. And certain things were totally rushed (one of the main character's friend is killed towards the end with hardly a mention). It also seemed to move a lot slower for me in the second half.
Something I'm not sure about- the violence in this book. I'm not sure when I last read something with such potent images of rape, torture, killing. Now, don't get me wrong- I think these portrayals were necessary in the context of the story, but... yowza. Makes me glad I didn't live in Texas back then!
On the other hand, the first half of the book was markedly better than the second half. The second half was full of cliches,e.g., "We're in love and our two awesome horses had TWINS that look just like their parents". Cheesy. And certain things were totally rushed (one of the main character's friend is killed towards the end with hardly a mention). It also seemed to move a lot slower for me in the second half.
Something I'm not sure about- the violence in this book. I'm not sure when I last read something with such potent images of rape, torture, killing. Now, don't get me wrong- I think these portrayals were necessary in the context of the story, but... yowza. Makes me glad I didn't live in Texas back then!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 637 reviews