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Hidden Histories
The Lost Ones
Despite her father's warnings that their tribe is always in danger, Casita, a ten-year-old Lipan Apache girl, has led a relatively peaceful life with her tribe in Mexico, doing her daily chores and practicing for her upcoming Changing Woman ceremony, in which she will officially become a woman of the tribe. But the peace is shattered when the U.S. Cavalry invades and brutally slaughters her people. Casita and her younger brother survive the attack, but are taken captive and sent to the Carlisle Indian School, a Pennsylvania boarding school that specializes in assimilating Native Americans into white American culture. Casita grieves for her lost family as she struggles to find a way to maintain her identity as a Lipan Apache and survive at the school. Includes author's note and bibliography.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 11, 2016
4 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
About the author
Michaela MacColl
15 books204 followersPrisoners in the Palace is my debut novel. I like to create historical fiction that has a modern appeal to teens and adults.
Regency romance blends enjoyably with historical fiction, with a plucky heroine for each mode. (Kirkus)
This novel is full of historical detail, vivid settings, and richly drawn characters, and themes of friendship and romance give the story teen appeal. (Booklist)
MacColl offers a whip-smart, spunky protagonist and a worthy heroine to root for. (Publishers Weekly)
Regency romance blends enjoyably with historical fiction, with a plucky heroine for each mode. (Kirkus)
This novel is full of historical detail, vivid settings, and richly drawn characters, and themes of friendship and romance give the story teen appeal. (Booklist)
MacColl offers a whip-smart, spunky protagonist and a worthy heroine to root for. (Publishers Weekly)
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 23, 2016
Two things
First the book is a too historical to really be enjoyed as fiction. I think the author was trying to be respectful and not embellish the story. However because it stuck so closely to the facts, it becomes dry and almost dehumanizes the main girl. It also seemed to determined to present the US army in the best possible light. I would have enjoyed it more if it dealt with the struggle to assimilate to American culture and not lose who Casita was inside. It would have have better to present the army as the villians they were. I thought it super strange that the author tried to justify a massacre of people. In the history in the back of the book it listed the dollar amount one tribe cost the army at the time. Yet little emphasis is made to the fact the army totally obliterated a people, stole their home and way of life.
Two the tribe has said this book is wrong to have been published. In looking at their website etc it seems the issue is more that someone else is writting about history not belonging to them. So either the author needed to be related to Casita (who was a real person as shown in the picture in the book) or someone related to her give permission to be able to share her story. It's kinda like an unauthorized biography but obviously much more serious because this involved a massacre of a tribe. Or she should have made up a name and based it off of the events that happened like she did in the other book. Since the author did so much research, I find it odd that she didn't respect this about their culture.
I spent about 10 minutes online and could come to this conclusion, why did this main point escape her notice? Is it possible she knew the slant she was taking in being sympathetic to the American government vs the Native Americans wouldn't be welcomed? In either case she simply could have changed the name later; that would not have been difficult.
It's messed up when years after the fact, someone is still violating Casita. You're not honoring someone if you ignore what the actual family or tribe of Lipan Apache asks of you. It's like digging up a person to give them a "proper funeral". No. You're doing what makes -you- feel better. Sad. This book could have been a true window into an Native American's soul.
https://mobile.twitter.com/debreese/s...
https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...
First the book is a too historical to really be enjoyed as fiction. I think the author was trying to be respectful and not embellish the story. However because it stuck so closely to the facts, it becomes dry and almost dehumanizes the main girl. It also seemed to determined to present the US army in the best possible light. I would have enjoyed it more if it dealt with the struggle to assimilate to American culture and not lose who Casita was inside. It would have have better to present the army as the villians they were. I thought it super strange that the author tried to justify a massacre of people. In the history in the back of the book it listed the dollar amount one tribe cost the army at the time. Yet little emphasis is made to the fact the army totally obliterated a people, stole their home and way of life.
Two the tribe has said this book is wrong to have been published. In looking at their website etc it seems the issue is more that someone else is writting about history not belonging to them. So either the author needed to be related to Casita (who was a real person as shown in the picture in the book) or someone related to her give permission to be able to share her story. It's kinda like an unauthorized biography but obviously much more serious because this involved a massacre of a tribe. Or she should have made up a name and based it off of the events that happened like she did in the other book. Since the author did so much research, I find it odd that she didn't respect this about their culture.
I spent about 10 minutes online and could come to this conclusion, why did this main point escape her notice? Is it possible she knew the slant she was taking in being sympathetic to the American government vs the Native Americans wouldn't be welcomed? In either case she simply could have changed the name later; that would not have been difficult.
It's messed up when years after the fact, someone is still violating Casita. You're not honoring someone if you ignore what the actual family or tribe of Lipan Apache asks of you. It's like digging up a person to give them a "proper funeral". No. You're doing what makes -you- feel better. Sad. This book could have been a true window into an Native American's soul.
https://mobile.twitter.com/debreese/s...
https://americanindiansinchildrenslit...
February 17, 2023
The Lost Ones was a deep and heart-wrenching story that gave readers an in-depth look into Casita and Jack's life after their Ndé village is massacred by U.S army soldiers. The author is very thorough in providing historically accurate information and goings into great detail about the tribe's traditions. I also enjoyed seeing the pictures in the end and being able to find out what happened to Casita and Jack and their families.
April 21, 2019
This book is a phenomenal "hidden history" or hidden narrative of the atrocities that the US Government committed against Native American nations. It follows the true story of two children from the Lipan Apache tribe as they are ripped from their village and how they try to figure out how to keep their identity while they are forced into assimilation through living on a military base and Indian boarding school.
This book is an excellent resource for teachers to use as an hidden perspective history text, especially for youth. Because this is a historical fiction about real people and real situations, this can be a lens though which students can study history, rather than dusty old textbooks. Historical fiction humanizes the things that happened. It's important to learn about dates, treaties, and generals, but learning about the people it affected is just as important. Books like these bring the history alive (like Wishbone) and get to the heart of why it is important to learn history.
This book is an excellent resource for teachers to use as an hidden perspective history text, especially for youth. Because this is a historical fiction about real people and real situations, this can be a lens though which students can study history, rather than dusty old textbooks. Historical fiction humanizes the things that happened. It's important to learn about dates, treaties, and generals, but learning about the people it affected is just as important. Books like these bring the history alive (like Wishbone) and get to the heart of why it is important to learn history.
April 7, 2018
This is part of a great series of books by this author, which tell the stories of people whose histories have been neglected. This one is based on the true story of an Indian girl and her brother, whose village is destroyed by the US Cavalry. They’re taken to a school for Indian children, where they’re supposed to learn how to be white.
It’s a sad part of American history but very important for people to know. And fictionalizing it is a good way to bring the story home to young readers. Being able to relate to Casita and Jack really brings the story to life.
And, I liked the photos and sources that provide ways for young students to learn more.
It’s a sad part of American history but very important for people to know. And fictionalizing it is a good way to bring the story home to young readers. Being able to relate to Casita and Jack really brings the story to life.
And, I liked the photos and sources that provide ways for young students to learn more.
January 21, 2024
I waffled on what to rate this. Also, in doing some research following my reading, I even considered giving it 1 star, but I feel so complicated due to the potential engagement from the descendent of a relative, that I didn't feel confident giving it 1 star.
I felt like the perspective and angle throughout it was very white. Choices made around her internal monologue, the focus on Mollie as a character, they were disrespectful, just as it is always disrespectful to not have the proper authority to share any ceremony or closed aspect of an indigenous nation. I may come back and change this to a 1 if I reflect on that more.
Actually, no, yes, I will change it to 1 currently. The feelings I had when I read the back stating the author was looking for "a compelling story." And I'm sorry, but our traumas are not for entertainment, especially white entertainment. I don't really know how to put into words the feelings I have or the politics involved, and even if the writing itself as not horrible (although there were multiple noticeable errors, by the way), it's hard to move past that.
Especially if I compare it to the handling in Her Land, Her Love, or the fact this shares images of and the names of real, stolen children who never got a voice in it, it's just so complex and I genuinely had read this hoping it would be a more pointed criticism of reservation schools, but it really failed in that account, too.
I felt like the perspective and angle throughout it was very white. Choices made around her internal monologue, the focus on Mollie as a character, they were disrespectful, just as it is always disrespectful to not have the proper authority to share any ceremony or closed aspect of an indigenous nation. I may come back and change this to a 1 if I reflect on that more.
Actually, no, yes, I will change it to 1 currently. The feelings I had when I read the back stating the author was looking for "a compelling story." And I'm sorry, but our traumas are not for entertainment, especially white entertainment. I don't really know how to put into words the feelings I have or the politics involved, and even if the writing itself as not horrible (although there were multiple noticeable errors, by the way), it's hard to move past that.
Especially if I compare it to the handling in Her Land, Her Love, or the fact this shares images of and the names of real, stolen children who never got a voice in it, it's just so complex and I genuinely had read this hoping it would be a more pointed criticism of reservation schools, but it really failed in that account, too.
April 17, 2018
Casita is a Lipan Apache, or Ndé, living in El Remolino, Mexico with her family. The Day of Screams in 1877 comes when the U.S. Cavalry, without orders, raids their village for the purpose of "annihilation, obliteration and complete destruction." Her tribe is killed, and she and her brother are taken to Fort Clark in Texas as prisoners; as happened to so many other children. These kids will never have the chance to return home. They are then shipped off to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania. The author has followed traces of historical record about an actual family and experience.
Casita's story dramatizes a disgraceful era in U.S. history, through the personal story of a young girl, and can help students better understand what happened during these tragic times. Being able to use a book such as this with students can help make the story more understandable with a character that is young as well. I thought it was unique to see the few pictures of children actually at the school in the early 1900’s.
Casita's story dramatizes a disgraceful era in U.S. history, through the personal story of a young girl, and can help students better understand what happened during these tragic times. Being able to use a book such as this with students can help make the story more understandable with a character that is young as well. I thought it was unique to see the few pictures of children actually at the school in the early 1900’s.
May 19, 2019
The Lost One
I learned a lot from reading this book, I still can’t believe how the anglos would take a human person and take control of that life and turn them into slaves for their own greedy purpose, with no conscious the anglos strip my people of their identity on the outside, but they can’t strip their identity from the heart, and the mind,
I learned a lot from reading this book, I still can’t believe how the anglos would take a human person and take control of that life and turn them into slaves for their own greedy purpose, with no conscious the anglos strip my people of their identity on the outside, but they can’t strip their identity from the heart, and the mind,
November 20, 2016
Casita is a Lipan Apache, or Ndé, living in El Remolino, Mexico with her family. Then, comes the The Day of Screams in 1877, when the U.S. Cavalry, without orders, raids their village for the purpose of "annihilation, obliteration and complete destruction." Her mother is killed, and she and her brother Jack are taken as prisoners to Fort Clark in Texas. After several years they are shipped off to the Carlisle Indian Industrial School in Pennsylvania, never returning to their home. The author has followed traces of historical record about an actual family and contains historical photographs of the characters. Casita's story dramatizes an shameful era in U.S. history, through the personal story of a young girl. Includes extensive resources.
November 12, 2016
I liked learning about a piece of history that I know very little about, but the story and characters didn't completely captivate me. It felt more like a catalog events than a fully fleshed-out story. Although there was a "full circle" quality to the ending, it still felt very sudden. I've read other books by Michaela MacColl that I have enjoyed more.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews