A Circle Unbroken: A Historical YA Novel About Adjusting After Recapture from the Sioux

by Sollace Hotze

Rachel Porter, captured as a child in 1838 by a band of renegade Sioux, finds it hard to adjust after she is recaptured by her minister father.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Young Adult

208 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1988

About the author

Sollace Hotze was born in Gates Mills, Ohio, and now lives in a small town outside of Chicago. Her book "A Circle Unbroken" was a 1988 Best Book for Young Adults.

Reviews

[Beth Cato · Rating 2 out of 5]

The basic story: a white girl (Rachel) is kidnapped by native Americans for seven years where she is adopted by a loving family, but is then forcefully returned to her white family, which is dominated by her abusive minister father.

To be honest, this is the kind of book I would have loved at like age 10, and probably read repeatedly. As an adult, I can see it's problematic on many levels. I was relieved that it didn't go for the "Indians are bad, white Christian man is good" binary; both societies are depicted with nuance, with good and bad people in each. That said, the depictions of the Native Americans feel... like they were derived from watching a lot of westerns.

Considering the simplistic prose and middle grade presentation of the book, I was startled that the book mentioned Rachel getting raped repeatedly at age 10, and that another character is also raped and impregnated, and it was all described in a way that was very victim-blaming that was never challenged. As historically-accurate as that is, it also makes me cringe because I would have (and did) internalize that kind of stuff as a kid.

The villain of the piece, Rachel's father, feels like a stock character. His actions at the end don't feel like they fit at all. The hopeful ending feels shoe-horned in.

Even by 1980s standards, this feels like hack-level historical fiction for the juvenile market.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel Porter was captured by the Sioux Indians when she was 10. Known as Kata Wi, she is raised as the daughter of a chief. When she is 17, she is recaptured by her white family and forced to conform to their way of life. After witnessing the death of her aunt, another returned Indian captive, Rachel must force her father to return her to her Indian family before she, too, dies.

[Sarah Tilatitsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book because this is about finding who you are, and acknowledging that fact. For Rachel, it is hard, becuase she has two sides, fighting. She acknowledges the two, but does not know haw to deal with it. It is true for a lot of people. i hope that they come to terms, as Rachel did. Just read this book, and see. ☺

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my favorite books when I was in Junior High. I must have read it a dozen times or more. The things that struck me with this book is how well the author portrays the feelings of confusion and lonliness in this young girl. It's a wonderful book and well worth the time to read.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first historical fiction I truly fell in love with. An interesting, seldom seen side of American history, well told and beautifully unfolded.

[Shelby Nagy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in 7th grade, but still remember quite a bit of it. There were several things that really stood out to me, and I'd be curious to see if anyone else felt to same way:

1.Rachel was kidnapped when she was ten, and found again when she was seventeen. Would she really have forgotten how to read, and about holidays like Christmas? Most people can remember their lives from ages 6-10 fairly clearly- and literacy doesn't really atrophy, even if you don't use it for a long time.

2. I feel like there was a Biblical parallel between the love triangle of Rachel, Leah, and Peter- much like Rachel, Leah and Jacob in the book of Genesis (the names seem to be a pretty strong hint). Guy want the younger sister, but ends up with/settles for the older one. In both cases, you end up feeling sorry for Leah.

3. It brings up a very dark and (not my favourite word, but I'll use it anyway because it fits) problematic view of sexuality. As an effort to nudge him in Leah's direction, Rachel rebuff's Peter's advances by hinting that, because she was raped by the brave who kidnapped her- or, "been intimate with an Indian in every way", as she puts it- Peter shouldn't want to be with her. It's obviously an excuse, but it simultaneously implies that rape victims are damaged goods, and that sexual contact with someone of a different race leaves you 'tainted' in some way. This view is explicitly shown by her Aunt Sarah's husband, after Sarah had a similar- but overall, far worse- experience.

4. The dad. After losing his wife, son and daughter, all in the span of just a few years, he's clearly grief-stricken and traumatized. He refuses to hit Rachel, even when she dares him to, because "I am not a woman-beater". Yet it's clear that the author wants us to hate him. I kind of appreciate it when books do this. With so much focus on the messages being sent to kids through movies and literature, I think it's important for kids to read books that make them really think about the author's intentions. It helps them understand that authors are not just products of their time; but individuals who have their own views and biases. It helps them to develop critical thinking.

The content is pretty graphic and mature for young kids, but it's an unforgettable story.

[Jihae · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Circle Unbroken by Sollace Hotze was a book about a young girl named Rachel who was "torn between two parts of her own self." She used live with the Sioux family, but her father moved her back to St. Joseph. This book was not the best book, but it was very descriptive, emotional, and mysterious. Making readers want to dig deeper into the book.

A Circle Unbroken is book about a young girl named Rachel or Kata Wi. She used to live with her Sioux family, but moved back to her real parents in St. Joesph. Rachel doesn't feel included, and feels lonely. Especially after something tragic happened to Aunt Sarah. Someone who Rachel could speak freely to. Rachel decides the only way for her to be happy is to go back to where she think she belongs.

A Circle Unbroken ended in a way that made readers think. Was Rachel going to be happy with the Sioux like the past? Since Rachel has been gone for so long. I think the Sioux tribe will be mad at her for damaging their village. My favorite part of the book was Chapter nineteen page 192. When Rachel tells her dad about how she feels. "'How can you know what it's like to have two shadows always at war within you?'" This was very descriptive, and it showed how much Rachel has been going through.

I would recommend A Circle Unbroken by Sollace Hotze to people who like descriptive books. This book had a lot of details which made it very easy to visualize what was happening to my brain. I would definitely not recommend this book to people who get easily triggered. Especially the part when Daniel (Rachel's brother) gets hit with his fathers belt. Overall, this wasn't my favorite book. Although, I really liked the part when Rachel spoke about how she felt to her father.

[Mikail]

I didn't enjoy reading the book because for me the book was boring. The story develops in a slow manner and I do not like that. I like a book that is not slow. The books I enjoy reading are books that are mysterious. Even though I did not enjoy the book there were some parts which got me excited. Parts that got me excited were when Rachel and Aunt Sarah met each other because they both had a connection. Their connection was that they both had an experience that was similar in a way. They both had left there real families but Aunt Sarah had gotten harshly treated and Rachel was treated very well. I liked the ending as well because Rachel and her dad made up. I think they made up because Rachels dad only wanted what was best for Rachel like all parents. He let Rachel go back to her Sioux family but he said, "Always remember to visit me and when you do don't talk about them."

[Jevan]

Good book havnt finished yet

[Brenna Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A little slow. But amazing

[American Girl]

Back in 7th grade I rated it 5 stars. I don't remember this book at all.

[Elijah L · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book is called “A Circle Unbroken”, the author is Sollace Hotze. Some aspects of the book that affected me were how she really had to adapt to her new family once she came back from living with the Indians for 5 years, and how it was hard to live with them and learn some new things she wasn't able to learn. She went through alot with some people passing away or people just not liking how her lifestyle is.



Some specific things the author does to affect the reader is how she explains everything that happened to her in her lifetime and how she can overcome everything. Like when she gets back from her home after 5 years she has to adapt to her new lifestyle instead of the Indian lifestyle but she still uses her indian lifestyle sometimes.



Some reason why u should read this book is because its very interesting and how she has to adapt to her new lifestyle and how her dad doesnt really like her. I liked this book because it was very interesting to me and how the author wrote the book was good. The book was not confusing at all, it was a easy book to read. My favorite part is when she meets her dad after 5 years and how they both reacted.

[mercy · Rating 3 out of 5]

i actually wasn't sure if i dreamt this book, or if it was real, but i remember this one scene of the book vividly, where the main character is trying to have tea with her family and is asked if she wants lemon or milk, and says, "yes" and my English class had an entire conversation about this. why i remember this? i do not know. but i am glad this book actually exists.

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful heart breaking story of a young girl captured by the Plains Indians during the nineteenth century. I loved it and recommended it many times to students. Several other books on the same theme are about Olive Oatman and Mary Jemison.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first english book.
It was of course very impressive, but I loved the story and the use of words..

[Allison6876 · Rating 4 out of 5]

ENGL 3021 paper

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Town Center Library