The Silent Stranger: A Kaya Mystery

American Girl Mysteries

by Janet Beeler Shaw

Kaya's village is preparing for the powerful winter Spirit Dances when an injured stranger arrives. The young woman doesn't speak, and no one can reach her but Kaya's beloved dog, Tatlo. Who is the stranger, and why is she so silent and alone? Will she bring harm to the village--or take Tatlo away from Kaya? Kaya searches for clues about the woman-- but she must look deep inside her own heart to truly understand her. When she does, Kaya not only solves the mystery but takes a brave step toward growing up.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Childrens, Middle Grade, Historical, Fiction, Native American

144 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2005

Reviews

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

i got a big stack of american girl mysteries from the public library & have been reading them. i'm not sure what i think of them. on the one hand, it's nice to get another story about these characters beyond their six introductory books. it helps to flesh out their lives, personalities, habits, relationships, & environments. on the other hand, the mysteries seem to be a little bit complex for children & are often solved thanks to a deus ex machina.

this is the one & only kaya mystery. (she, josefina, & addy are sometimes referred to as "the forgotten three" because they so often get the shaft when it comes to new stories & products.)

plot: kaya is chillaxin' with her tribespeople when two of the boys come back from doing some kind of hunting or something. they have a young women with them. the woman is wearing unusual clothing, more like that of the tribes that live near the coast than kaya's people. & her hands are burnt. & she refuses to speak. kaya's people are able to communicate with her a little bit through sign language. they pretty much just offer to treat her burns & let her hang out with them until she figures out her next move.

kaya becomes obsessed with the woman, i guess because the woman seems sad. kaya is still mourning the death of her friend circling swan (i don't know about this--it must have happened in her introduction series, which i read more than ten years ago & don't remember), & she thinks circling swan would have wanted kaya to try to help the woman somehow. kaya is also trying to prepare herself to go on her spiritual journey which will culminate in accepting an animal guide & taking an adult name. she intends to take circling swan's name. she thinks that doing something to help or comfort the strange woman will help her build the character & maturity that is required for the next step in her own journey.

after observing the woman watching a hawk on a cliffside, kaya begins to call the woman hawk woman. hawk woman takes an unnatural interest is kaya's dog, tatlo. kaya tries to introduce hawk woman to another dog that doesn't have a master, but hawk woman only wants tatlo. one of kaya's friends suggests that hawk woman has mysterious powers & is using them to steal tatlo from kaya, but kaya decides to allow tatlo to accompany hawk woman on her regular jaunts into the woods because it might bring hawk woman some comfort.

but as time goes by, kaya becomes more & more uneasy. hawk woman has such a connection with tatlo, & she seems so unhappy. she also wakes up in the middle of the night screaming & in unable to be comforted at those times. kaya & some of the other people in kaya's tribe start having strange nightmares. kaya wonders if maybe hawk woman does have powers & could use them to hurt kaya or her people.

on the night of a big powwow, kaya notices that hawk woman & tatlo have gone missing again. she goes into the woods to look for them. it's snowing & she is able to follow their tracks up a steep hillside. as she is climbing, she encounters a huge wolf. the wolf & kaya stare into each other's eyes & kaya feels that the wolf is communicating to kaya. kaya believes that the wolf is chastising her for looking for hawk woman in anger & fear for what hawk woman may want with tatlo or her people. the wolf reminds kaya that hawk woman is hurting & that kaya will have an easier time comforting her like she claims to want to do if she opens her heart to hawk woman's struggles. then the wolf wanders off, which is a pretty lucky break for kaya. but how awesome would it have been if the wolf had just gone ahead & eaten kaya in like chapter nine? i would have LOLed.

anyway, kaya tracks hawk woman & tatlo into a cave. hawk woman has built a fire & is just chillin', looking sad. kaya sits with her & tries to be patient. hawk woman accidentally knocks a doll she is holding into the fire (there was lots of kaya wondering why a grown woman was carrying around a doll--but if a dis to all the adult american girl collectors out there) & basically has a nervous breakdown. kaya snatches the doll from the fire & returns it to hawk woman & hawk woman explains her story:

she was traveling through the countryside with her husband & baby. they stopped to camp for the night. a storm blew through. their camp was struck by lightning. their little tent/teepee deal caught fire. hawk woman's husband was killed in the blaze, & hawk woman burned her hands trying to beat out the flames. she couldn't find her baby & assumed it had died as well. this caused her to basically lose her mind from grief. she started wandering without any clear idea of where she was going or why. this is when she was found by the boys in kaya's tribe & brought back to kaya's people. her connection with tatlo stems from the fact that hawk woman's husband had a dog that looked like tatlo. when she first saw tatlo, she thought it was her husband's dog, come to lead her to her husband & baby.

now that hawk woman has explained herself, she says it is time to move on. kaya returns to the powwow, where a visitor from another tribe is telling a story about how she was traveling through the countryside & came across a baby abandoned by the trail. its cradleboard was decorated like those of babies from near the coast, although the baby was found closer to kaya's people's land. the woman took the baby in & has been raising it as her own. kaya realizes that this baby must be hawk woman's baby. she saddles up her horse & goes after hawk woman. she brings hawk woman back to be reunited with her baby. kaya's elders tell her that she is ready to go on her quest to meet her animal guide & assume circling swan's name. oh, & kaya decides to give hawk woman (actual name: hawk rising) tatlo. which seems like a big deal because he is pretty key to kaya's introduction books. happy endings all around.

pretty lucky that other woman found the baby, huh?

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

As far as I know this is the last book in the series about Kaya. And this one should be read last, after "Changes for Kaya". Luckily I read them in the proper order! Also this book is more like a regular novel. The other six books have many pictures and illustrations while this one is more text heavy. But it's also more in depth and I did feel I got to know Kaya much better in here. And the story was definitely more satisfying too.

So Kaya does a lot of growing up in here. She has to make some very large decisions and do a lot of thinking too. Plus the book is a bit of a mystery. A strange woman is brought to their winter camp. She has burned hands, acts strange and won't talk. Who is she? Why is she all alone? She wears the clothes of another tribe too, people far away. Can they trust her?

Kaya has mixed feelings about this and doesn't know what to think. Now as an adult I had a much better idea of what was going on in here. And my guess was right. But it may not be clear to kids at all. But we also learn much more about their culture, especially how odd it is for anyone to travel alone.

But Kaya is determined to solve the mystery of this strange woman.

The end is very satisfying and it did bring some moisture to my eyes too. The whole series is focused on kindness, compassion, doing the right thing. And that is not always easy.

And while in this series Kaya never actually got to go on her spirit quest after reading this (plus the scene in Kaya's Escape) I am pretty confident I know which animal is her guide. I believe she is already seeing her guide.

Great read! I do wish there were more of these mystery books with Kaya.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
Great mystery for Kaya fans., February 24, 2005


Kaya and her band of Nez Perce Indians have settled into their winter home in the Salmon River Country, and are preparing for the upcoming winter Spirit Dances. One day, two of Kaya's cousins find an injured young woman lost in the wilderness. They bring her back to the village. Kaya names the stranger Hawk Woman, and is determined to reach her. But Hawk Woman refuses to communicate and seems lost in her own world, and Kaya's beloved dog, Tatlo, seems to have abandoned Kaya for this strange woman. Kaya is worried that Hawk Woman may want to harm them, and so she decides to try and find out where the woman has come from, and why she was all alone.

This is good historical mystery that fans of the American Girls Collection, in particular those that are special fans of Kaya, are sure to enjoy. It's a longer, more detailed story than the other American Girls Collection books, so readers who are beginning to outgrow the regular books will appreciate the added length. It can also be enjoyed by girls who haven't read other American Girls books but who love historical mysteries. I really enjoyed this book, and I look forward to reading the other books in the new American Girls mystery series.

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book-- exactly at my girls' level. Gripping and scary, but with a speedy resolution. Genuinely tragic but redemptive. Celebratory of Nez Perce culture but not fetishistic. Carefully researched and unafraid to include real Indian language and practices, but not pedantic. I liked this better than Walk Two Moons-- it had greater character warmth than a lot of other YA novels about 18th century American Indians. There's none of the "stoic Indian" voice, and the White colonial gaze it totally absent in the story.

[RaspberryRoses · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although this is classified as a mystery, I didn't tag it as such for my goodreads shelf - it didn't really feel like one. Sure, Hawk Woman is *mysterious*, but it doesn't feel like Kaya is actively theorizing much about what's causing her to act this way. She's noting that it's strange and she has complicated feelings on it, but not much detective work.

For what it is, though, I found it to be enjoyable - it follows up on a lot of the themes and storylines of the main 6 books, and is a much better culmination of her character growth then we see in the main series. The ending is a tad convenient for my liking, but that isn't a unique problem to this book - nearly all of these AG mysteries are like this.

[Maura O'Dea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m doing a Kaya series re-read !!! Loved these books when I was little—I think this is probably going to be the strongest one, esp as a re-read now that I’m old bc it has more intense themes. Genuinely touching I was misty eyed

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great AG marathon continues. Again, reading for the first time as an adult.

When Kaya's band takes in an injured woman from another tribe, Kaya is curious about her and resolves to befriend her. The "silent stranger" doesn't make it easy: There's a language barrier, at first her hands are too injured to sign, and Kaya finds her hard to connect with. The one connection that does come easily? She takes to Tatlo almost immediately, and Kaya has to wrestle with some jealousy.

But more than that, Kaya is curious and concerned: Where did this woman come from? Why was she wandering alone? Why does she have nightmares every night? What draws her to Tatlo? And most importantly, does she mean Tatlo - or anyone else - any harm?

Speaking of which, some readers may want to know in advance that this book has a scene where a dog (NOT Tatlo) fights a panther and the dog is killed.

My only gripe about this one is that the conclusion relies on a few things that are just... wildly convenient in terms of timing and geography. The reunions are very sweet, but do require great suspension of disbelief.

One of my primary reactions to Kaya’s core series was feeling that her six books really wanted to be a novel. I wanted to follow her vision quest and other milestones as she grows up, so I was hoping we might get more hints of that in the short stories and mysteries. While the short stories don't do any heavy lifting in terms of major milestones, they do tend to show a more responsible and mature Kaya than we see at the beginning of her core series, and this continues that trend. We get Kaya really close to her vision quest, but we still don't see it, and unfortunately, her other mystery doesn't go anywhere close.

More Kaya babble

Meet Kaya | Kaya’s Escape | Kaya’s Hero | Kaya and Lone Dog | Kaya Shows the Way | Changes for Kaya

Kaya and the River Girl | Kaya’s Short Story Collection

The Silent Stranger | The Ghost Wind Stallion

The Roar of the Falls

[Panda Incognito · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kaya learns important life lessons in this book, and because it is a full-length novel, it involves additional character development and advances some loose ends from the main six books' story arc. However, almost nothing happens in the first half, and the mystery involving a traumatized, speechless woman is far too neatly resolved, with what appears to be a literal deus ex machina.

Because this book has a huge emphasis on spirit guides, it is possible that the denouement is supposed to show spiritual powers at work, or it may just be a coincidence that the tribe interprets that way. The open-ended conclusion respects native spirituality by not passing a judgment on whether it is true or false, but this does not make for a satisfying mystery novel. It is far too convenient, and the book resolves an extremely dramatic PTSD situation by tying everything up neatly in a bow.

This rubs me the wrong way as an adult, and I can see why I did not like this book when I was a child. I remember reading this at the pediatrician's office during a sibling's appointment, and I found it extremely boring and stressful. The emphasis on spirits and on the consequences of a traumatic fire were way too dark for me, and since the woman practically takes over ownership of Kaya's dog, it was frustrating on other levels as well.

Also, parents of sensitive children should know that there is a scene in this book where a predator kills another dog. I think that the author included this to raise the stakes, since Kaya thinks of this scene while going after her dog and the woman in the snow, but it is completely unnecessary, and surprised and blindsided me as an adult. I'm sure that it bothered me when I was a child, even though I did not remember that detail.

Ultimately, this book is just as lackluster and disappointing as I had remembered. In other cases, I have gone back to American Girl mysteries and found that they were better than I had thought, but this book is still boring, stressful, and unbelievable, and its only value lies in its educational details and continuation of some core details from Kaya's original series story.

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing the Kaya series, my kids wanted more, so I got this through inter-library loan. This book is written on a slightly higher reading level than the ones from the series, with maybe twice as many pages. I had to explain a few vocabulary words to my 7 and 8 year olds, but they had no problem following the basic story. All of my children (7-12) enjoyed the story and its suspense. As a more experienced reader, it seemed predictable to me, but they were surprised at what happened and happy with the happy ending. I was happy to see them enjoying it and learning about the Nimiipuu Native Americans. I was also pleased with how Kaya's character had grown. When we had decisions or discipline type issues during the days we read this, we would talk about what Kaya would do and why. We talked about how we were glad that we were not afraid of Stick People or superstitions, and we talked about how we should emulate Kaya's respect for her elders, care for those younger or less able than her, and desire to serve others and help her family and tribe. She is a good role model, admitting her weaknesses and striving to do her best. I recommend this as a read aloud for elementary or a read alone for 4th or 5th grade level.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. Historical fiction is my favorite genre in books and movies. The book was exciting, interesting, and easy to read. I was happy to learn a few things about the Nez Perce culture and native american culture in general. One really interesting thing is that native Americans of different tribes were able to communicate through sign language. A few times Kaya attempts to "throw" words with her hands to her mysterious visitor. I also really enjoyed the photos and historical information at the back of the book.

I finished this book a few days before my Kaiya was born. We were told about the book when we had mentioned our plans for naming Kaiya. It was such a surprise to hear that Kaya was a Nez Perce! (We live in Nez Perce country). It is was really fun to read about Kaya's people and think of them in the areas around our home. Soon after I finished the book I went to the Appaloosa museum and learned even more about the Nez Perce people and their beautiful horses. Kaya is short for Kaya'aton'my' which means "she who arranges rocks". She is a very thoughtful, kind, and adventurous character. I hope my Kaiya will be as well.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaya's village is preparing for the powerful winter Spirit Dances when an injured stranger arrives. She doesn't speak, and no one can reach her but Kaya's beloved dog, Tatlo. Who is the stranger, and why is she so silent and alone? Kaya searches for clues, but she must look deep inside her own heart to truly understand.

About The Author:
Each night when Janet Shaw was a girl, she took out a flashlight and book hidden under her pillow until she fell asleep. She and her brother liked to act out stories, especially ones about sword fights and wild horses. Today, Ms. Shaw has three grown children. When they were small, she often pulled them in a big red wagon to the library, where they filled the wagon with so many books, they had to walk back home. Janet Shaw lives in North Carolina with her husband and their dog. She is the author of all the American Girl books about Kaya and about Kirsten Larson.

I find the Kaya books so much fun to read that I can't put them down. I read this one in about 4 hours time. Went to a concert I found I didn't care for too much and started reading this book, finished it by 10:45pm.

[Amanda Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Standard American Girl fare, although it is one of the first mysteries. It's suprising Kaya even has a mystery since she is so often shafted by the privileged young girls who would rather have Samantha.

Shaw has written all of the Kaya books and this is like a remix of them. The plotline includes the standards of Kaya mourning Swan Circling, one of Kaya's animals misbehaving, and Kaya asking her elders a crap load of unanswerable questions.

Decent, and a nice addition to Kaya's world. Three stars.

[Megan Carmody · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely boring. Nothing happens in the first half of the book and barely anything happens in the second half. I found this shocking because I liked all of the other American girl novels but this one is a no. Even though I am much to old for these stories I wouldn't even want to read it to a younger child or give it as a gift because they would hate me for giving them an awful boring present. The only thing that did actually happen was the pointless killing of a dog, that didn't even need to be put in.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

We (Alyssa, Kara, and I) read the whole Kaya series (6 short and this last one a little longer) in Sept. and Oct. and loved it. I was entertained and educated throughout. I'm sold on the American Girl books. We're going to read them all probably by the end of the school year, if not by February.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kaya's village is preparing for the powerful winter spirit dances when an injured stranger arrives. She doesn't speak, and no one can reach her but Kaya's beloved dog, Tatlo. Who is the stranger, and why is she so silent and alone? Kaya searches for clues, but she must look deep inside her own heart to truly understand.

[Katt Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A stranger comes to Kaya's people but doesn't seem to want help, though she's obviously looking for something. Kaya resolves to find the answer of what this woman wants and why she keeps taking Kaya's dog. She grows up a lot in the process. Interesting story.

[Hot*cheetos*303 · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was very detailed. so it was like the author was painting a picture in my head!!

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this six times five years ago

[Edna Little Fish In Running Waters Spring · Rating 4 out of 5]

I learned what it is like and what you can learn by being "silent".
I, also, learned some Nez Perce Customs and words, where and how they lived. So different from the Iroquois.

[Breann · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't think this was the best book in the world because it just wasn't my type, it wasn't adventurous and mysterious enough. It may be okay for some people but it just wasn't my type of book.

[Shimmywith4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every bit as good as the series was.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great Kaya Mystery!

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best Kaya book ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[emma grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

On an old reading list...estimated to have been read in 2006.

I loved this AG mysteries....

[Joey Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A mysterious stranger is brought in to seek help, but she walks off with Kaya’s dog Tatlo each day and acts strangely. Kaya struggles with angry thoughts and is unsure what to do to help this woman, but with the spirit guidance of Swan Circling finds what she needs to do.

This wasn’t as much of a mystery as I was hoping for, though it was still interesting there wasn’t a lot to solve within it. I did like that this mysterious woman had secrets that she’s repressed after what happened and with Kaya’s help they figured everything out together.

It was really interesting learning about the spirit dances within their tribe and how many others came from far away to partake in these ceremonies. I wish we could have gotten Kaya’s wayakin journey but again it was mentioned but we didn’t get it at all, which is such a shame. With each story, each new mission Kaya goes on she grows and learns and becomes a stronger young woman and she learns a lot within this one.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read aloud to my daughter. We appreciated learning more about the Nez Perce Native Americans through the story of Kaya. The mystery was not as captivating in this story as other mystery books in the AG series. One of the main characters had a trauma history and the author did a good job of explaining her symptoms and demonstrating compassion for the character through Kaya and her people’s response to the stranger. It was a good avenue to talk about trauma and the history of violence towards indigenous people and learn about the Nez Perce’s value of compassion and welcome hospitality that was mentioned in the back historical section.

[Rachel Jackson · Rating 2 out of 5]

A strange woman enters Kaya's camp as her family and tribe are getting ready for the most important rituals of the year; she can't or won't talk, and no one knows what she's doing here. An interesting premise for The Silent Stranger but I unfortunately didn't find it particularly engaging. I can't really understand how pre-teen girls might be interested in this story, other than Tatlo the dog. It's not really a mystery book, as it's publicized, at all, just a bunch of miscommunication (because Hawk Woman literally cannot and will not tell them anything) and a lot of judgment. It wasn't much for suspense in that sense.

[Theresa F. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though this book was written for a younger audience, I feel that it does a good job of touching on serious topics like grief, and that it makes effective use of historical details. However, some parents might find the more spiritual aspects of the story inappropriate and conflicting with their worldview.
Did I like it? Yes.
Would I reread it? Yes.
Would I recommend it? Mostly. There are some people who might object to the book's presentation of Native American spiritual beliefs.

[K H · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I like this story just as much if not more than Kaya's canonical series, and certainly more than the other Ag mysteries I've read. Kaya was portrayed as very wise and heroic, without betraying her young age and relative immaturity. It felt like an honest portrayal of the type of jealousy and confusion a child of that age might feel if someone else was hanging out with their dog. Warning to animal lovers: a dog dies in this book, and it is very sad, but it is not Tatlo.

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED THIS!

As a little girl (grades 3-5) my mom told me that the AG mysteries were too advanced for me and made for older kids. Unfortunately, even after I grew in my reading level long past my other classmates, I unintentionally deemed these books as “untouchable”.

But now… I’M AN ADULT!

I am so happy to finally read this book! Yes, it is slightly darker than the main series and maybe my mom had a point when it came to younger me, but THANK GOD I came back to these! :D