Two Blankets: A Novel of the West

by R.L. Adare

Trapped in the deadly conflict between two cultures, a young native girl struggles to survive. In 1850, on the great Columbia River, a ten-year-old Nez Perce girl’s life is changed forever. Stolen and made a mistshimus—a slave—to the Chinook, Little Mouse struggles to escape only to be caught and beaten. Tracked and returned a third time, the chief of the local band, Tyee Running Blade, says he will kill her on her next attempt. She knows defeat at last and becomes Girl-With-No-Name, for as a mistshimus, she has no right to any property—not even a name. When she becomes a woman, her favors are sold to the Tyee’s son, Standing Bear. Unfortunately, they develop an affection for each other, something forbidden to a mistshimus and noble-born. She is cut from shoulder to wrist as punishment and sold to a white man, Marshall Johnston, to be his wife. So begin her struggles with a white man who does not care for her and a tribe for respect, earning a place in the history of the Chinook and her own name—Two Blankets. Two Blankets is a true heroine you can believe in. With only the weapons she possesses, her cleverness, integrity, and honesty, can she hope to prevail against a tribe which owns her, a husband who abuses her, and the oncoming flood of settlers to whom she is only an obstacle.

233 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 30, 2019

Reviews

[Jim Bates · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1850 a ten year old Nez Perce girl is kidnapped by young Chinook warriors and becomes a slave to the Bent Creek Clan who live permanently as hunter-gatherers in northern Oregon near the Columbia River. She is referred to a Girl-With-No-Name until she is married at the age of thirteen to a white trader and then takes the name Two Blankets. RL Adare tells the story of six years of the life of Two Blankets and her adopted people with a confidence and depth of knowledge that drew me from the very beginning. I've read that he is a student of anthropology and it shows; he obviously has a love of Two Blankets and her clan. This is a skilled writer who can make history come alive by not only understanding the life and customs of the Chinook and Nez Perce, but by also using his compassion to delve into his characters and tap into their feelings and emotions. It's a great book. I highly recommend it.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book, an outstanding adventure of the young Native slave, who was not allowed to even have a name do to Chinook custom. The beautiful and intelligent Nez Perce was already captured as a slave and thus could not hold property, and names and thoughts were property according to Chinook custom.
The girl grows into a young woman and marries a white man, and he is able to name her, Two Blankets. An outstanding story and a true heroine. This is a must read.

[Sue · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually quit reading by the 4th chapter. I wanted to like. I really did.