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Quest for Courage #1
Quest for Courage
A broken leg caused by a riding accident leaves Lame Bear crippled. He can no longer ccompete with the other boys. With no future as a warrior and a hunter, Lame Bear is a disgace to his father's lodge and his tribe. Drowning himself in sorrow and self-pity he becomes more and more useless until one day an old man speaks words of wisdom to him that will change his life.
Far away in the Flathead valley lives a Medicine Hat stallion pursued by many great warriors. How fcan a crippled boy succeed where these warriors have failed? Will Lame Bear and the stallion survive the ordeal that will tert their strength and their courage?
Far away in the Flathead valley lives a Medicine Hat stallion pursued by many great warriors. How fcan a crippled boy succeed where these warriors have failed? Will Lame Bear and the stallion survive the ordeal that will tert their strength and their courage?
- GenresAdventure
103 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1984
18 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 23, 2018
This book was an absolute favorite of mine in 4th grade, combining as it did my top two interests: Native Americans and horses. I believe I even did an independent book report on it -- a diorama, if I recall, recreating the cover image with drawings. This wasn't my first introduction to medicine hat horses, that honor goes to Marguerite Henry's San Domingo, but I was still just as enchanted by the concept when I met War Chief. When I finally reread it I was afraid I might find it too childish -- but no. The images are as sharp, clear and invigorating as ever.
Hunting the prized yellow buffalo cow...magnificent buffalo runner Fleet Foot, destined to become a spirit guide...Lame Bear and his spirit quest to find and tame the magnificent wild stallion, using the gentle buckskin mare Fawn to get close to his herd and lure him into capture...the tangle with the Flatheads...there is just a ton of great horse-centric action throughout. The only thing I particularly noticed this time is how many educational details about Blackfeet customs are woven deftly into the text, packing in a ton of information without ever distracting from the essence of the story.
Hunting the prized yellow buffalo cow...magnificent buffalo runner Fleet Foot, destined to become a spirit guide...Lame Bear and his spirit quest to find and tame the magnificent wild stallion, using the gentle buckskin mare Fawn to get close to his herd and lure him into capture...the tangle with the Flatheads...there is just a ton of great horse-centric action throughout. The only thing I particularly noticed this time is how many educational details about Blackfeet customs are woven deftly into the text, packing in a ton of information without ever distracting from the essence of the story.
November 2, 2025
This was a very interesting book that teaches a lot about the culture of the Blackfoot Indians before the white man invaded their land. Lame Bear needs to find courage to live with his lameness caused by a bad fall with the horse he was riding as a young child. Loved the ending.
June 9, 2011
Huzzah for pre-teen quest narratives!
Okay, really, the reason I've hung on to this for all these years? The horses. I never really grew out of the horse phase most girls go through, and the descriptions of horse behavior and general movement are so right on in this book. Other than that, the language reads a little stilted, as if it was translated from something else, and the narrative has a tendency to go off on explanations that are very much arrows to This Is An Educational Book for Children. It's no fun when it's that obvious, really.
So yes, it's a good narrative of going from being a puss to being a hero, and I really do like all of the description of working with horses and how to work with wild horses, but I think I'll stick with Black Beauty for horse fixes in the future.
Okay, really, the reason I've hung on to this for all these years? The horses. I never really grew out of the horse phase most girls go through, and the descriptions of horse behavior and general movement are so right on in this book. Other than that, the language reads a little stilted, as if it was translated from something else, and the narrative has a tendency to go off on explanations that are very much arrows to This Is An Educational Book for Children. It's no fun when it's that obvious, really.
So yes, it's a good narrative of going from being a puss to being a hero, and I really do like all of the description of working with horses and how to work with wild horses, but I think I'll stick with Black Beauty for horse fixes in the future.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews