In the Footsteps of Crazy Horse by Joseph Marshall III

Marshall III, J. (2015). In the footsteps of Crazy Horse. (J. Yellowhawk, Illus.) Amulet Books.

This book is a historical fiction novel retelling the legends of the famed Native American warrior Crazy Horse that uses a parallel plot structure with the overarching plot of a boy taking a road trip with his grandfather to learn the history and find a solution to his bullying problem. This plot structure provides context for the stories told and gives this history a modern breath of life to keep readers invested and make the story relevant to their lives even though it happened generations ago. By connecting Crazy Horse’s stories to the life of the protagonist, the relationship between past and present are clear to the reader helping them understand the importance of learning about this history.

An integral part of this story is the setting. Throughout the road trip, the boy and his grandfather hit different geographic locations which are the real settings of the historical stories being shared. This is a great way to link the past stories and help them appear real to the reader. The reader can use the locations provided and look them up online to see what the characters are seeing and better place the historical tales. Giving an actual setting that can be visited by the reader helps to ground the stories, so the reader consistently remembers that what they are being told is true.

Blending the story with the fictional modern plot also helps in bringing the reader in, encouraging them to react and become invested the same way the protagonist does. The protagonist is written in a way that makes him feel similar to a kid the reader might know, using speech and language a person that age is more likely to use in his narration and dialogue. This dictation disappears in the flashbacks to signal a more serious story and enforce historical accuracy. For example, the child often responds to a statement from his grandfather with “For reals?” This is a phrase a younger reader might say themselves or have heard others around them say. This phrase is nowhere to be found during the flashbacks, though, because it is not a phrase that was used in the past and it would undermine the history.

To verify the history and continue the learning experience of this book, a glossary and bibliography are provided along with an author’s note. This note describes the author’s personal connection to the stories written since he is Lakota and these stories were shared with him since childhood. The glossary defines Indigenous vocabulary that those who aren’t part of the culture may not be aware of. The bibliography provides a list of sources the author used to verify the stories he knew from childhood which shows the reader his authority on the subject. A map is also provided at the beginning of the book which includes information for both plots. All of these resource help the understanding of the history while providing proof that there are facts behind these stories.