Panther in the Sky (1989)

Just about all the reviews for this book I've seen on various sites are raves, but I can't say I liked this book much. My reaction to it was similar to my response to two other works of historical fiction I read over the last past months. One was Elizabeth Chadwick's The Greatest Knight about William Marshall, a figure from medieval English history, and the other was The Many Lives & Secret Sorrows of Josephine B. by Sandra Gulland about Josephine Bonaparte, the wife of Napoleon. In short, both are readable despite dull or cheesy writing because of the inherent fascination of their real life protagonists come through almost despite their authors.

I feel the same here. The name Tecumseh sounded vaguely familiar, but I never knew or had forgotten anything about him. As this novelized biography of him relates, he was a visionary chief of the Shawnee who attempted to unite various far-flung Native American tribes to halt the white incursion and invasion of their lands, allying himself with the British in the War of 1812. Thom states in his afterward that his purpose was "to make my reader walk in the Shawnee's moccasins, to help him appreciate what they once had and comprehend the devastation they were suffering."

I am impressed with the evident historical research he put on the page. The novel is dense with such detail, and Thom's wife is herself a Shawnee--his obvious respect and admiration for his subject shines through. But his Shawnee are too idyllic, Tecumseh too heroic, the legendary and supernatural aspects taken too seriously for me to buy, the prose too often overblown and stilted and the pace too often dragging.

There's enough here to intrigue, to make clear Tecumseh was a great leader and what happened to his people a terrible tragedy--but it's the kind of historical novel that makes me wish I had read a book of straight nonfiction history on the subject instead of, rather than in addition to, reading this. Great subject--in my opinion not great execution. ( )

Mt. Thom goes to great lengths to accurately portray Tecumseh and other Native Americans pushed out of their homelands as more and more Americans went west across the Atlantic. An important book for me to read. ( )

I really enjoyed this book which was an interesting account of the early American infiltration into the Native Indian homelands. It was interesting that Thom stated in the book that he struggled in his research supporting the book because there were so many conflicting and contradictory accounts. He said that he paid more credence to the Indian accounts as he tried to write the story from their perspective. The story of Tecumseh is fascinating however, and he is portrayed as an inspirational leader and enlightened individual. I would like to read more accounts of this story and non-fiction books related to the plight of the American Indian. The author has a wonderful writing style as well. ( )

A fantastic historical novel detailing the life of Tecumseh and his amazing efforts to bring together all American Indian tribes to drive whites out of their lives. ( )

This is a wonderful book about a Native American Leader/Hero who almost stopped America's Manifest Destiny. Please do not confuse the cover picture from the awful movie with the contents of this book. Mr. Thom brings history to life and should be aplauded for this book. ( )