Jack Steffan

A mildly interesting story - but I spent more time wondering how accurate it was than enjoying it. It's written from (mostly) a Native American viewpoint, by someone whose name doesn't indicate any such ancestry, in 1959 - I'm wary. There weren't any obvious stupidities, like the Noble Savage - the whites and the Atsugewi are all people, with varying attitudes and behaviors - the violent racist, the whiny racist, the lazy folk on both sides, and the decent folk on both sides. The story itself is a bit thin - not bad, and a couple interesting angles on the Gold Rush and settlers of the period and their interactions with the people already there, but not a lot to the actual story. Mildly enjoyable, at least - glad I read it, though I doubt I'll bother to reread.… (more)