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Crooked river

Shelley Pearsall

2005249 pagesabout 4–6 hours
2005
first published
  • 2005Knopf · 249 pages · ENGISBN 9780375823893
  • 2007Yearling · 249 pages · ENGISBN 9780440421016
  • 2008Random House Children's Books · ENGISBN 9780307518309

The year is 1812. A white trapper is murdered. And a young Chippewa Indian stands accused. Captured and shackled in leg irons and chains, Indian John awaits his trial in a settler's loft. In a world of crude frontier justice where evidence is often overlooked in favor of vengeance, he struggles to make sense of the white man's court. His young lawyer faces the wrath of a settlement hungry to see the Indian hang. And 13-year-old Rebecca Carver, terrified by the captive Indian right in her home, must decide for herself what--and who--is right. At stake is a life. Inspired by a true story, Crooked River takes a probing look at prejudice and early American justice.From the Hardcover edition.

How it feels

AtmosphereGritty

Worth knowing

Written forMiddle grade

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