The Wolf at Twilight

November 1, 2009
In "Neither Wolf nor Dog", Nerburn recounted a trip he undertook with a Lakota elder named Dan. The narrative was primarily a conversation between the two men, who exchanged their perspectives on the relationship between Native Americans and whites in the 20th century. Throughout, it was clear that there was a cultural barrier separating the men, and by extension their ethnic groups, that would always interfere with their ability to understand each other fully. This new work continues Dan's story, although he is not its primary focus. Instead, Nerburn relates his search for Dan's sister, Yellowbird, who was sent to a boarding school when she was a child and was never heard from again. Parts of the book are fictionalized to maintain the privacy of Dan and his family. VERDICT Nerburn's fans may want to read this work to continue Dan's story. In the end, however, the small amount of new information included would have worked just as well as one good additional chapter in a new edition of "Neither Wolf nor Dog".John Burch, Campbellsville Univ. Lib., KY

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 15, 2009
Nerburns fictionalized account of the actual journey of Dan, a Lakota elder, is the follow-up to Neither Wolf Nor Dog (1994). His original goal was to educate white America about the Native experience beyond the hatchets and tomahawks and casinos and powwows with which they were familiar. In this sequel, he treats the darker aspects of Dans life that were left out of the earlier bookthe devastating effects of Indian boarding schools on thousands of Native children. Dan contacts Nerburn, asking for help in finding his sister Yellow Bird, gone 75 years ago from a boarding school in the Dakota hills. Telling Nerburn that the schools were places to beat the Indian out of you, Dan sadly revisits his memories of hair being washed with kerosene, children forced to eat Lava soap for not knowing their lessons, and being left outside to freeze for speaking their native language. Nerburn injects humor into the narrative via Dans sharp-tongued friends, but nothing can soften the old mans insistence that those schools led to the killing of the Indian heart.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2009, American Library Association.)