The Lynching of Louie Sam

September 1, 2012

Gr 6-9-George Gillies, 15, witnesses a lynching the night he follows a mob of settlers to the International Border between the Washington Territory and Canada. Intent on justice for the murder of a white man, the mob seizes an Indian boy who is in the custody of Canadian officials and suspected of the crime. It is February 27, 1884, and the relationship between the Native tribes and settlers is tense. George, moved by the anger and excitement of the mob, ignores observations that support Louie Sam's innocence, choosing to believe that justice has been served. After the lynching, he encounters rumors and pieces of evidence that leave him confused. Has the mob murdered an innocent 14-year-old? Almost everyone in his town seems determined to bury the truth: Who actually murdered Mr. Bell, who led the mob, and what actually happened the night of the lynching? Eventually George cannot continue to conceal what he knows, and the consequences for him and his family are severe. Stewart takes on the daunting task of reflecting the period's social history through a single incident, and sometimes her characters must represent large and disparate groups of people. This can lead to didactic moments, especially when the Native American characters speak, but it also serves as context for a little-known and disturbing true story. The plot moves quickly and should interest many readers, even those not usually drawn to historical fiction. The violence and tragedy are balanced by a bit of romance, which will make this title a good recommendation for middle school and early high school readers.-Caroline Hanson, Thurgood Marshall Academy Public Charter High School, Washington, DC

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2012
Grades 7-12 Told from a teen's fictionalized viewpoint, this historical novel is based on a shocking true event. In 1884, two young boys from the Washington Territory followed a lynch mob, including their fathers, that hung an Indian boy, Louis Sam, 15, who was wrongfully accused of murdering a white settler, James Bill, and setting his cabin on fire. Teenage George's immediate, present-tense narrative reveals the secrets and lies, the settlers' daily struggles, and their fierce racism about the wild heathens who speak gibberish and could rise up to steal back the land. The personal profiles of the small frontier town's inhabitants are sometimes hard to keep straight, but they do show the various settlers' viewpoints, including the savage self-righteousness in the name of civilized justice. Readers will also be held by the mystery right up until the end: who did murder James Bill? Why? A final note fills in historical facts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)