Changing Woman: A Novel of the Camp Grant Massacre
This novel presents the Camp Grant massacre of Apaches, in April 1871, from two points of view: those of Nest Feather, a young Apache girl who has just completed her womanhood rites, and Valeria and Raúl Obregón, new arrivals in Tucson. The latter learn that the people of Tucson are angry that the leader of the Camp Grant post is unwilling to fight the Apache, who are blamed for the killing of settlers and livestock thefts. The territorial governor claims not to have the money to protect everyone, and that the politicians back East don’t understand local conditions. The Tucsonians decide to take matters into their own hands and form a posse. Unbeknownst to Valeria, Raúl joins the raiders and, in the heat of the conflict, commits violence against one of the many female Apache victims. Nest Feather is kidnapped during the raid and brought back to Tucson to be fostered by a childless couple. Raúl’s guilt about his part in the massacre affects his relationship with Valeria, and the aftermath of the event reverberates among major and minor characters alike.
The author’s note says that Lewis wanted to give a voice to the women and Indians who suffered in the massacre and depict life in Tucson 150 years ago, and she succeeds admirably. The reader gets a vivid picture of life on the Arizona frontier. The main characters are fictional, but some minor characters were real people, and Lewis provides information on what happened to them after the massacre, plus an extensive bibliography. Serious scholarship is behind this story. Lewis had sensitivity readers give input on her depictions of Apache and Hispanic characters. Readers don’t have to be fans of westerns to appreciate the well-drawn characters and setting. Strongly recommended.
