The Falcon, the Wolf, and the Hummingbird
As storm clouds churn overhead, the unlikely leader of a group of seven Manatuck tribesmen keeps her eyes on a campfire in the valley below, watching two of her men creep closer to learn whether members of the Pagassett tribe, gathered around the flickering embers, make up a hunting party or are scouts of war. She is Pino, a girl of nineteen winters who was not born into Manatuck tribal leadership, but nonetheless distinguishes herself as a cunning and careful war strategist.
The Falcon, the Wolf, and the Hummingbird follows Pino as she confounds leaders of the more powerful Pagassett Nation with her small-scale tactics, using disguises and camouflage, lying in wait and ambushing, seeding distrust among the Pagassetts’ leaders.
The novel also traces Pino’s spiritual journey, as she works to lift the “perceived curse” applied to her after the deaths of her parents, baby daughter, and sister and the connections she makes with Tow, the man she loves but cannot marry, and Meesha, a young woman enslaved by the Pagassett. This is exceptionally well-written both in terms of action sequences and emotional, spiritual reflection.
