Surprisingly violent and depressing for a young adult novel written in the 50's. I think the best take away I have is from one of the author's intents: "I thought that perhaps if we understood how these First Americans felt toward our white way of life, we might better understand the adverse, if perverted, view of us by some African, European, and Asian peoples today." I think what Conrad Richter means by that is he wants to give us a cultural perspective-- remembering that morals, customs, and worldviews may widely differ from one race to the next. Pity the individual, like True Son, who gets caught in between cultures and must pick one. What may seem normal, common sense to us may be foreign, rigid, and wrong to others. Today, we can't assume our culture is perfect and superior-- and we can't assume other cultures will agree with that opinion. It's beneficial to wear their moccasins and take a walk in them down a path in a forest. This book also makes me wonder what my own Native American ancestors thought of the White Man, and if their struggles, heartbreaks, and trials were far, far worse than anything this little book could begin to describe.