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Ancient Child

by N. Scott Momaday

Myth, memory, and the search for identity

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Awards & Recognition

  • Critical praise

    Praised by The Washington Post

    The Washington Post praises the book’s combination of myth, fiction, and storytelling and Momaday’s creative vis...

AlbakiReads Editorial

Myth, memory, and the search for identity

N. Scott Momaday brings the Kiowa bear-boy myth into conversation with Wild West legend and contemporary fiction. The novel centers on Locke Setman, known as Set, a Native American raised away from the reservation whose return to tribal lands for his grandmother’s funeral draws him toward the story of the bear-boy. His encounter with Grey, a medicine woman described as having a visionary gift, becomes part of a broader exploration of belonging and identity. The book’s blend of Indigenous lore and American legend gives its personal search a mythic frame.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in fiction shaped by Kiowa myth and Indigenous storytelling.
  • Those drawn to novels exploring cultural belonging and personal identity.
  • Readers curious about fiction that brings Indigenous lore into dialogue with Wild West legend.

Themes

Kiowa myth and oral traditionCultural belongingIdentityIndigenous lore and Wild West legend

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

"An intriguing combination of myth, fiction, and storytelling that demonstrates the continuing power and range of Momaday's creative vision....These are magical words. Listen." --Washington Post

Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist and poetN. Scott Momaday shapes the ancient Kiowa myth of a boy who turned into a bear into a timeless American classic.

The Ancient Child juxtaposes Indian lore and Wild West legend into a hypnotic, often lyrical contemporary novel. It is the story of Locke Setman, known as Set, a Native American raised far from the reservation by his adoptive father. Set feels a strange aching in his soul and, returning to tribal lands for the funeral of his grandmother, is drawn irresistibly to the fabled bear-boy. When he meets Grey, a beautiful young medicine woman with a visionary gift, his world is turned upside down. Here is a magical saga of one man's tormented search for his identity--a quintessential American novel, and a great one.

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