John Hopkins

Fascinating novel based on actual people and events. It's been a good bedside companion, as it's organized as many short narratives intereoven over the years when America west of the Allegheny Mountains was being settled by Europeans. It affirms tales we used to hear about the cruel warfare of the Indians as they tried to protect their villages and hunting grounds. What fewer readers may be prepared for is the cruelty snd fuplicity practiced by the white newcomers. Yes, the Daniel Boones and Simon Kentons of the frontier eta were of heroic deed and stature, but their contemporaries included some great scoundrels too. Strongly recommended for teens and older.