11/100 Things: Ride the Wind by Lucia St. Clair Robson

Ride the Wind is the novelization of the life of Cynthia Ann Parker, a child who was stolen by the Comanche when her family was massacred in 1836. She was 9 years old and she became a member of the tribe and lived with them for 24 years. She completely forgot the ways of her people. She married a chief and bore him several children, one of whom was Quanah Parker, the last free chief of the Comanche. She was rescued by the Texas Rangers at 34 and died 10 years later, refusing to ever become a white woman again.

I read this book in 1985 for the first time and I have no idea how many times since. I loved those 'Indian' themed romances at the time and picked this one up as one of those but it was so much more. It was the story of a woman first but it was also the story of the fall of the Comanche nation. It's told with brutality and beauty and it broke my heart every time I read it. I found myself there with Naduah(her Indian name)as she grew from a child to a woman, as she became Comanche and rode into battle with her beloved husband.

It is still in print and I'd recommend it if you have an interest in Native American history but are not ready for hardcore history yet or if you love a very good story. The story of Cynthia Parker is a part of American history that everyone should know.