The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow: The Diary of Sarah Nita, a Navajo Girl is the fifteenth book in the Dear America series. It was published in September 1999 and was written by Ann Turner. The book was followed by A Light in the Storm.
Dedication
- "I warmly dedicate this story to Tracy Mack, who first believed in it."
Book description
- "Mean Mouth shouts directions
There are so many men in blue! They make loud cries, their horses stamp, and all the time the Nakai is shouting directions to us.... "Make a line, all together! You can bring your animals." Kaibah names him Mean Mouth for his tight, skinny lips, and I pull hard on her hand, reminding her that he understands our language and that we must be careful.... Mean Mouth tells us that we are going to the Place of the Soldiers, where we will be protected from out old enemies, the Utes. The white men will help us and feed us, for they can see that we are starving. Now is the time to stop raiding and stealing and become the kind of people that the Great White Father wants us to be. I am so confused and afraid that the words stream over me like smoke. Where are they taking us? Will they kill us along the way?"
Plot
Characters
- Main article: List of The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow characters
Author
- Main article: Ann Turner
Acknowledgements
- "I would like to give special thanks to Scott Smith, the Monument Manager of the Fort Sumner State Monument in New Mexico. He sent me a wealth of primary source materials about life at Fort Sumner (the Bosque Redondo) when the Navajos were interred there and courteously answered my many questions. His intelligence, breadth of knowledge, and generosity have helped make this project possible. I also would like to thank Shonto Begay, Navajo artist and poet, who has given so generously of his time in reviewing this diary for errors. I value his opinion and thoughtfulness. I want to thank my editor, Tracy Mack, who responded so enthusiastically to the first three pages of The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow, and who has guided and sensitively prodded me throughout this project. I would also like to thank Zoe Moffitt for her meticulous photograph research."
References
External links
- Interview with Ann Turner about The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow at Scholastic
- The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow Discussion Guide at Scholastic
The Girl Who Chased Away Sorrow on Wikipedia
See also