Book review: Empire of the Summer Moon
“S.C. Gwynne’s novel paints with detailed, vivid strokes that transport the reader to the minacious, Frontier West from the very first page. A thru line of suspense proves effective in making more potentially dry, historical portions of the book not only palatable but truly stimulating. Quanah Parker, a mixed blood Comanche war chief of a band called the Quahadi lives at the center of the book. This particular sect of Comanches were infamous horse thieves known for their violent nature and ruthless commitment to defending their tribe. This groundbreaking exploration of the American West brings to light the issues of the day, notwithstanding the glaringly obvious and persistent issue – the erasal of Native American history and the wide reaching land encroachment on the part of European settlers. The book cleverly and powerfully addresses such issues by telling the story of individuals who both perpetrated and suffered at the hands of perpetrators, and how often they are one in the same.”