This story is fiction but is based on a real tradition held by native Alaskins and describes the journey as well as other hard topics throughout it. It sheds some light on some less known traditions but also talks about some universal experiences too like grief and familial bonds. ( )

From ALSC: In this retelling of the First Messenger Feast, a young Inupiaq boy is captured and taken to the home of the Eagle People where he is taught cultural skills that ultimately unite his people. From Kirkus: "A captivating tale filled with enduring lessons about overcoming the fear of others."

Inupiat boy Pina is confronted by an eagle-person - the same one, he realizes, that killed both of his older brothers. Pina goes along on a journey to the eagles' aerie, where he learns to dance, sing, build and play drums, and build a qalgi for people to gather, feast, and celebrate. After more than a year, he is deemed ready - he is allowed to return to his parents, but then he must seek out others and invite them to join the feast.

This retelling of the first Messenger Feast has survival elements that may appeal to fans of Hatchet and similar stories.

Quotes

"It is not magic, boy, it is what every living thing contains. You are here so we can show you how it is done, so you can show others how it is done....This is called song." (59)

He was continually locked between trusting these creatures...and feeling like he was not safe with them and may never be safe again. (73)

"Dancing brings a story to life, boy...It brings songs to life....You will learn all that we know about dancing." (108)

"We know ourselves, but we can never know strangers that well. We don't know what kind of people they are. We don't know at what point they will not be friends and what would make them turn on us. It is best to avoid the vulnerability in the long run." (118)

"Boy, you have to stop thinking of yourself as alone in your tasks. Why would you do things alone when you can accomplish so much more with help? Sometimes all it takes is to say it. To say out loud what you need." (160)

"This is the only reason we are returning you to your family. You will teach your parents what we have taught you. You will father all the people, build the qalgi, and fill that qalgi with feasting and song and dance." (167)

"The world is a balance of energies. If you give without the expectation of receiving anything in return, this generosity will come back to you in the future." (168)

"The waves are just waves; they are going somewhere. You can trust the waves to yearn for the land." (170)

He felt as if his very soul had grown and found roots in the people around him. (229)

"Connections, boy, our world is nothing but connections." (232) ( )

Great story. This is a middle grade book, but adults can enjoy it. It's a powerful tale set alongside beautiful illustrations. ( )

Trigger Warnings: Death of siblings, grief, animal death, depictions of depression and anxiety

As his family prepares for winter, young hunter, Piŋa must travel up the same mountain where his brothers died in order to collect obsidian for knapping. When he reaches the mountaintop, he’s immediately confronted by an eagle god named Savik who gives him a choice: come with me, or die like your brothers.

What follows is the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.

99% of this I listened to as an audiobook on my way to and from my hometown (2.5 hours each way, perfect amount for the 5 hour audiobook). I’m glad I listened to it because I would have been pronouncing everything incorrectly and I already do enough of that in English (and that’s my first language).

This is a beautifully written, fast paced middle grade novel that gives the important origin story of the Native Alaskan tradition of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast - a story that has been heavily relied on the Elders’ accounts of it from when they were children after encroachment of the missionaries into Indigenous territories and communities. Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson’s writing mixed with Irene Bedard’s narration made me feel like I was sitting around a campfire listening to the stories of long ago.

This is a story of grief, courage, honor, and community mixed in with lessons about leading, sharing, and communicating.

I know this is aimed at the Middle Grade reading level, but I can see many age groups reading and enjoying it, especially since it is about a part of a culture that was on the verge of being snuffed out because it wasn’t Christian.

*Thank you Roaring Brook Press and NetGalley for an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ( )