6. House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday

House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday
ISBN: 0060916338
Harper and Row, New York, 1987
212 pages

Teaser: Abel is a young man, torn between his Native American culture and that of the lures of the Americanized outside world. Raised by his grandfather, Abel has been raised to appreciate the beauty in the land and rewards of hard work, cunning and effort. Abel finds himself drawn to the temptations of outside influences of greed, power and lust. The accounts bounce back and forth between reality, dream and stepping into a foreign culture.

Summary: Abel lives his life in the simple culture of the Native American and the values his grandfather has instilled into him for hard work and beauty in the simplest forms. As Abel allows his mind to wander, he dreams of what may wait on the other side of the mountains and plains that hold his tribe in the past. The book bounces back and forth between the reality of his world and that which calls to him from the small influences from the outside world. Abel finds himself falling victim to temptations of those who wander into his pristine boundaries and temp him into an exploration forbidden by his grandfather. Some of the actions of Abel are real for him and others fantasy. The journey is difficult to follow at first, switching back and forth between what is and what may be.

Selection: I chose this book as a challenging book for more advanced readers. It can become frustrating at times to bounce back and forth between the fantasy in Abel’s mind and the values and norms of his culture in comparison with Americanized standards and the evil temptations that young adults pose within themselves and choices they must make. The last few pages reveal the inner shame and guilt when Abel loses his grandfather and measures his loss of time with his grandfather to his whimsical lust for adventure and dark desires of an unknown temptation.

Evaluation: I found this book to be a little difficult to follow. It also dealt with temptations of a more adult nature than many of the other teen books I have read, as well as problems that defy cultural norms and expectations. In addition to the problems he faces, Abel also shares his fantasies of reaching for unattainable distances in comparison with morality and values of family. The adventures of Abel are challenging and will inspire readers to seek out the next in the series and to see the world through the eyes of perhaps a different cultural experience and set of value norms.
Some of the topics of this book would be geared for the older teen, looking into what lies beyond their own home in venturing out into a single life or a family. The book also lends itself well to young adults who may have come from a blended home, raised by someone other than a parent and those who may have lost a significant family member. The values and dreams of a young boy are a challenge to quickly understand the difference going back and forth throughout the book and may lose some readers who cannot distinguish them. This would be great book for an advanced reader, or one who ponders with imaginary worlds and reaching beyond the standard day to day life. The book would blend in well with cultural studies as assigned reading of other cultural experiences.

Challenge issues and age recommendation: Drinking, sex, and violence are present in this book. Most of the book has a dreamy, disjointed feeling, but the scenes with sex and violence can still be somewhat disturbing. I would recommend this book for readers 16 and up.