In a forgotten age, the wife of a tribal chief is haunted by a vision of the Before People, whose way of life differed profoundly from that of her own tribe. Unable to reconcile that vision with the fears and divisions that shape the world around her, she raises her daughter Piyanah and her son Raki according to a vision that even her husband cannot yet understand. Mortally ill, she entrusts to them the future she cannot create herself.
As they grow to adulthood, Piyanah undergoes the ordeals of the Braves while Raki is trained among the Squaws, each crossing boundaries their tribe regards as inviolable. Piyanah earns the Scarlet Feather, the highest honor of the Braves, while Raki masters the arts traditionally reserved to the Squaws. Their achievements reveal divisions within the tribe that can no longer be ignored and ultimately lead them, together with a small band of loyal friends, to establish a transformed tribe of their own.
Set among the forests and mountains of prehistoric North America, Scarlet Feather tells the story of two young leaders who bridge the Canyon of Separation. What emerges is neither a return to the world of the Before People nor an acceptance of the fears that govern their own tribe, but the beginning of a new stage of human community.
Joan Grant (1907-1989) was the author of a remarkable series of historical novels celebrated for their vivid settings, memorable characters, and unusual depth of psychological and spiritual insight. Her books continue to inspire readers throughout the world.
