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Book details
  • Genre:YOUNG ADULT FICTION
  • SubGenre:Magical Realism
  • Age Range (years):13 and up
  • Language:English
  • Pages:260
  • Paperback ISBN:9798218406189

Wolf ~ Whale ~ Flicker

A Novel

by Terri Tavenner

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Overview
Quileute legends, mythological creatures, and spirit helpers swirl around Duncan as the teen struggles to become a carver. Discovering his life's work leads him into a thicket of unearthly encounters as deep and mysterious as the coastal rainforest where the story takes place. Duncan is apprenticed to Howeto, a masterful but malevolent wood carver who has stolen the soul of the ancestral "Old Carver." As his own carving skill matures, Duncan vows to release the ancestor's captive spirit if he can survive Howeto's deadly manipulations. Following his own vision without Howeto's permission, Duncan completes a carved wall panel for a new longhouse built to entertain tourists. The wolf, the whale, and the flicker on the panel arouse the songs, dances, and vision that once guided traditional Quileute society.
Description
Ancient legends, mythological creatures, and spirit helpers swirl around Duncan as the teen discovers his life's work as a carver and finds his way through a thicket of unearthly encounters as deep and mysterious as the Northwest rainforest where the novel's action takes place. As the Quileute people transition from traditional lifeways into a modern world of outboard motors, grocery stores, and working for wages, young Duncan grows up with his Quileute Indian relations and with the spirit powers that inhabit tribal territory. The story follows Duncan as he navigates between the modern world and the world of the supernatural. Duncan is apprenticed to Howeto, a masterful but malevolent wood carver who has stolen the soul of the ancestral "Old Carver." Howeto will stop at nothing in his quest for power. As his own carving skill matures, Duncan vows to release the ancestor's captive spirit, but only if he can survive Howeto's deadly manipulations. A photograph of murky figures carved on the wall of an ancient tɫókʷali longhouse are brought back to life in a newly built longhouse, intended to entertain tourists. Awakening the spirit of tɫókʷali, the secret Wolf Dance Society, has awakened much more than contemporary replication of traditional Quileute lifeways. Without Howeto's permission, and following his own vision, Duncan recreates a carved wall panel. The wolf, the whale, and the flicker on the panel have awakened the songs, dances, and vision that once guided traditional Quileute society. Will Duncan's sincere desire to use his gift and become a carver in the old way be overshadowed by Howeto's greed and jealousy? How will the tɫókʷali return?
About the author
I wrote Wolf ~ Whale ~ Flicker based on the Quileute "Old People's" way of looking at the world. The story draws heavily on personal exposure, oral history, and historical narrative. I lived and worked on the Washington Coast in Quileute territory for many years, in the 1970s and through the mid-1990s. I was tasked with documenting tribal elders on video tape and developing Quileute-specific curriculum for the tribal school. In 1989 I participated in the historic Paddle to Seattle and the resurgence of the Northwest cedar canoe. My experience working with the Quileutes was transforming for me, much as young Duncan is transformed by his adventures. My mentors were the elders. They encouraged me to write, for there are lessons to pass on as reference points for future generations. This novel fulfils my promise to them, and sets the stage for a sequel. I'm a first-time author. Currently, I live in northern Michigan with my husband Rick and various critters.

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