Return to Hawk's Hill - Softcover

In this tardy sequel to 1971's Incident at Hawk's Hill, seven-year-old Ben MacDonald is again lost, this time on huge Lake Winnipeg, then rescued by Metis Indians, into whose uniformly noble hearts he strikes awe with his amazing ability to communicate with animals. After recapping the events leading to the death of the beloved female badger, Eckert starts the new story with its burial, then advances nine months where a chance encounter with brutal trader George Burton sends Ben scrambling for cover. Only too late does he discover that the boat he borrows is oarless; helplessly, he drifts down the Red River into open water. Fortunately, a young hunter spots him, and soon Ben is lodged with the Metis, settlers of mixed Cree and French descent, studying long lists of multisyllabic Cree words. Meanwhile, Ben's family searches for him frantically. Eckert is not one for complex characterization, either personal or cultural; Burton is dirty, violent, and cowardly, while Ben is so saintly that he is adopted into a family as Ka Kakekinit, the ``Chosen One.'' The point of view switches often, allowing for only rare glimpses of the lyrical descriptions of the natural world for which Eckert is known. In the end, the MacDonalds are reunited, Burton is decisively run off, and Ben's father apologizes for his previously expressed prejudice against ``half-breeds.'' This bland and simplistic wilderness adventure responds towithout satisfyingreaders who wanted to know ``What happened next?'' (map) (Fiction. 10-12) -- Copyright ©1998, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Grade 5-7ASet in northern Canada in the 1870s, this sequel to Incident at Hawk's Hill (Little, Brown, 1995) tells the story of seven-year-old Ben, who's known for his uncanny way with wild animals. When he sees a local trapper threaten his older brother and sister, he takes refuge in his father's old rowboat, but soon discovers a new dangerAhe's adrift on the river with no way of returning home. He is eventually rescued by a Metis youth. At the same time, his parents have embarked on a desperate search for Ben, and their stories alternate with his until they all meet at the Metis camp. The previous story is neatly summed up in a prologue that also sets the scene for this one, which takes place a year later. The author has obviously put a lot of effort into research, and his love of natural history is equally evident. Metis life is meticulously detailed and the natural setting is almost palpable. However, the sense of time and place is better developed than the characters, who tend to be one-dimensional. The villain is something of a stock character, and many others, especially the Metis chief, give long, preachy speeches that make this novel more like a morality lesson than a story. The occasional moments of gripping adventure are overwhelmed by the stiff dialogue and characters. Fans of the first book will enjoy this one because it does resolve some leftover plot points, but it may be difficult to expand the readership to those unfamiliar with that work.AArwen Marshall, New York Public Library
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.