THE ROAN STALLION

The adventures of a wild stallion, a Lakota boy, and a big race.

In the second book in this Depression-era series following 2022’s The Land Grab, 13-year-old Alfred Swallow meets a blue-eyed roan stallion. The horse’s rare Medicine Hat markings show that he has special powers, making him sacred to Lakota people; Alfred believes the horse may even be descended from Chief Sitting Bull’s own herd. As the horse and boy eye one another, a tornado touches down and lifts them into its funnel. When they are set on the ground, Alfred is shaken but unharmed. He rescues the frightened stallion from a wire fence, and a bond is forged between them. The story unfolds with Alfred training the roan for the annual White River Frontier Days’ relay race. He hopes to win the purse and buy his grandfather a much-needed tractor for the family farm, but there isn’t much time to prepare. A side story involving the untrustworthy nephew of Alfred’s rancher employer ramps up the tension. When robbery and horse-rustling plans are discovered, Alfred and two of his friends overpower six armed men. Following the success of this takedown, the boys head off to the race. Beartrack-Algeo (Lower Brule Lakota Nation) incorporates interesting details about rural South Dakota and the training of wild stallions into the story, but the quantity and delivery of the information at times impede the narrative flow.

An accessible novel for reluctant readers that highlights Lakota lives.