Killing Cynthia Ann by Charles Brashear (review)

B O O K REVIEWS 103 ab o u t th is u n iq u e gr ou p o f p e o p le th at su sp en se w ou ld b u ild , an d w e w ou ld h op e again st h o p e th at th is litt le b an d o f A p a c h e s w ou ld su r vive. In th e en d , as w e kn ow , d e fe at w as in e vitab le. T h e co n flict b e tw e e n th e A p ac h e tr ad it io n al life o f h u n tin g an d r aid in g an d th e A n glo d oc tr in e o f M an ifest D e st in y cam e to an ign ob le en d . A lt h o u gh th e se w idely d iv er gen t p h ilo so p h ie s o f lan d ow n er sh ip are ir r e con cilab le, A p a c h e M o u n t ain Sp ir its still live: T h e G r e a t Blu e M o u n t ain Sp ir it in th e sou th , H e is h ap p y ov er m e. M y son gs h av e b e e n cr e ate d . . . . M y son gs w ill go ou t in t o th e w or ld. (2 6 9 ) K i l l i n g C y n t h i a A n n . By C h a r le s Br ash e ar . F o r t W o r t h : T e x a s C h r ist ia n U n iv e r sit y P r e ss, 1 9 9 9 . 2 0 9 p ag e s, $ 2 1 .5 0 . R e v ie w e d by S t e v e n F r y e A n t e lo p e V alle y C o lle g e , Lan c a st e r , C a lifo r n ia T h e ab d u ctio n o f C y n t h ia A n n P ar k er (or N au d a h ) by th e C o m a n c h e in 1836, to get h e r w ith h er r e -ab d u ctio n by T e xas R an ger s in 1860, w as e m b le m ­ atic o f th e m or al an d e th ic al con flict s an d am b igu itie s t h at at t e n d e d w estw ard e xp an sio n in th e n in e t e e n t h cen tu ry. C h ar le s Br ash e ar ’s n ew n o v e l w or ks from th e va n ta ge p o in t o f th e C o m an c h e , te llin g th e stor y th r ou gh th e eyes o f “N a u d a h .” T h e stor y b egin s in a C o m an c h e v illage , m ak in g ap p ar e n t fr om th e b e gin n in g t h at th e p r o t ago n ist is co m p le te ly assim ilate d in t o th e N o c o n i b an d . Sh e is th e favo r ed w ife o f P e...