The Defender

by Nicholas Kalashnikoff, Claire Louden (Illustrator), George Louden (Illustrator)

Newbery Honor 1952

One man in Siberia has the courage to protect the endangered wild rams that share his mountain peak.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Classics, Russia, Fiction, Adventure, Animals

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Nicholas Kalashnikoff was a Siberian-American author from the 1930s to 1950s. Before moving to the United States in 1924, Kalashnikoff participated in the 1905 Russian Revolution and was a political exile during the rest of the 1900s.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

www.openlibrary.org

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.
I'm sure nits could be picked, but I really liked Turgen, and I thought the drawings just wonderful. And it's concise; a quick introduction to "northeastern Siberia." In some ways it reminded me of a previous Newbery read, Dobry by Monica Shannon... though this was about an old man and that was about a little boy.

I loved how the villagers and their Shaman learned a lesson in Christian compassion without any vengeance or even disrespect for their traditional superstitions. And of course the wild sheep (both sexes known as 'rams' because both have horns) are wonderful.

"Everywhere there is life and everywhere there are warm human hearts."

[Katherine Basto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this Newberry Honor book about a Siberian shepherd named Turgen who feels moved to guard the sacred wild rams who live in the nearby mountains. They are sought after by local hunters. He feels more attuned to the animals after losing his wife and child. He is lonely and recognizes an affinity with the rams who begin to trust him.
His friend Marfa and her children live in the valley below. Nearby in the village, many small minded, superstitious people begin to gossip about Turgen when a villager sees him with a wild lamb and calls him a devil. The local shaman denounces him when he hears the news. After a dream from the Great Spirit, Turgen begins to see clearly what he needs to do and how he wants to spend the rest of his life.
This book is about how fragile and important our relationships are, not only to one another, but to the animal and natural world as well. The descriptions of the mountains, the rams, the stark beauty of the landscape, the simple yet profound dialogue take you right to cold Siberia and into the warm hearts of Turgen and his friends, rams included. Those who are in tune with the animal kingdom and recognize the powerful bond between man and nature will truly appreciate and love this book.

[Amber Scaife · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man living in the mountains in Siberia struggles against village rumors and fights loneliness by befriending the wild rams also living in the mountains.
Too simple and saccharine for my tastes.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

After being in a reading slump for almost a month, I finally got through a book I found enjoyable. It's an unknown children's book called The Defender, by Nicholas Kalashnikoff. First published in 1951 and was a Newbery Honoree award winner.

It tells the story of a semi-hermit, Turgen, who lives in the snowy mountains of Siberia and how because he has made friends with the wild rams, people down in the village have plagued him a friend of the devil. But Turgen only befriends the rams when hunters come and kill off animals just for sport, rather than for survival. He meets a widow with two small children and develops a strong relationship with them.

It's a novel about loneliness, survival, and defending animals that are slowly going extinct. While I really enjoyed this read, I did find it very sweet and simple. Maybe too simple. I wanted more drama, more tension, more conflict. But for what it was, it was an interesting read about a part of the world I know nothing about. The author, Kalashnikoff, actually spent his youth in Siberia, which gave it an extra added punch as to its authenticity, which I enjoyed.

What made me truly appreciate this book was the fact that it was about so many things: Siberian life, loneliness, animal extinction, etc. In recent children's books, I've read, I always feel like the author's main purpose is to shove their own agenda down my throat until I choke on it. This book bypasses the agenda and sticks to the story and character. I really admired that and wish newer fiction did the same. But I suppose we live in different times.

The Defender, by Nicholas Kalashikoff, illustrations by Claire Louden and George Louden, Jr. My rating - 4/5

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. Very sweet, simple story of an aging Lamut hunter, Turgen, who takes protecting some endangered mountain goats/sheep as his end of life calling. It's something of a throwback in style and content to the 1930s Honor books "Ood-le-luk" and "Garram the Hunter" whose focus seem to be "here's a non-western culture; gee, aren't they clever?" Here we get introduced to two neighboring Siberian peoples, the Lamuts (who dwell in the mountains and hunt & trap) and the Yakuts (who dwell in the valleys and have cattle and horses), both of whom are nominally Christian (Turgen's Great Spirit who appears in dreams as an elderly traveller and a young goat). The story makes a clear distinction between doing good and following superstition and gossip. It's a good, quiet read that I'd recommend to anyone who likes animals and who can look past Turgen's subsistence level trapping and hunting. I also applaud the book's conservation message to take care of endangered species. I read this for my 2020 Reading Challenge (52 Wks "with illustrations") and my Newbery Challenge (Honor 1952)

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I nabbed this short children's novel at a local library sale. They had a shelf full of Newberry Winners and Newberry Honors books that I didn't yet have. This sweet story could be read aloud to five year olds and up, or read independently from 7 years up. I enjoyed the story, set in Siberia, very much. And I could imagine it being a nice addition to a geography curriculum, or as a unit study for 2nd grade and up.

This book was honored in 1951, but I realised it would never see the ink of a printing press in today's publishing industry. While not published as a Christian novel, or by a Christian publisher, there was a natural and important thread in the story that involved the main character's faith as a central part of the story, while still honoring indiginous traditions.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this with my 6 year old son. He was engaged and followed the story, and we loved reading it together. It's a slow, simple story with simple yet deep characters that show love, devotion, and selflessness. I was worried he might lose interest but he never did. I thought it was a nice change of pace from some of the more frantic, fun, and silly books he normally enjoys. Those books have their place, but I appreciate knowing that he can also enjoy slower, narrative storytelling without jokes or gimmicks.

[Tech Nossomy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The theme of the book is summarised in the final words: "Everywhere there is life and everywhere there are warm human hearts". A well-rounded story for young adults about a man that is misunderstood by his fellow villagers, as he has gained the ability to have a herd of wild sheep (or rams, as he calls them) trust him. The man himself lives 6 km alone in a yurta up from the valley where the village is located.

The transition from paganism to Christianity is a recurring motif. The Siberian peoples would not have worn moccasins, but bast shoes.

Available on Project Gutenberg.

[Melinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Knowing almost nothing about life in Northern Siberia, the story of Turgen, his protection of the wild rams, his association with Marfa and her children, his close connections with the Great Spirit, and his innate desire to do the right thing were all quite illuminating pieces of this story. Simply told and illustrated, Turgen's life on top of an isolated mountain is straightforward and descriptive, demonstrating enduring kindness and neighborly gratitude.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a Newbery!

A slow read with a different kind of conflict than I was expecting - I thought he'd be more actively defending the mountain rams, but it's really more about his life as someone maligned by society. Spolier: the solution is God and marriage (insert eyeroll here)

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sweet story in the Newbery Honor Roll. Turgen is a man from a dwindling tribe in Siberia who befriend the mountain goats and thus draws the suspicion of the nearby tribe. But one woman and her children become his friends.

[Scott Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a story about a very kind man who is an outcast living in Siberia. This story is not riveting in any way, but it I appreciated the great details of the surrounding nature. This book was a Newbery winner in 1952. I'm afraid it does not hit in 2024.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are many good messages in this little book.

[Alyson · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Mary L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully told tale of a man defending an endangered species before this was the thing to do. It truly deserved to be an Newberry Honor Book.

[Desiree']

1952 Newbery honor book

[Caren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely little book that has been brought back into print because it was a Newbery Honor book (in 1952). The author was born in Siberia, according to the book's cover, and later spent four years there as a political exile before emigrating to the US in 1924. Although it is about a very foreign culture, it contains themes central to all humans and could spark some great discussions with kids. In the frozen north of Siberia, two cultures live different but compatible lives. The Yakut live in the valley in a village and keep domesticated animals. The Lamut live in the mountains and are hunters. This story is the tale of a lonely Lamut man, Turgen, living alone (after the death of his wife and child) on the mountain above the Yakut village. He is a gentle man, a healer. Because the village shaman feels his business is threatened by the villagers obtaining herbal remedies from Turgen, the shaman starts a rumor that he has seen Turgen consulting with the devil in the form of a ram. In reality, Turgen has become a defender and protector of the mountain rams whose number has been quickly dwindling as hunters kill them only for their horns. The villagers, however, ostracize Turgen and he leads a lonely life. He is befriended by only one villager, Marfa, a widow, after he notices, when returning from hunting, that her cottage chimney has no smoke rising form it. Upon investigating, he finds her two young children, ages 2 and 5, alone while their mother is at work. The 5-year-old boy is trying, without success, to restart the fire. In such cold, they could have perished had Turgen not happened on their predicament, as their cottage is somewhat removed from the rest of the village. After that, a beautiful friendship begins in which Turgen provides the little family with food in exchange for a bit of milk from their cow. Gentle Turgen also rescues and nurses a fallen lamb back to health before retuning it to its flock. He regularly feeds the tiny mountain ram flock so that they won't perish, much as he helps the widow. Here is a kindly man who is totally shunned by the other villagers based on one ugly rumor. There is so much of beauty in this story that is still relevant today: protecting disappearing wild animals, judging a man by his character rather than hearsay, and being able to rise above gossip and forgive your former enemies. It is just a little gem of a book.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turgen is an outcast because a jealous shaman destroys his reputation with gossip. Turgen saves Tim and Aksa, Marfa's children, from freezing to death one day when he notices no smoke coming from their chimney, and he becomes a friend of the family. He also becomes friends with the rams in the mountains, and he helps a lamb heal from a leg injury. Turgen and Marfa decide to get married, and Marfa doesn't care what people say about Turgen. The Yakuts talk badly about Turgen being friends with the rams. Kanov, the merchant, organizes the wedding for Turgen and Marfa and helps repair Turgen's reputation among the Yakuts. Years later, the shaman apologizes to Turgen, and Turgen forgives him.

What I liked about this book was that gossip and slander were overcome and stopped. I liked Turgen's character and how he provided for Marfa and her children, and how he kept doing what he felt was right in spite of what people were saying about him. I liked how Marfa kept being friends with Turgen and agreed to marry him even though the Yakuts were against him because she knew he was a good man. I liked Kanov because he stood up for his friend and helped to speak well of him and repair his reputation. I also liked how at the end the shaman apologized and admitted he was wrong, and that there is forgiveness.

"People will always talk a lot of nonsense when they haven't anything better to do." - Turgen

"Faith and prayer - they are the best answer to slander." - Kanov

[Luann · Rating 3 out of 5]

A really nice story about a man named Turgen who lives alone high in the hills of Siberia. He befriends a herd of wild rams, which is seen as suspicious and possibly evil by the local villagers. They ostracize him - all except one widow and her two children. Overall, this was well worth reading. The writing was a little dated - in particular, there was repeated use of the word "gay" to mean happy. If you were recommending this to students, you would want to make sure they know the original meaning of the word.

[Thomas Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought that this was actually a great book. It's a little slow but not really, and I found it pretty easy to get into this book.

The book is about a lonely man in Northeastern Siberia whose life has gradually gotten more and more sad. However, he is very observant and appreciative of the little things that make his life more happy. This is a story of how he is able to be his best self and improve his life and others' as much as possible.

[Arwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Newbery Honor Roll title, which really was as good as many Newbery award books. It’s set in Siberia and unlike many Newbery titles is not about the coming of age of a young person. Rather it’s more about the coming of age of an idea. This book is about an old man who the other villagers consider odd because he has developed a fondness for the local rams which have become endangered by trophy hunting. An excellent read.

[Agreenhouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple, yet moving, story of a kind and gentle man outcast by his fellow villagers due to false rumors. I love a good adventure story, especially one that takes place in as an exotic a land as Siberia. I learned a little about the harsh life led by the

"Everywhere there is life, and everywhere there is warm hearts."

[T · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is about a similar man to "alm uncle" to Heidi, except he makes friends with some people down in the valley. Many other people he is a sorcerer because they believe that rams are of the devil and he is friends with them and helps them. This book is called the defender because he defends the mountain rams. I liked this book because it showed love for animals and humans.

[Leeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a very tender book and I enjoyed reading it very much. However, I'm not sure it would appeal to today's audience of older children. In fact the spiritual underpinnings would likely disqualify the book from even being used in public schools.

I like how the story is told in a legendary manner and how Turgen was both humble and noble.

[an · Rating 3 out of 5]

a good man greets each new day as if it were a holiday

i'm girl, i know. but don't know way i'm really like this quote
man who live like it is and accept what people do to him. only trusting that god have a good plan for him, just wait until it's happen

[Gloria]

Recently read too many similar.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pleasant little book with a good moral.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This 1952 Newbery Honor book is about a Siberian shepherd who defends the mountain rams from hunters. Sweet, but not very exciting.

[Mckinley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting look at another place, time and culture. Love it.

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a good story, just strangely long and slightly boring.