Sun Dance

by Fred Grove

A Spur Award-winning Author The Comanches call him "Bloody Knife" and lust for his scalp. The whites have murdered his Indian wife in a debt of violence that can only be repaid in kind. Frank Chesney is a bitter man, and loyal to himself alone. But when a woman who sought his help is captured by marauders, Chesney finds himself leading a band of soldiers into the hostile heart of Comanche country.

Genres: Westerns

342 pages, Hardcover

First published December 12, 1986

About the author

Fred Grove (born Frederick Herridge (July 4, 1913 – September 2008) was a Native American author and winner of five prestigious "Spur Awards" from Western Writers of America for his western novels.

Reviews

[Rick Hollis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another decent Western, decently plotted [like most books in the genre, the hero wins the girl and they all live happily after, but that is not a real spoiler]. The main character is a little different from most, he respects Indians [as opposed the his opponent, who does not] which makes his suspect in cavalry post he scouts for.


Those things aside it was a fun quick read.

There are a few odd things, it surprised me that a Delaware would be scouting for the army in the SW, but upon looking it up, some did.

A couple of questions:
Would a miner turned scout really use rods instead of feet?
'I used to detest his, now I hate him." Is there really a ranking of that emotion with detest being weaker than hate?
Would the minor turned scout really use tuckus.

Maybe they would, Fred Groves should know. Upon reading a bit about Grove, he was in a position to know. His father was working cowboy in western Kansas, New Mexico and Texas, even going on cattle drives. His mother was Native American, Osage-Sioux. His maternal great-grandfather was a guide for Francis Parkman on his plains trip.