The Fifth Generation: A Nez Perce Tale

by Linwood Laughy, Carol Hagan (Illustrator)

Trapped between 1950s' American culture and the ancestral voices that haunt him, a 31-year-old Nez Perce man faces a choice between self-destruction or burning a rural Idaho town to the ground. A shaman, a pawnbroker, and a lover help Isaac Moses find new truths during his 12-month journey, while the lives of four generations of his ancestors provide an historical context that blends fact and fiction in an emotional and ultimately triumphant tale. In the late 18th century, the Nez Perce knew that strangers from the east would come among them. Once these strangers arrived, the elders prophesied, Nez Perce hearts would ache for five generations. In Linwood Laughy's remarkable novel, Isaac Moses, former high school basketball star, embodies that fifth generation. Encountering small-town life in the 1950s, Isaac Moses is "a witness at the jagged edge of two Americas" just as his great, great, great grandfather had been as an interpreter with the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Fifth Generation: A Nez Perce Tale is Isaac's story as well as the story of the American West --with its layers peeled back. The story is raw and real, begging of hope, finding eventual triumph in the lives of an individual and of a people. Author Linwood Laughy knows his history well and has crafted an exquisite tale that, like the best of history, tells us from where we came and creates a greater understanding of where we are. His novel will change forever the way you view the history of the American West.

266 pages, Hardcover

Published November 19, 2009

Reviews

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a particular interest in Native American culture, so I really liked this book. It's a first novel for Mr. Laughy; he's quite the wordsmith. His descriptions are excellent. The story delves into the history of the Nez Perce in the Clearwater Region of Idaho, from the 1700's into the 1950's, through history of a certain family. Having just returned from there, it was especially interesting for me.

[Anne Egbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. About a part of the country I love. Covers 5 generations in the Nez Perce tribe following their encounter with Lewis and Clark. A start narrative of their subjugation by the white minority and the government. Makes me sad, sad, sad, and angry. But, beautifully written and hopeful.