Fiction Pick of the Week: The Color of Lightning

The Color of Lightning by Paulette Jiles 2009

Near the end of the American Civil War, Britt Johnson, a former Kentucky slave, and his wife and children are part of the many who move west for a new life. Samuel Hammond is a Quaker, who as a new agent for the Office of Indian Affairs, also comes from the East. His goal is to help the noble savages and bring justice to the land. Eaten Alive, one of the leaders of the Comanche, plays his bone flute to celebrate his joy at his success of many buffalo skins and captive horses. It is a powerful story inspired by a true story. The story essentially begins on an October morning. Britt and other men head into Weatherford for supplies. Mary and children stay at home; the smoke from the chimney lazily wafting skyward. When Britt and the others return, they find death and destruction and even worse, the women and children that are missing. While following the lives of Britt and Samuel, the reader meets Onofrio, Satank, Grierson, Aperian Crow, Elizabeth, Deaver, and Tissoyo. Through these characters the author tells the story of the native tribes, the hardships of the land, and the wildness of those times. Jiles is a proven story writer; this may be one of her best.