I’ve taught at William Walker Elementary School in Beaverton, Oregon since 2002.
I am now an embedded part of the community but I am also aware of the history, tradition and stories that precede me. Interestingly, author Rosanne Parry is an alumnus of William Walker. She came for a visit a few teas ago, just after the release of Heart of a Shepherd.
Her new book, Written in Stone, has a similar feel.
It draws on Parry’s experience living and teaching in the Olympic Peninsula and honors the history, tradition, stories and culture of the Makah.
The book is set in the 1920’s, a time of great change for the Makah. After an unsuccessful whale hunt, in which her father dies, Pearl tries to find her place in her family and community. In the end, Pearl draws on her own creativity and ingenuity as well as the wisdom she has learned from her parents and grandparents to stay true to her heritage while forging a path for the future.
This is a sensitively written book with a string female heroine, set in a time and place not often visited in middle grade fiction.
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