Brother Wind

Harrison completes her prehistoric trilogy (Mother Earth, Father Sky; My Sister the Moon) with this engrossing wrap-up of the harsh and dramatic adventures of Kiin, Samiq and other Aleutian Islanders of 9000 years ago. When her husband is killed by Raven (of the Walrus People tribe), Kiin, an accomplished carver, is forced to abandon both her own tribe of the First Men and one of her twin sons and return with the killer to his village. In revenge, Samiq, chief hunter of the First Men and brother of the murdered man, seeks Raven's death. Meanwhile, Kukutux (of the tribe of Whale Hunters) bewails her own husband's death and her subsequent life of abandonment. Playing a pivotal role in bringing these stories together is a selfish con artist, Waxtal, who, banished from the First Men for stealing spearheads and oil that he trades for tusks to carve, vows revenge on Samiq. Deceit leads to a series of violent deaths culminating in a knife fight backdropped by beach fires and falling snow. Informed by Native American legends, myths and traditions and replete with convincing recreations of trading practices, seal hunting and vision fasts, this novel offers an emotionally compelling conclusion to a monumental saga. Author tour. (Oct.)