Ghost Canoe

In this intense adaptation of Hobbs's suspenseful novel set in 1874 Washington state, 14-year-old Nathan MacAllister uncovers a chilling murder-mystery involving a greedy sailor and members of a local Native American tribe. As the son of a lighthouse keeper, Nathan is accustomed to the storm-ravaged desolate life on Cape Flattery. He has adopted the ways of the Makah Indians as well, learning to fish and hunt under the tutelage of a family friend (and Makah) Lighthouse George. But when a clipper ship sinks just off the cape, Nathan wonders if it's true that there were no survivors. After all, who could be spying on the Makah tribe and making strange footprints on the beach? The answers to these and other questions become all too clear when the mysterious ""hairy man"" John Kane arrives in the village, eager to find and peddle Makah artifacts--the same artifacts Nathan has already discovered in a ""ghost canoe,"" a sacred form of Makah burial. Gaines proves a versatile performer, gamely taking on roles of all ages, backgrounds and genders. Ages 8-up. (June)