Shadow of the Wolf: An Apache Tale

Basing his debut novel on the life of a little-known Apache shaman, Nakaidoklinni, Plumlee makes a laudable attempt to avoid stereotyping the Apaches as ruthless, marauding savages, but his deferential treatment produces mainly stock characters. Nakaidoklinni evolves from a model young novice warrior to a revered spiritual elder whose main concern is the welfare of his people, without the impediments of daily troubles that would make him more human. He rarely worries, is grumpy or impatient or doubts his shamanistic powers. Plumlee relates his narrative in a restrained, plainspoken style appropriate to traditional legends, but he undercuts its effectiveness by announcing events rather than depicting them as they occur. It's also hard to care about the historical figures and events--Geronimo, Cochise, Mangas Coloradoas, the fights between Apaches and soldiers--that parade across the page against a backdrop of Apache subjugation. The last half of the book is stronger and packs more emotion and poignancy as events propel Nakaidoklinni toward a bloody fight at Cibique Creek in August 1881, ending in his death and earning him a place in Arizona history. (Mar.)