Keepers of the Dawn

Described in one source quoted in the author's note as ``the most powerful member of her sex during the Revolutionary period,'' Native American Molly Brant, a member of New York's Canienga tribe, married a wealthy Irish settler and became an important negotiator between her people and the British in the tense decades leading up to America's independence. Her brother Joseph was a celebrated warrior who campaigned with the British against both the French and the colonists. Silver's (Where the Ghost Horse Runs) fictionalized account of their lives sticks pretty closely to the information on record about the Brants and is noteworthy for its finely detailed examination of the sometimes exhilarating and sometimes uneasy collision of two vastly different cultures. Initially centered on Molly and her personal development before moving on to Joseph's military endeavors, the novel never quite finds a central protagonist, which is a shame because it leaves the narrative somewhat disjointed. Molly--by far the more compelling character--becomes interesting through her struggles to achieve a just and harmonious union of British and Native American interests, while Joseph's story is largely one of military strategies and bloodthirsty battles. But the novel is panoramic in scope and rich in details about Canienga life and traditions, making it an entertaining read for history buffs in particular. (Mar.)