Blood Red Ochre

Two parallel stories unfold tragically in this outstanding novel. In the first, David, 15, learns that the disagreeable man he thought was his father is really his stepfather. In the second, David's counterpart, an Indian named Dauoodaset, strives to save his family from the ravages of hunger and disease. Set in the same part of Newfoundland some 200 years apart, the stories are strongly linked by David's fascination with the history of Dauoodaset's doomed people (and by other factors, too). Nancy, a mysteriously alluring girl in David's class, shares his interest and eventually brings the two plots together. Although the conclusion is perplexing and even a little disappointing, it forces a thoughtful reaction from readers. What happens to Nancy, and how is David changed? Both stories are affecting and skillfully written in different styles; taken together, they give the book an unexpected dimension that is as unusual as it is provocative. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)