Karr (The Great Turkey Walk)
once again mines a sliver of American history in this stylized novel, narrated by a camel from Egypt who is bought by a colonel in the U.S. Army and transported, along with other camels, to Texas to join the short-lived U.S. Camel Corps. Featuring occasional camel-speak (e.g., a human is a "man-beast"), Ali's narrative chronicles the animals' arrival in "Texas-America" in the "Year of the Infidels 1856." (Ali and the other camels, along with their cameleer, worship Allah; brief quotes from the Qur'an introduce the three parts of the novel.) Working with "soldier-beasts," for whom the camels frequently demonstrate their contempt by spitting, they are trained for an artillery experiment that fails and is abandoned. The camels next form a caravan and travel west across the desert, carrying supplies and hauling boulders as the army builds a new road. "A great road lasts almost forever," Ali consoles Fatinah, his eventual mate who, like Ali, despises servitude. "Our great-grandchildren will travel the road, the route we are breaking. They will feel pride in the knowledge of its builders. Pride in talents brought to this land first by us." While the story offers an idiosyncratic view of the Old West, the Gold Rush and other historical moments, it also may engage readers who can see past Ali's mannered speech and identify with his yearning to be free. Ages 10-up. (Apr.)
