A good day to die: A novel

From his earliest years, Gray Wolf was taught to despise the white man, and he longed for nothing more than his coming of age--when he could join the warriors in defending their people, the Dakota Sioux, from the threat of the Wasicun. Necessity twisted his youthful dreams of glory into a bitter man's revenge as the onslaught of the bluecoat soldier's crushed his village--and murdered his own flesh and blood. Through the eyes of Gray Wolf we come to know what it means to be a true Dakota: to hold up one's head even while in chains, to fight for freedom even though the enemy is far greater in number, to possess the integrity and discipline to lay down one's life for one's brother. Even though GrayWolf is loyal to the sacred traditions, he watches as his fellow Indians fall prey to Wasicun firewater and despair. But it is a Wasicun woman who finally inspires in him a love that is beyond race or creed, a love that ventures to cross the gulf of hatred between Indian and white, a love that torments him and finally brings him an heir.Based on tales which the author heard from her great-grandfather, Gray Wolf, this moving novel brings to life the clash between two cultures on the American frontier. Rich with authentic Indian lore, and filled with historical characters such as Crazy Horse and Long Hair (General Custer), A Good Day to Die is a tribute to those who adhered to the Indian way of life.Del Barton was the great-granddaughter of Gray Wolf, a Dakota Sioux warrior, and Carlotta de Francisco, a Spanish noblewoman. She was born on an Indian reservation near Painted Post, New York. This novel was inspired by conversations she had with Gray Wolf, who lived to be 107 years old.