Child of the Fighting Tenth

Hooker (1867-1932) wrote nine novels for young adults based on her childhood and her life as a ranch woman in Southern Arizona; she died before she could finish her childhood memoir. Editor Steve Wilson, director emeritus of the Museum of the Great Plains in Oklahoma, has edited her manuscript into publishable form. As a child, Hooker and the rest of her family traveled the Western frontier with her father, an officer in the Tenth US Cavalry (also known as the Buffalo Soldiers), one of four regiments of Black troops led by white officers. As seen through the eyes of a young girl, Hooker captures the drama of the settlement of the American West, the Indian Wars, and the Geronimo campaign in the Southwest and Mexico. New to this paperback edition, a preface gives an overview of Hooker's life and presents her attitudes toward her own writing success as revealed in her journals and notes. The book is illustrated with b&w historical photos, and includes a chronology, a list of historical sites to visit, and further reading. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)