The Dream Carvers, Joan Clark's teen historical novel, is a coming of age story about Thrand, a fourteen-year-old Greenlander kidnapped by the Osweet, a local First Nation tribe. An important part of Canada's ancient history of Newfoundland, the Osweet contact with the Norsemen who sailed there in search of timber to build ships, is presented through Thrand's struggle to return home. Two opposing cultures, clashing morally and ethically, are juxtaposed. Thrand must choose between his stern, violent and unforgiving upbringing and the more gentle, compromising way of life with the Osweet.
Thrand falls in love with Abidith, sister to the young Osweet murdered by his own people, but she chooses to marry someone else. His emotional journey is depicted through his dreams and carvings. This is a good read, educational as well as entertaining.
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Beothuk, Vikings, New World