Kirk Reeve

Sun Father, Corn Mother Kirk Reeve

Sun Father, Corn Mother tightly weaves Hopi culture and tradition, Spanish lust for gold, and normal inclinations of young adolescents into a fresh, riveting page-turner. Coinciding with Coronado's conquest of Zuni villages in 1540, fourteen-year-old Running Antelope, a Hopi youth, is caught up in violence and intrigue resulting from Spanish incursions northward to Hopi villages and subsequently westward to the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon. Running Antelope's peaceful life is shattered when he witnesses the arrival of a band of strangers who have hairy white faces and animals that look like giant dogs. The death of his father at the hands of these intruders sets the stage for cultural expectations that place new responsibilities on his shoulders, and intentions of revenge that draw him into accompanying the Spaniards on their journey to the "Great Red River" and its "Canyon of Great Spirits."With courage and conviction, Running Antelope endures harsh treatment and an attempt on his life by the Spaniards, and capture and confinement by nomadic "Old Enemies." Whether or not he will live to see his home and family again is anyone's guess. Hang on tight! It's quite a ride to find out!