The Falcon Bow

L.J. Rouse was a freelance writer in Toronto.

The coastal Inuit are in despair and in danger of starvation: the caribou herds on which they depend for their survival have failed to appear. There is dark suspicion that the traditional enemy, the neighbouring Indian tribes, have somehow caused the famine; a bloody feud between the Inuit and the Indians is impending.

Kungo, a young Inuit whose sister has married an Indian, is chosen to discover the truth, and to see if bloodshed can be avoided. He, if anyone, can communicate with these mistrusted people of “the land of little sticks.” Kungo undertakes the dangerous mission, and discovers that far from causing the famine, the Indians are also its victims. Kungo and his sister have more reason than most to work for understanding between their two peoples. This sequel to The White Archer is equally readable, and is illustrated with the author’s familiar, powerful black and white drawings.