Crazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies by S. D. Nelson

Crazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies addresses the bloody and complex history of the U.S. Indian Wars with honesty and clarity.

Crazy Horse and Custer: Born Enemies by S. D. Nelson. Abrams, 2021, 119 pages plus notes, index, and timeline.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 11-15

Two Men of Destiny

George Armstrong Custer knew from boyhood that he was destined for greatness, and with good reason. Handsome, spirited, with boundless courage and even more boundless luck, he succeeded at everything he tried. His valor during America’s Civil War earned him admiring newspaper coverage and the rank of brigadier general at the age of 23—the youngest general in the union army.

His near contemporary, a Lakota Sioux dubbed “Light Hair” for his fair complexion and brown hair, was born into more difficult circumstances. Light Hair’s father was white and his Lakota mother hanged herself out of depression when the boy was only four. He was raised by the tribe’s holy man, bullied for his small size and different appearance. But, determined to become a warrior, Light Hair became known for his fearlessness and speed, so much so that his foster father passed his own name on to the young man: Tasunke Witco, or “Crazy Horse.”

Heroism and Doom

The two men were born less than a year apart, and died less than a year apart. Their story, and their eventual meeting at Little Big Horn, is part of our national narrative. Thankfully this dual biography gives each man his due without propagandizing or romanticizing. The Lakota’s way of life was free but harsh, the white man’s way was tamer but certain to prevail, and the hisstory is both tragic and fascinating.

Born Enemies is illustrated by contemporary paintings and photographs, as well as stylized paintings by the author. In the Author Note he shares his unique heritage: his great-grandmother a Lakota who married a white man who once served under George Custer. His treatment of this complex, heartbreaking clash of cultures is both informative and affecting.

Consideration:

• The Indian wars were brutal on both sides. Battle descriptions, as well as one photograph showing mutilated corpses of US Army soldiers, are not overly graphic, but could be disturbing. Another illustration by the author shows Indians dying of smallpox, with some posterior nudity.

Overall Rating: 4

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4.5

 Read more about our ratings here.                

Also at Redeemed Reader:

Reviews: More on Indian wars in the west: The Tragic Tale of Narcissa Whitman and The Battle of Seattle.

Review: A contemporary native American balances between cultural pride and cultural failings in the award-winning Firekeeper’s Daughter.

Reflection: Racist views in classic children’s literature has become a troublesome topic. See our post on “Historical Racism in Children’s Books–What Do We Do?“

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