Crossing the Panther's Path by Elizabeth Alder

I lied. I finished Crossing the Panther's Path by Elizabeth Alder last night and sooner than I anticipated so I'm going to write a short blip about it while it's fresh, instead of Pickwick. 

This book was a rabbit trail from an audio book I listened to in the fall called David Crockett by Michael Wallis, which I suppose deserves its own entry but I forgot about it until I was thinking about why I read Panther. Davie Crockett (I call him just Davie) historically crossed paths with a fellow named Tecumseh, a fascinating figure who I knew very little about. I liken him to a freedom fighter like William Wallace with keen oratory abilities. 

The book David Crockett is a well written biography. It doesn't make me want to go purchase a coonskin cap but the fellow was a resilient frontiersman, no question. He had a penchant for risky ventures - definitely not the 9-5 Mr. Banks type. More like 9 months gone, five months home. He did begin the tradition of folksy politicians and "let me tell you a funny story about myself and give you a swig" approach that proved fairly successful for him in winning voters and continued on as a viable tactic through-out certain regions and populations of our country. This kind of homespun man o'the people still has its appeal - although it baffles much of the rest of the world. 

Alder's book Panther is a fictional account about Billy Calder a half Indian (yes I'm aware that term isn't prominently used anymore) and half Irish bloke who aided Tecumseh with translating and in rallying many tribes together in an attempt to slow or stop the continual intrusion of white settlers and the United States military on their lands. 

My large extended family has a tradition of doing a talent show each Christmas. This is rather painful to write about but I decided to do a dramatic reading of one of Tecumseh's speeches. Let's just suffice it to say, that I should have left the oratory to Tecumseh. 

However, what a fascinating guy. (I didn't use the word love). He had a brother dubbed Prophet and they founded a town called Tippecanoe (I hope you got your facts right here Elizabeth Alder). Unfortunately every time I think or hear Tippecanoe - I think of William Henry Harrison's soundbite for his candidacy "Tippecanoe and Tyler too" which was supposed to make people want to vote for them. "Vote for me and I can persecute, kill, and remove other peoples?"  Anyway, the idea of Tippecanoe was a neutral place where different members of tribes could come together and form an alliance. Great visionary, just outnumbered, not to mention out artilleried, add in diseases like smallpox....

Oh did I mention that I make up words?

Oh and lastly, another great reason to write about these books is because maybe I will actually remember titles and authors better instead of "Ohh oh I just read this book about Tecumseh, by........" Do you know that when I sat down to write this I actually wrote Crossing the Warriors Path by Elizabeth AldeN. Then I had to get up and find the volume because when I googled the title it didn't show up. 

Oh - the panther is Tecumseh. Why can't that be my nickname? Not one single person has ever likened me to a panther.