The Searchers

The Searchers (2013) by Glenn Frankel. This is one of the best books I have ever read. Frankel has done extensive research, starting with the history of Cynthia Ann Parker, a white girl who was kidnapped by Comanches in 1836. Eventually, in 1860, Cynthia was found and returned to white civilization -- but by then she had grown up as a Comanche, and didn't want to "become white" again. Her story, and others like it, are the inspiration for John Ford's 1956 movie "The Searchers," starring John Wayne. In the movie, a young girl named Debbie is kidnapped by the Comanches and raised up to become one of the wives of Scar, a Comanche warrior. Wayne's character, Ethan Edwards, searches for her for years and eventually finds her. But she has become Comanche, too, and he at first intends to kill her. But eventually he ends up bringing her back home. This book is subtitled, "The Making of an American Legend," and it lives up to the subtitle. From the capture of Cynthia Ann Parker, through the making of the movie, to the present-day status of the descendants of Cynthia Ann and of her Comanche son, Quanah, the book covers  the entire sweep of history. It is a magnificent achievement of research and writing and insight on the part of the author. I enjoyed it immensely. Grade: A