Written in Stone [Paperback]

Rosanne Parry, acclaimed author ofA Wolf Called Wanderand Heart of a Shepherd, shines a light on Native American tribes of the Pacific Northwest in the 1920s, a time of critical cultural upheaval.

Pearl has always dreamed of hunting whales, just like her father. Of taking to the sea in their eight-man canoe, standing at the prow with a harpoon, and waiting for a whale to lift its barnacle-speckled head as it offers its life for the life of the tribe. But now that can never be. Pearl's father was lost on the last hunt, and the whales hide from the great steam-powered ships carrying harpoon cannons, which harvest not one but dozens of whales from the ocean. With the whales gone, Pearl's people, the Makah, struggle to survive as Pearl searches for ways to preserve their stories and skills.NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing Selection

This vivid, character-driven historical novel captivates. --Kirkus Reviews

Realistic and insightful, Parry’s novel succeeds in depicting a picture of one girl’s experience to preserve her people’s dignity and values in a rapidly changing modern world. --School Library Journal

Parry shows respect and restraint in bringing their traditional ways of life to the page. Skillfully using dialogue and sensory details to portray people and places, she creates a strong sense of Pearl’s individuality and of her people’s struggle. --Booklist

Parry successfully melds Pearl’s quieter coming-of-age story with a faster-paced mystery plot concerning the true agenda of “art collector” Arthur Glen and the efforts of the Makah teens to thwart his predatory activities. Framing chapters focused on Pearl in her old age assure readers that the tribal knowledge and customs are endangered but not extinct, and closing notes address historical background and respect for maintaining the secrecy of certain storiel³8