Other editions of book When the Legends Die

A young Native American raised in the forest is suddenly thrust into the modern world, in this novel by the author of The Dog Who Came to Stay. Thomas Black Bull’s parents forsook the life of a modern reservation and took to ancient paths in the woods, teaching their young son the stories and customs of his ancestors. But Tom’s life changes forever when he loses his father in a tragic accident and his mother dies shortly afterward. When Tom is discovered alone in the forest with only a bear cub as a companion, life becomes difficult. Soon, well-meaning teachers endeavor to reform him, a rodeo attempts to turn him into an act, and nearly everyone he meets tries to take control of his life. Powerful and timeless, When the Legends Die is a captivating story of one boy learning to live in harmony with both civilization and wilderness.

When his father killed another brave, Thomas Black Bull and his parents sought refuge in the wilderness. There they took up life as it had been in the old days, hunting and fishing, battling for survival. But an accident claimed the father's life and the grieving mother died shortly afterward. Left alone, the young Indian boy vowed never to retum to the white man's world, to the alien laws that had condemned his father.

A Young Man's Search for Identity and His Native CultureThomas Black Bull was raised in the old ways of his Native American ancestors, off the reservation in the mountainous wilderness of southern Colorado. When tragedy tears him from everything he knows, Thomas is thrust headlong into modern American life. Parents gone, he learns a different way of life and works the regional rodeo circuit, but it fails to fulfill him. While tempted by the tug of “civilization,” he is called to his native Ute heritage, and Tom’s journey comes full-circle. With keen insight, Hal Borland portrays a man’s struggle to find his identity in a society that sees him differently. When the Legends Die paints a rich and moving portrait of the rugged American West against the vivid backdrop of the beautiful southwestern landscape.Be sure to read Hal Borland's other bestselling classics—High, Wide, and Lonesome: Growing Up on the Colorado Frontier (paperback, ISBN 978-1-63561-882-2) and The Dog Who Came to Stay (hardcover, ISBN 978-1-63561-883-9; paperback, ISBN 978-1-63561-884-6), published by Echo Point Books.

A Young Man's Search for Identity and His Native CultureThomas Black Bull was raised in the old ways of his Native American ancestors, off the reservation in the mountainous wilderness of southern Colorado. When tragedy tears him from everything he knows, Thomas is thrust headlong into modern American life. Parents gone, he learns a different way of life and works the regional rodeo circuit, but it fails to fulfill him. While tempted by the tug of “civilization,” he is called to his native Ute heritage, and Tom’s journey comes full-circle. With keen insight, Hal Borland portrays a man’s struggle to find his identity in a society that sees him differently. When the Legends Die paints a rich and moving portrait of the rugged American West against the vivid backdrop of the beautiful southwestern landscape.Be sure to read Hal Borland's other bestselling classics—High, Wide, and Lonesome: Growing Up on the Colorado Frontier (paperback, ISBN 978-1-63561-882-2) and The Dog Who Came to Stay (hardcover, ISBN 978-1-63561-883-9; paperback, ISBN 978-1-63561-884-6), published by Echo Point Books.

When his father killed another brave, Thomas Black Bull and his parents sought refuge in the wilderness. There they took up life as it had been in the old days, hunting and fishing, battling for survival. But an accident claimed the father's life and the grieving mother died shortly afterward. Left alone, the young Indian boy vowed never to retum to the white man's world, to the alien laws that had condemned his father.