To Spoil the Sun by Joyce Rockwood

Rockwood, Joyce. To Spoil the Sun. New York: Holt, Reinhart, and Winston, 1976.

Rockwood's novel looks at the life of a young Cherokee girl named Rain Dove. During her life, Rain Dove’s clan witnesses the landing of Spaniards in the Americas. Suddenly, the world as Rain Dove understands it begins to fall apart. Her loved ones and her extended kinsman are struck by a strange disease that spreads like “an invisible fire.” This strange disease is Smallpox and wipes away many of the surrounding villages. When the “invisible fire” strikes her town, Rain Dove’s faith is tested.

I think this text could be teachable in a multi-content classroom. Teachers could discuss how disease is spread, the historical events that surrounded Native American interaction with White settlers, and the culture of the Cherokee tribe. Unlike other possibly more challenging texts, this text is not very challenging in terms of themes and vocabulary. However, I think that students would like to read this text because they can connect with the emotions displayed by Rain Dove. Even though this text is focalized through the experience of Rain Dove, male students would enjoy this book because there is a focus on masculine attributes of strength and courage depicted in warriors. This could offer a good discussion starter about gender stereotypes across cultures. I think this text is a “quick read” that could be taught in a classroom setting, but might be more applicable to an extra project.