Product ReviewsI Heard the Owl Call My Name by Margaret Craven (1980, Mass Market)

I HEARD THE OWL CALL MY NAME by Margaret Craven PB

Seldom do I give even a nod to European authors who try to write about Indians, but Craven has done a good job with this book.

This was a graceful, well-thought tribute to a First Nations Tribe & a vanishing way of life. It gives readers a glimpse into the loss of culture experienced by Indians chosen for 'civilization', whose children are sent away to school, many to never return, or return very changed.

I Heard the Owl Call My Name was Margaret Craven's first book & was written when she was sixty-nine years old. That is remarkable in itself, but the WAY she tells this story is what delights. She dedicated the book to the Tsawataineuk Tribe at Kingcome Village, British Columbia, Canada.

It tells of a young vicar, Mark Brian, who is sent to a remote Kwakiutl village by his Bishop, not knowing himself that he has less than two or three years to live. In the village, though a complete outcast at first,Mark comes to understand the Kwakiutl Indians around him and sees why they are so disdainful of intruders: their traditions are being destroyed & they are losing their young people because of the influence of white men. He watches the English woman anthropologist who comes to study the natives and insists upon calling the villagers Quackadoodles; he experiences the terrible impact when the government declares it legal for Indians to buy liquor & when crooked traders cheat the villagers out of their cultural treasures; he sees the children lose their ties with their families & their heritage while living in residential schools built by whites.
In stark contrast to the greediness & open arrogance of most whites, the selflessness & quiet pride of the Kwakiutls speaks to Mark's spirit. He soon discovers he never wants to leave this place, these people. The pure beauty of streams full of running salmon, of pristine forests of tall trees, and the ancient tribal festivals, the goodness of the People, all serve to make him aware of life as it could be, as he would choose for himself. Mark becomes a part of the Kwakiutl world, learning its language and ways, until finally he can view life & living as they do.
And... he learns that this Tribe believes that if you hear the owl call your name, you will surely die.
Will Mark hear this sound?
Read this delightful book to find out!

I rank this as one of the top 10 books to keep always, to read again & again, & to share with others.

I'll second that!
This is ,without a doubt, one of the best-written books I have had the pleasure to read.Read full review...

A must read

Wonderful book. Beautifully written and perfectly paced. Puts our human drama within the context of the drama of life itself.

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Lost in a book

I have read this before, and had to read again and have it for myself. Small but a wonderful read.

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Wonderful find!

Don't miss this great story. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I believe this myth.

This is an important book in native folklore.

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Beautiful story!

Beautiful story!

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I heard the Owl Call my Name, A Must Read ...

I received this book from my spiritual adviser many years ago. In my ministry I always fall back on this simple story of a man facing adversity and learns so much about people he never knew before. And when I offer council to my peers i always go back to this book to remind me what is most important about people and situations. A must read for everyone. Much recommended.Read full review...

Excellent Message!

The message of this book is Excellent! I wish the author was able to catch my attention from the onset of the book, but by the middle, it was great! Therefore, I rate this book as Good according to writing style. Great story of Missions and the Power of Service!Read full review...