The Long Run

By Joseph Bruchac
7^th Generation (2016)
116 pages

Review by Ryan Winn

Joseph Bruchac’s (Abenaki) books are about empowerment. They relay stories of morally sound Native protagonists who face great adversity. Often, the central characters are young adults whose elders have taught them about both their Indigenous traditions and self-defense. Their honed moral and physical strength allows these teenagers to face the various trials of an unjust world. This makes Bruchac’s stories a great fit for Pathfinders, which is a series of Native-written novels geared towards young people—a tough audience of readers who’ll finish a story that engages them or drop one that doesn’t. 

The Long Run will keep young readers turning pages. Its protagonist, Travis Hawk (Passamaquoddy), is a 17-year-old whose mother’s passing caused an acceleration in his father’s drinking. Never staying anywhere long, Travis is practically on his own despite his authoritative father’s looming presence. When his father does speak to Travis, his haze of inebriation causes him to lob unjustified insults his son’s way. Travis reaches his breaking point when his morally suspect peers try to incriminate him and his passed-out father in a drug sting. With nowhere else to turn, Travis decides to run back to the only loving home he knows. This means he must embark on a crossntry trip from Seattle to Maine to reconnect with his grandparents. 

The brunt of the story is Travis traveling through the northern United States with little more than the clothes on his back and a light backpack. He meets some interesting characters along the way—some hinder him but most do what they can to help. Still, the book isn’t merely Travis succeeding due to his reliance on the kindness of strangers. Rather, he heeds advice, does odd jobs, and helps people when he can while he makes his way to both his grandparents’ home and his eighteenth birthday. The Long Run is a stirring story about a young man who empowers himself to succeed against the odds. Travis Hawk is a pathfinder indeed.  

Ryan Winn teaches theater and communication courses at College of Menominee Nation, and is a monthly columnist for Tribal College Journal.