Candace Toft

A Thousand Strands Candace Toft

Twenty years after the killing of two F. B. I. agents on Pine Ridge Reservation, Leonard Peltier still languishes in Leavenworth Federal Prison. No one believes he is guilty. This mainstream novel provides an imaginative solution to the mystery that continues to intrigue a large body of potential readers. The focus of A Thousand Strands, however, is the impact that case and other 1970's Native American political events had on the lives of its two main characters, Joseph Standing Horse and Susan Gallagher. Actual events depicted in the novel include the March on Washington, the occupation of Wounded Knee, the fire fight on Pine Ridge Reservation and the hundredth anniversary ride commemorating Big Foot's trek to Wounded Knee. A Thousand Strands is a good read with a unique plot and finely drawn characters. The novel should have wide general appeal, not only for those interested in the Peltier case, but also to a large audience currently seeking religious answers in Native American spirituality.