The Defender

    Wow, what a beautiful and heartwarming story for children of all ages. It is only 137 pages long, and I read it in a couple hours. You can even read it to your very young children or grandchildren. Its author was the recipient of the Newberry Award, for "the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children" in 1952. Incidentally, I want to mention that, as my regular book review readers know, I generally use Wikipedia as a background source. But I have to say, the article on this one was the worst, most sloppy Wikipedia page I have ever read! It is full or error and typos. OMG! I did not even read it through and I recommend you do not either. Perhaps because it is a children's book it was written by a child? A very young one?
    It takes place in the cold Siberian north, and tells the story of a lonely Lamut named Turgen who lives a solitary life in the mountains above the village, where lives the Yakuts. It is told to the author by a man named Tim, and Turgen was his beloved stepfather. Turgen wasn't always alone. He had a wife and son whom he loved very much, but had died long ago. He goes into the valley periodically to get milk from a widow named Marfa, who has two young children, Tim and Aksa. Marfa is very poor and works hard to support her children.
    There is an evil shaman in the village who is jealous of Turgen's healing power and goodness, so he spreads rumors when he sees him caring for the rams that live in the mountains, saying he is in league with the devil. The people in the village are ignorant, so they believe him and ostracize Turgen. But Marfa has known him for a long time and knows he is a good man. Because he knows the people of the village have dubbed him a sorcerer, or possessed by the devil, he does not even speak about his love and care for the animals to Marfa.
    It all happens one day when he goes into the village and sees their yurt with no smoke coming out of the chimney. The baby is crying and the cow is mooing. Becoming alarmed, he goes in. Tim, only five years old, has accidentally let the fire go out and his mother has not come home yet. He cannot get it restarted. Turgen starts the fire and holds the baby. Soon it is warm again. He then realizes how poor they are, while he is well-off. He goes back to his yurt and brings them food and from Marfa he learns what the shaman has said about him.
    Marfa asks Turgen how he has come to love the rams, since he has lived in the mountains for such a long time. It was one day about twenty years ago that the government ordered him to be a tour guide to an important foreign visitor and his party. They had guns and shot at everything, but were terrible shots, fortunately. But it was when one killed an old ram, the largest of the group that Turgen found it brutal. He began to lead the visitors where he knew the rams would not be found.
    After that, Turgen became aware that these beautiful creatures were dying out. Forced to live on the mountains where food was scarce rather than in the valley where they would surely be killed by humans, their lives were not easy. So Turgen decides to help them, hauling hay to the areas where he has seen them. Little by little they learn that Turgen is not a man to be feared, and Turgen finds himself much less lonely.
    Soon he begins to recognize the individual creatures in this small herd. There is the large male leader, six females and three males, with only two little lambs, which he figures are a male and female—not a healthy number, especially with six females. In addition to feeding and caring for them, he also witnesses them defending themselves—scaring off a bear and fighting wolves.
    A great part of this story is spiritual, combining Indigenous beliefs of the Great Spirit, and Christian/Catholic beliefs. Turgen has come to realize that the Great Spirit has given him a mission to protect these magnificent beasts. He begins to have dreams in which he receives messages.
    The first happens when his deceased wife and son enter the yurta. His wife tells him that the Great Spirit is pleased that he is caring for the rams. They leave the yurta together and fly through the air to an amazing place where wolves are tenderly caring for the baby rams. How can this be, Turgen wonders. Turgen's wife replies that here all creatures live in love and harmony. Then Turgen's wife leads him to an old man sitting on a bench. Turgen is ashamed that he does not recognize the Great Spirit and when he invites Turgen to sit with him, Turgen, in his joy awakens.
    As these events move forward, Turgen gradually finds his loneliness greatly diminished. He even does not visit Marfa and the children as often. He has found a purpose, as assignment from the Great Spirit. But one day as he is observing the animals he loves so much, he hears a gunshot in the distance. Though it is not near the rams, they still panic, and in their frenzy, the little male lamb is knocked off his footing and falls down the crevasse. Turgen witnesses this event with horror, scrambling down to where the baby has fallen. It is still alive! Tenderly, he picks it up and carries it back to his yurt, where he carefully examines it. Since he is a healer, he knows what to do, cleaning and binding a wound under its front leg, then noticing a swollen hind leg. It is not broken but dislocated. He snaps it back into place, then builds a splint to protect it.
    Gradually the little lamb learns to trust and love Turgen. It eats well, and follows him around, not even trying to escape. Though Turgen wants to keep it with him, he knows he must return it to its family when it has healed. And it is his relationship to the baby ram that the shaman from the village had seen, and reports to the people that it is a devil because no wild animal would be at ease with humans.
    But of course, Marfa and the children know that Turgen is a very good man, and are excited about the rams. Through dreams, the Great Spirit continues to guide Turgen to the fullness of happiness he deserves.
    This is a truly wonderful story! It is filled with gentle lessons of love and compassion toward all creatures—a great book for teaching the little ones and entertaining them, as well. The artwork by Claire Louden and George Louden, Jr. is lovely, too. Very highly recommended.

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