tlashop.com

Review

Mark Wildyr weaves a great story in Cut Hand, a gripping love story and drama set in the early nineteenth century. It is the story of a white man who unexpectedly finds himself physically attracted to a young Native American man who is being held captive by he and two other Americans.

Billy Strobaw loses his mother and father in a fire, takes his inheritance and goes on an adventure. When he hooks up with two other men looking for adventure in the untamed west, he has no idea what is in store for him. While traveling, the three men watch a fight between one sole Indian brave and three Indian pursuers. The lone brave catches and kills one of the men pursuing him before he is captured by the three white travelers. Billy stops Red, his companion, from killing the captive, saves him from the two remaining pursuers, and thus begins his connection with the young brave.

Billy finds himself inexplicably drawn to this man, Cut Hand, while he is still captive and can’t keep his hands off of him. What he doesn’t understand is that he has created a bond that the Indian brave is in no hurry to break. In fact, he wants Billy to travel with him to his home land and tribe to be his “winkte” or man-wife. After some trepidation, Billy agrees and this is the beginning if the story of Billy and his relationship with Cut Hand.

The story is well written and filled with the love of family, as Billy becomes one of the tribe, accepted as a counselor, family and friend. The story chronicles his life among the Yanube tribe and his parallel life with Cut Hand. This is one I will read again.

 -- Stephen Jackson