Tissiack: A Sierran Siren by Charles Weeden follows Awena, a half native American (Miwok) and half white American who finds herself caught in between two worlds: her tribe and the American culture.
The former wants her to learn their language and culture, while the latter is offering her opportunities that will help secure her future. She has a passion for running and in the first pages we meet her on a racing trail, where she hopes to earn a spot in the Sierra High cross-country team. However, a strange murmur whispers in her ear the word 'túya.' It's not a familiar word but one that deeply resonates inside of her soul. It is when she meets her grandmother, who is shown as a custodian of cultural memory and history, that she learns of its uniqueness and its divine mandate to draw her towards something extraordinary. What takes her aback after that revelation is an unexpected surge in energy that courses through her legs as she runs, each time the word echoes in her mind. Unbeknownst to her, this is just the first step towards 'running' for something far greater than just the finish line.
This tale takes the reader down forgotten histories, all the way to the foot of a mountain where a historical and ongoing adversary is still actively casting its long shadow against a people, whose voice although buried for so long remains unbroken, and remains eager to be heard once again. Here, the reader is introduced to John, a white man and a father who married into a tribe and who chose to wield the tools of the very system that once sought to erase his wife's people. Then there is coach Les, whose world's success is largely governed by stopwatches. His inclusion is key to the tale, in that it redefines what it means to truly win and to be strong, when one acquires the courage to follow the sometimes unorthodox, seemingly narrow path.
What captivated me most in this story is its strong, evocative prose, its layered use of 'running' as a metaphor and as a symbol, the internal conflict in the protagonist, and its spiritual, mythical undertones which had me feel the story rather than just read it. I liked that it doesn't rely on the usual twists and turns in most plot-driven narratives, but rather finds its strength in emotional and spiritual authenticity where the real tension is not in what happens next, but in who the protagonist keeps becoming with every new chapter. There is a lot to takeaway here: that identity is something you chose and fight for, not something you are born into; that the past is not static rather, it can be reclaimed; that freedom is only found when you start moving towards a purpose; that oppressive systems can be challenged, not just accepted; and lastly, that the most powerful revolutions are those that are collective and shared.
Quill says: Tissiack: A Sierran Siren by Charles Weeden is a book that will entice everyone who has felt the pull of a place or the quiet calling to become more than they imagine they can be. It is an essential read for youngsters navigating identity, as well as seekers of stories with the ability to heal, reclaim and transform. It could be a meaningful read-aloud with guided discussion as well, for mature teens in need of an inspiring story with the ability to leave them with a lingering echo in their bones, a reminder that the endeavor to run toward who you truly are is a journey worth taking.
