Salt: A Story of Friendship in a Time of War

A story of two boys, one from the Myaamia tribe and one the child of an American trader, whose friendship is tested during the War of 1812.

Cultural and Historical Notes

“Helen Frost dives below the simple narrative of natives versus settlers to give us a refreshing look at the human side of events in the War of 1812. As the larger conflict trickles down, it reaches the lives of Anikwa and James, who must learn how to trust and respect each other during a time they don’t fully understand and in circumstances they can’t control.” —Daryl Baldwin, Director, Myaamia Center at Miami University

“The War of 1812 is a difficult conflict to simplify or condense down to a few key themes, and while SALT is a work of fiction, it quite successfully demonstrates this complexity along with providing the reader a sense of understanding and feeling for all its characters. … We heartedly recommend this book to Myaamia families.” —George Ironstrack, historian, Asst. Director, Myaamia Center (From the newspaper of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma)

Here, George Ironstrack gives more detailed information about the History behind SALT. Other information about the history of 1812 can also be found on this carefully researched website.

For a larger perspective, here is a map showing the loss of Native American land across the United States, over a period of about 100 years.

A longer description of the story (spoilers)

From the / Cooperative Children’s book Center in Madison, Wisconsin: “If we / sit down to eat with James / and his family, will he and I be able to play / a song together on our whistles? / That’s what he hopes for, / the question I see in his eyes: / Are you still my friend?” On the brink of the War of 1812, James is the child of white settlers who run the trading post outside Fort Wayne in Indian Territory and Anikwa is a boy living in the nearby Miami Nation village. The two communicate through gestures and a handful of words they’ve taught one another whenever they meet in the woods or at the trading post. James’s parents, especially his mother, view the people in the Miami village as friends. But the Miami are being encouraged by the British to take sides against the Americans in the pending war. Most people within the fort are now suspicious of their Miami neighbors. After Anikwa’s village is burned, the villagers must flee, heading west without winter stores in hopes of finding refuge with neighboring tribes. The trading post is also ravaged by fire. Poems in the two boys’ alternating voices chronicle how their tentative friendship is challenged by the rising tensions and fear that lead to assumptions and misunderstandings. Author Helen Frost also illuminates the complicated, untenable position in which Native tribes found themselves as American expansion continued west. The introduction to this artful and carefully researched novel provides historical context for the story, and brief notes tell more about the poetic forms she uses and this time and place in history. © Cooperative Children’s Book Center