The War of the Mormon Cow is a powerful tale of how a small mistake by a naive Mormon unleashed a chain of events that lead to war. The story is based in an incident that occurred in 1854 referred to as "The Grattan Massacre."
The story follows a young Crazy Horse and Black Robe woman and many other individuals that were present at the time.
The book is intended for Young Adults and although many of the details are fictionalized, the book is based on extensive research and consultation with the Lakota people and closely follows the actual historical events.
The text is written in the style and meter of the language as if you are hearing the story first hand and is beautifully illustrated by Ken Mundie in a sketchbook-style that is reminiscent of the traveling artist/writers of the 18th and 19th centuries, giving the impression that he was present to capture the characters and events on paper as they were happening.
It is during this period that the Great Plains Indians go from their established traditions as great warrior nations to being defeated and confined to reservations.
An undersupplied western army struggled to keep things under control as the nation's focus turned to the Civil War.
The incident was important in the history that follows, it was viewed as a violation of the Laramie Treaty of 1851 and also resulted in the death of Conquering Bear who had signed the treaty.
