When Scott O'Dell first submitted his manuscript for Island of the Blue Dolphins, it was rejected because the protagonist was a young woman. O'Dell's agent suggested that he change the sex of the main character, but the writer refused to do so. In what way does his preference for young female protagonists affect his novels? Would the theme and story evolve the same way if Karana was a boy or Bright Morning a young man? It is interesting that in Sing Down the Moon, only the women play an important role. The men may brag or give up, but the Navajo women are the ones that carry on the traditions and tasks of everyday life. Why would a male author show such preferences?

Are his girls feminine or masculine?

Does the fact that the Navajo culture is largely maternal — the women own the sheep, the...