Much of O'Dell's fiction revolves around two major areas of interest: the history of the Southwest and the conflict between Native Americans and white people. Sing Down the Moon deals with the canyons and deserts of Arizona and the attempts to resettle the Navajo people from these, their homelands. Bright Morning, a fourteen-yearold Navajo girl, leads a simple but happy life, caring for her mother's sheep and sharing in the work and celebrations of her community. Her first encounter with whites almost brings an end to this way of life, as Bright Morning and her friend Running Bird are captured by Spanish slavers and taken south to a large city. There the girls are sold as household help and meet young Indian girls from several tribes, even from as far north as the Nez Perce, an indication of the widespread trade in Indian slaves by the...