In his earlier novels about Native Americans, O'Dell seems to offer a prospect of hope. His young protagonists endure suffering, but at the end they see a brighter future. In Sing Down the Moon (1970), this future is possible when the protagonist and her husband turn their backs on civilization and return to their old way of life. The same is true in Zia (1976), where Karana flees from the white society and returns to the natural environment she has known for most of her life. Thunder Rolling in the Mountains offers no such solution. It is dominated by the pessimism of Chief Joseph who declares that there is no refuge left for his people.

He compares the white settlers to sand on the shore and predicts that they will wipe out all the Indians. Nevertheless, he agrees with the young leaders who counsel escape to Canada. The...