Crossing
Bok Chitto
by Tim Tingle, Jeanne Rorex Bridges
There is a river called Bok
Chitto that cuts through Mississippi. In the days before the War Between the
States, in the days before the Trail of Tears, Bok Chitto was a boundary. On
one side of the river lived the Choctaws. On the other side lived the plantation
owners and their slaves. If a slave escaped and made his way across Bok Chitto,
the slave was free.Thus begins Crossing
Bok Chitto, told by award-winning Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle and brought to life
with the rich illustrations of Jeanne Rorex Bridges.
Martha Tom, a young Choctaw girl, knows better than to cross Bok Chitto, but
one day—in search of blackberries—she disobeys her mother and finds herself on
the other side. A tall slave discovers Martha Tom. A friendship begins between
Martha Tom and the slave’s family, most particularly his young son, Little Mo.
Soon afterwards, Little Mo’s mother finds out that she is going to be sold. The
situation seems hopeless, except that Martha Tom teaches Little Mo’s family how
to walk on water to their freedom.
Choctaw storyteller Tim Tingle blends songs, cedar flute, and
drum with tribal lore to bring the lore of the Choctaw Nation to life in lively
historical, personal, and traditional stories. His collection of stories Walking the Choctaw Road was selected as the Oklahoma
Book of the Year.
Artist Jeanne Rorex Bridges traces her heritage back to
her Cherokee ancestors. Crossing Bok
Chitto is her first fully illustrated book.
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