Smiler's Bones

Book excerpt: A "hugely fascinating" (Kirkus), "wonderful" (VOYA) historical novel based on the harrowing true story of Minik, an Eskimo boy seized in the name of exploration and brought to New York in the 1900s. In 1897, famed explorer Robert Peary took six Eskimos from their homes in Greenland to be "presented" to the American Museum of Natural History. Among the six were a father and a son. Soon, four were dead, including the father (whose bones, unbeknownst to the son, were put on display). One returned to Greenland. And the other -- the young boy -- remained, the only Eskimo in New York for twelve years. His name was Minik. This is his story. A story of lies and deceptions. A story about the price of exploration. A story about discovering the truth of a culture.