Joseph Bruchac was raised by his maternal grandparents in a small New York town located in a region where both sides of his family had roots that were deep and strong. But Bruchac was almost an adult before he found out that his was not only an immigrant heritage and that the gentle man who had raised him to love and appreciate nature and to respect himself and those around him was an Abenaki Indian. In a compelling memoir that is beautifully written and brilliantly constructed, Bruchac weaves his narrative from the present and the past, viewing his childhood through a lens of adult understanding that allows him to see how, despite the family silence about his heritage, his grandfather was living a life that was true to who he was, at the same time denying his family background in a way that was surely painful. An Abenaki storyteller and writer who is both educator and student of American Indian cultures, Bruchac frames his memories with his adult insights into Abenaki beliefs that, as he sees now, informed his grandfather's actions and behavior. Bruchac's childhood memories are also fueled by moments of heartbreaking sadness and sheer joy and delight, as well as secrets and mysteries that were far more compelling to him as a child than the question of his grandfather's dark skin. His parents lived less than a mile down the road with his younger sisters, yet he was living with his grandfather and his strong, loving, protective grandmother. He was a bright child who was often targeted by other children as the object of teasing and bullying when he was young. Bruchac looks at his own childhood behavior with wry, sometimes painful honesty without diluting the impact of powerful incidents that will stand out in every young reader's mind as emotionally familiar. As a story about family, about childhood, about learning to be true to oneself, this is a book that will take its readers on a transformational journey of discovery. (Age 14 and older)

In this book, a consummate storyteller unfolds his most personal and poignant story: his own. Bowman's Store traces the journey of writer Joseph "Sonny" Bruchac from a childhood filled with an abundance of both love and secrecy, to the dawning of his career as one of the best-known authors and storytellers of Native American history and lore. Compelling, lyrical, and deeply moving, Bruchac's memoir tells how he came to fully understand, and eventually claim, his Abenaki heritage, despite his grandparents' unspoken pact never to discuss Grandpa's Indian blood.

Through experiences both painful and hilarious, Sonny finds himself drawn to all things Indian long before he learns of his grandfather's hidden Abenaki roots. Bowman's Store beautifully weaves themes from Bruchac's intimate knowledge of Native American cultures with vivid autobiographical scenes to create a touching story about self-discovery.