Hatter Fox

by Marilyn Harris

Book Overview

This strange and beautiful novel is the story of Hatter Fox, a seventeen-year-old Navajo with a long criminal record, totally rejected by and isolated from white society. Inescapably drawn to her fate, Dr. Teague Summer succeeds over time in drawing out the gifted and spirited girl and rescuing her from a brutal and uncaring bureaucracy. Free Teachers guide available upon request.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394485149
• ISBN13: 9780394485140
• Release Date: July 1973
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 241 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Compelling and well-written story

The story of the unwilling, gradual, and compulsive involvement of a young anglo doctor working for the Bureau of Indian Affairs with a younger, much-abandoned Navajo teen-ager kept drawing me back to finish the book in consecutive sittings. The author writes very well, and the book flows smoothly, never reading artificially or feeling contrived. The characters are both familiar (the oily, self-serving, bureaucratic, director Winton and the young, idealistic, somewhat directionless, and indecisive Dr. Teague)and compelling (the dedicated, capable, and dead-ended Nurse Rhinehart and the often-betrayed, many times-abandoned, innocent/worldly wise, woman-child Hatter Fox). There are larger themes and questions raised, and other reviewers have commented on them: non-absorption of visible minority persons into the homogeneous larger society; survival of conquered cultures; and an individual's personal responsibility for others. I loved the book; as I knew it would about thirty pages in, it made me sad. No new insights were gained, but the read was well worth it.

Excellent

I read this book when I was in high school where I often felt alone and thrown away like Hatter Fox. The context of the book felt so realistic. I wondered all the way to the end what the doctor's motives were.

Exceptional story of love and loss between two people

I consider this to be one of the best books I have had the opportunity to read. A young girl filled with fear and hate, who has been cast aside and considered an embarassment to the reformatory and society in general, has been given a second chance...........by the man she tried so hard to kill. Though, she is rude, stubborn and hateful, he never seems to turn his back on her. What started as a doctor-patient relationship turned out to be one of love, felt by both. This story triggers every emotion, even through the last words. This should be read by everyone because it contains a little bit of everything.........best love story of the century!

An unforgettable twist of fate

I first read this book in high school in 1988 and have never forgotten it. I have looked in numerous libraries and was never able to find it. Today, I decided to try this site and am glad I did. This young woman's unbelievable circumstances will tear at your heart. It is sure to teach a valuable lesson to all. It's wonderful! If you read it, you will never forget it.

A give and take relationship between 2 unlikely individuals

This book is basically about a white Indian Bureau doctor trying to save a helpless Navajo girl from self-destruction. The author writes wonderfully as she describes the growing relationship between the two different people. It ends tragically, and this book should become a required reading book for all.