Tinnemaha Creek

Nick Taddeo
Foremost Press (2005)
ISBN 0974892122
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (5/06)

“Tinnemaha Creek” is the gripping story of two families in the Owens Valley of California struggling with the effects of mountain lions inhabiting the land near their homes. The McClintock’s and Kramer’s are ranching families living in the shadow of the Sierra Mountains. The beautiful landscape out their back doors provides room for their livestock to roam and children to grow and learn. But this closeness to nature is not only limited to the scenery, it also includes the wildlife.

Stephanie McClintock and Adriana Kramer, both twelve years old, are out one day enjoying the wildflowers in the meadow when they come upon a cougar. The girls are shaken up by this encounter, but not harmed. The different ways that the townspeople confront this situation brings about a battle of man and cougar, man and the law, and conflicts between husband and wife, and father and daughter.

Many of the citizens living in the area, including Adriana’s father, want to take the law into their own hands and protect their families against the dangerous mountain lion by hunting him down and killing him. Others, such as Stephanie’s father and grandfather, think this was a one time event that will not happen again. As Lester Farley, Stephanie’s grandfather, claims, "They did the right thing by that animal, and he did the right thing by them." This live and let live attitude is not the majority though, and a hunting party is organized even though the men are informed of the Animal Rights Protection Act that protects these endangered species from such harm.
Cobra Stevens, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Department of Fish and Game is called in to find a peaceful and humane solution to the problem. She is not easily accepted though. Her beauty and independence threaten some of the men as well as some of the women involved. From her position, she thinks relocating the animal before harm comes to him is the best option. Although there is always the issue of another mountain lion stepping in and claiming the territory once the first one is gone. And the second mountain lion may be even more threatening.

The interesting thing about this book is that it is written from the point of view of all characters involved. We see the issue through the eyes of the young girls, such as Adriana, who is experiencing her first real conflict of morals with her father. We see it through the eyes of the wildlife biologist who’s first interest is the cougar. We see it through the eyes of the mothers who’s first interest is the safety of their children. We also see it from the perspective of the cougar, who is trying to make a life for himself in the valley.

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