A Yelow Raft in Blue Water Chapter 5

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
Author(s)	Michael Dorris
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre(s)	Novel
Publisher	Henry Holt & Co
Publication date	May 1987
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages	343 pp (hardback edition) & 372 p. (paperback edition)
ISBN	ISBN 0-8050-0045-3 (hardback edition) & ISBN 0-446-38787-8 (paperback edition)
OCLC Number	14519855
Dewey Decimal	813/.54 19
LC Classification	PS3554.O695 Y4 1987

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water is a novel written by Michael Dorris and published in 1987. It is written from the viewpoints of three people, Rayona, Christine, and Aunt Ida, exchanging viewpoints between different sections of the book.

Contents

• 1 Plot summary
• 2 Chapter summaries
  • 2.1 Rayona
  • 2.2 Christine
  • 2.3 Ida
• 3 Characters in A Yellow Raft in Blue Water
• 4 Book reviews
  • 4.1 Publishers Weekly
• 5 References
• 6 External links

Plot summary

A Yellow Raft in Blue Water follows a young woman named Rayona, her mother Christine, and Christine's mother Aunt Ida. The novel begins with Rayona playing cards with Christine in the hospital, when Rayona's African American father Elgin visits, angering Christine. Christine leaves the hospital with Rayona, threatening suicide at the spot where Rayona was conceived. Christine eventually leaves Rayona with Aunt Ida, where over time, Rayona begins to learn about herself and where she came from. Rayona eventually runs away and lives with a family at Bear Paw Lake until she returns to Aunt Ida.

Chapter summaries

Rayona

• Chapter 1

Sitting in the Hospital with Christine, her mother, Rayona doesn't feel her mother is sick at all. She calls her mother does have frequent visits to the Hospital after excessive partying, yet she continues to party again as soon as she gets out. Rayona's mom and dad don't get along to well, her mother claims they are separated because of racial differences. Instead of her father keeping Christine's keys to her car, so he can pick her up once she is released from the hospital, he throws them at Rayona and leaves the room without any regard for either of them. Feeling lost Rayona wonders down to find the car. She then finds her mother, dressed in a nurse outfit, trying to break into the car with a coat hanger.They both get in the car where Chrisine drives to Rayona's place of conception. Her mother explains she is going to crash the car in order to collect insurance money for Rayona. Rayona-hearing this many times-gets out of her mother's car. Christine tries to start the car to leave, but it stalls and then dies.

• Chapter 2

Once Christine chooses to leave Seattle for Aunt Ida's, she packs in a hurry-there isn't much she will have trouble leaving behind, with the exception of her lifetime membership to Village Video. One morning while looking in the classified section of the paper, she came across the .99 lifetime membership coupon. She thought it was such a good deal she clipped the coupon ans put it in her purse for the next time they were in town. When they got to Village Video there were two customers talking with the manager about the membership-one was arguing about paying full price the week before and the other was inquiring about the details of the membership. Both customers made Christine feel like she was getting a good deal. Christine decided to join the membership, but Rayona signed for it since she would live the longest- that was they could get the most use out of it. The membership was something Christine felt she was leaving behind for her daughter. Rayone didn't see the point in the membership considering they didn't have a VCR. Once they returned to the apartments in Seattle, the night they would leave for Aunt Ida's, the packed their belongings and snuck past the sleeping building manager to avoid confrontation about owing him money. On the way out of the apartments, Christine stops by her friend Charlenes apartment to leave Aunt Ida's address so she can send her pills. Throw the garbage bags filled with their belongings in the backseat, and make one stop to Village Video before they leave town. Christine decides to permanently rent two videos which were Christine and Little Big Man. As they begin the drive to Montana, Christine tells Rayona about the last time she made the drive. They pass through many small towns in the old beat up Volare, and stop for gas using an expired credit card. Back on the road, they begin to talk about Aunt Ida, and how she was young and unmarried when Christine and Lee were born and that is why she goes by Aunt Ida. Christine sarcastically says that she is looking forward to seeing Aunt Ida. Conversation Between Christine and Rayona do not usually get personal, but sometimes Christine talks to her like a friend. They discuss how Rayon doesn't have anyone to miss because she is not close to anyone; although she always hopes that her dad will come around. Rayona is concerned about her mom and what she will do once they are back on the reservation, but she doesn't say anything. The next day they drove the entire day. As Christine begins to worry if the Volare will make it, she regrets not using the expired card for tires too. Christine gets anxious about how close they are to Aunt Ida's, and she runs into a dip in the road killing the Volare. Christine mentions Dayton, a close friend of Lee's, and that she will have him look at the car. They take the garbage bags and videos and set out on foot to Aunt Ida's. Once at the top of the hill they spot Aunt Ida mowing the lawn and singing along with her cassette player. Aunt Ida sees Christine and Rayona coming, but goes back to what she is doing. Christine is nervous, but finally gets the attention of Ida. Aunt Ida is silent waiting for Christine to speak, and then asks Christine to give her 3 reasons why she should let them stay. Christine tells her because she is her only living child and she needs someplace to stay. After that, Christine gets angry and yells absence words at Aunt Ida, then runs away. Rayona runs after her mother, but her garbage bag brakes. She tries to pick up her belongings, but is too upset. Before Rayona can catch up to her mother, she gets into a car driving by on the busy road. Christine never looks back. Rayona sits on the ground, and unsure what to do she starts ripping grass out of the dirt. Aunt Ida grabs Rayona's arms and fights her strength until she is able to hold her. Rayons is instructed by Aunt Ida to grab her belongings, but she does not. She gets up and follows Aunt Ida back to the house.

• Chapter 3

Rayona and Aunt Ida are trying to get used to each other. Rayona is staying in her mothers old room that is intact will all her belongings as the day she (Christine) left. There is no water at Aunt Ida's, and her house is always noisy, there is always a radio on or Aunt Ida's television on while Aunt Ida yells at the shows she watches. Aunt Ida's life revolves around her T.V. set and the shows that she watches religiously. Rayona and Aunt Ida don't do much talking, Rayona is the unwelcome reminder of her mother, Aunt Ida's duty. Aunt Ida only speaks to Rayona in Indian. Rayona meets Father Tom and starts going to the God squad meetings, she is an outside as much as Father Tom is. They start spending time with each other as a result that she became Father Tom's assistant. Much to Rayona's dismay but she would rather have someone to talk to her that no one at all. But Father Tome makes Rayona feel nervous and uncomfortable. He starts asking her questions about puberty and the changes her body is going through. Stating that she need someone to talk to about that. he says she is an attractive young lady. He leaves Rayona in a weird mood.

• Chapter 4

As summer enters into Rayona's life on the reservation, she becomes distraught, torn from staying at Aunt Ida's-hidden from Annabelle and Foxy-or being Father Tom's project. In this dilemma she also entertains the idea of boarding the Great Northern back to Seattle, possible finding her friends or maybe even her father. In the plannings of her mind Father Tom shows up early to pick her up, he stats that they had missed her complain in Religion. She ignores, he press's deeper into the silence. After revealing her plans to somehow get back to Seattle, Father Tom purpose's that she come with him to Helena, Montana for the Teens for Christ Jamboree, she agrees to this idea. Rayona and Father Tom take off on a Friday afternoon for Helena. Before leaving town they swing by Aunt Ida's, so Rayona can grab some things. On entering the house she notices that the pack for her mother is gone, and no evidence of a note from Christine or anything, knowing full well that she had been there, for the senior yearbook is missing. Rayona packs everything important to her and leaves with a lonesome feeling that her mother cares only for her pills and not for her daughter. On their way to Helena, Father Tom asks Rayona questions about her parents which she gives him false answers. He also proceeds to ask very personal questions towards Rayona's womenhood. He also tells her how he became a priest. They stop for the day at the Bearpaw Lake; this is the point in the book when we are introduced to the yellow raft in blue water. A wooden dock painted yellow floating out in the middle of the lake. Upon swimming out to the dock in shorts too big for her, Rayona finds herself having to rescue Father Tom who gets a cramp before making it to the dock. This is when they have a weird moment of emotion misunderstanding. Father Tom pulls away and proclaims that they have committed sin and that they should have never came her in the first place. Then Rayona reintroduces the idea of going to Seattle, and Father Tom agrees with helping her with the money to get there. But the train doesn't stop when Father Tom flash's the light of the truck to signal a boarding, and leaves Rayona there not knowing that she will be stranded. After the passing of the train Rayona tired and alone lays down on the tracks and sleeps.

• Chapter 5

This chapter starts with Rayona waking up in the morning after the events that transpired the previous day. She moves along across were she was to see the entrance to Bearpaw Lake State Park, along with that sign she sees another instructing hikers to stay put, she follows the sign and waits. Moments later a man approaches her, this man knew her from the gas station; he then introduces himself as Sky, he then leads her to the park office. While in the office Sky tries to lighten the mood with a joke about a priest, a rabbi, and a Hindu. After that Rayona tells sky that she is from Seattle, and her parents are on a trip, but she lies about the occupation of her father, she tells Sky her father is a pilot, and that she ran away from the priest she was with at the gas station only because she didn't want to get converted. She tells Sky many more things but the one truth was her Uncle Lee dying in Vietnam. Once Rayona is finished, Sky calls his wife Evelyn the cook at the park to see if she could get Rayona job. Evelyn makes breakfast then sends her to the man in charge, Mr. McCutcheon; he sets her up with a uniform, one that could fit her tall skinny body. While she goes to change she sees there is no mirror in the bathroom so she wanders to the men's room to check herself. That moment is when she meets the 3 other workers, Andy, Dave and John, they were the three college students obsessed with looking at the hot babes that came through. The three were quite jealous of Rayona because of the zone she was assigned, that zone had the pretty young lifeguard. She thinks coldly to herself that the guys treat her like one of them but her mind then drifts to her mother and how beauty didn't do much for her. While running her shift, with was pretty much no work at all she stumbles upon a letter, it had no address, but it was signed "From Mother and Pops". She saw this and instantly became envious, that someone out there loved their child enough to sign it. Instead of trashing it, the put it in her wallet, and let her mind linger on the thoughts of the rains of Seattle.

• Chapter 6

Rayona, Sky, and Evelyn come home to Sky and Evelyn's trailer, then Evelyn cooks two packs of macaroni and cheese for each of them. Instead of eating dinner Rayona falls asleep while Evelyn and Sky rummage through her pockets. They find a letter in her pocket that she found while doing trash duty and believe she's not a run away. When Rayona starts her cleaning duty the next morning she decides to take a swim where Father Tom took her, but she stops herself when she realizes someone else is already swimming. She runs to hide behind a tree and from there she can see an attractive girl on the yellow raft, which she overhears someone yell that her name is Ellen. Also while doing her rounds at the park she sometimes comes across clothing which she can claim after three weeks. One morning when Ellen's parents come to town they are talking about how much Rascal misses her, and Evelyn overhears this, remembering Rascal from the letter in Rayona's pocket. Rayona runs away from the diner, but Evelyn cathes up with her and confronts her about her lie.

• Chapter 7

In this chapter Rayona is standing alone, staring out at a yellow raft in the lake. While looking at it she hoped her troubles would just go away. Evelyn caught up with her and listens to everything Rayona told her. With that off her chest Evelyn felt it best for her to return home, and then she and Sky would take her there. They return to the gas station; Sky surprised by this, he closes up the gas station while Rayona packs her things, also taking some videos from video village. All packed and ready to go, Rayona suggests an Indian rodeo nearby in the town of Havre thinking her mother might be there. As soon as they arrive at the rodeo Rayona encounters Foxy, a boy from the reservation, he is rude to both Rayona and Evelyn but is put back in place by Evelyn. Sky and Evelyn go off leaving the two (Rayona and Foxy) to talk. Discovering Foxy was supposed to be in the rodeo riding a horse that belonged to Christine's friend. Foxy himself was too drunk to ride, so he "persuades" Rayona to ride for him by flashing his knife. Foxy gives her his hat and jacket to hide her appearance making her look like a boy. She then goes on her way to the stock pens. In the pens she gets on the horse named Babe, she sits there nervous for the moment. Once it began she is thrown from the horse, but gets back up and this repeats 3 times within a minute. Determined and eager she continues to get back on the horse. By the end of another minute, Babe and Rayona are tired. At the end of the ride Rayona changed. Rayona's bravery was like a marvel, one most admirable by everyone around her. When the rewards are given Rayona, still disguised at Foxy is awarded a "hard luck buckle" before she goes to accept the award she sheds her disguise (hat and jacket) and goes to receive it. Evelyn begins to cheer seeing Rayona going to get the reward, soon everyone begins cheering for Rayona.

• Chapter 8

Rayona steps off the platform for awards, and she sees Foxy who is glaring angrily at her. A cowboy comes up to Rayona and it turns out to be her mother's old on and off boyfriend from high school. His name is Dayton and he owns the horse she had been riding in the rodeo. Next Evelyn and Sky show up and Rayona is polite and introduces them to the others. She introduces them as friends from Bearpaw Lake State park and the name gets Father Toms attention. While this is all going on Father Tom realizes that Evelyn is staring profusely at Father Tom. He realizes that she must know of everything that happened with Rayona at that park. From there Dayton decided to take her home. Rayona gathers her things from the car and says her goodbyes. When they arrive at Dayton's house Christine has been worried sick and feels that Rayona has wronged her in many ways because she ran away from Aunt Ida's. They start to argue back and forth until Dayton makes them stop. He puts them in front of the TV to watch the rodeo. The next day Rayona wakes up sore from riding Dayton's horse the previous day. She looks out her window to see Babe the horse she had ridden the day before, and she wanted to try it again. Rayona runs out and hops on Babe, but Babe doesn't like this idea so he bucks her right onto the ground. Christine comes outside to help and they begin to talk about everything. Christine explains to Rayona that she lost her religious faiths and beliefs, because of a letter "supposedly" from the Virgin Mary. There were all sorts of rumors about this letter and Christine had done some studying in preparation for the end of the world but when she asked if the end was of the world was true, the only answer she got was a mystery so she began to get discouraged.

Christine

• Chapter 9

Chapter 9 is the start to the second part of the novel from Rayona to Christine. The chapter starts when Christine expected for the world to end. Christine waited around for the apocalypse that never came, and she ended up missing a party that she now regrets not going to. Christine has a brother named Lee, who is the cute and attractive boy of the town. Christine does not think of herself as attractive, and is highly insecure. Christine doubts if she and Lee have the same father, but Aunt Ida won't tell them. Christine and Lee aren't allowed to call Aunt Ida "mom" because she was never married and feels it's not right. Christine acts like the toughest kid in her class so the boys in her class send her out on dares. They sent her out on a dare to cross the bridge of stone that is high above a stream. She gets part way down the bridge, and freezes of fear to where her brother Lee has to come walk her across the rest of the bridge. After Christine experiences that, she makes a list of dares she will never do. When Christine was a sophomore she caught her brothers friend Dayton watching her through the window while she was changing. Christine quickly took that as a sign of interest, and becomes attracted to Dayton. During a pow-wow soon after, Christine tries seducing Dayton and he stops her and states that he thinks of Christine as just a sister. Christine becomes furious, and she and Dayton have a falling-out. Christine graduates high school and got a job with the tribal council. Dayton and Lee become active in the Red Power movement, and Christine disagrees in their choice of a hobby.

• Chapter 10

Chapter 10 is the start of the Vietnam War. Christine asked Dayton where he stands and he said "4-A" which means he cannot be drafted. Christine asks Lee as well and he tells her that he is not going to enlist so he cannot get drafted at all, which Christine thinks is Lee is being a coward. Christine soon realizes that Lee wouldn't be able to run for the Tribal Election if he does not enlist, so she quickly tells Dayton, who of course persuades Lee. Lee then leaves with Dayton for a few weeks, cuts his hair, and enlists. Christine receives mail from Dayton saying Lee is MIA- Missing In Action. Christine quickly feels nervous while she is dreading receiving anymore letters. Christine ends up going to a bar that night in Seattle, and she then realizes everyone in there is black. A guy with the name of Corporal Elgin comes over to buy her a drink, while she explains what happened to Lee. He comforts her, and they stay the night together. The next morning she asks him to never leave her, and he promises he won't.

• Chapter 11

After Christine met Elgin she did not feel like herself for she was falling head over heals for him. Shortly into their relationship the honeymoon did not last long. Christine found herself needing Elgin for more reasons than one. She was discovering what other women her age were talking when they were ready to have babies. She also was actually keeping a job longer than she had in the past by returning to her first job in Seattle. Elgin started his new career as a mail carrier, and that is when he began to stay out late into the evening. Christine would give birth to their daughter alone. Elgin showed up after the birth but had other names in mind of their daughter, they agreed upon Rayona and Diane as her middle name, which was after his mother. After a few months had passed Elgin returned to his long nights of being out and this is when the beginning of Christine and his was off and on again relationship.

• Chapter 12

It has been fourteen months since Christine received the letter from Dayton, and now she and Rayona were on their way to the reservation in the Volare for Lee's funeral. Upon arriving to Aunt Ida's, Christine did not recognize that Lee's casket was under a familiar table cloth. Several people blamed Christine for the death of Lee. Aunt Ida and other tribal community members were bitter towards Christine. At the funeral Christine finally saw Dayton and was able to reconnect with him. Willard Pretty Dog stood up and held Aunt Ida's hand, which was not a situation that Christine was used to from the past. Dayton also took Christine's hand and picked up Rayona to dance with them both in a ceremony for Lee.

• Chapter 13

Christine and Rayona leave the Reservation and get back to Seattle on a Saturday night. Christine wanted to go out and drink, and she dragged Rayona out with her. They go to the Silver Bullet, a bar that Christine normally goes to. While they were there, Christine notices that Elgin is there. Elgin had his arm around a large woman. When Elgin notices them, he walks over and talks to Christine. Then Elgin ends up coming home with them for two weeks. While Elgin stayed, he would leave and come back into Christine's life. One day, Aunt Ida called to let Christine know that she would be in town and that Ida's Aunt Clara is sick and is staying at the hospital on the reservation. Ida, Christine and Rayona all went to see Clara for a short visit. Christine said that she wanted to caome back, but Clara past away before she could go see her again. When they arrive back at their home, Elgin says he is going to be there when Christine needs him. Christine wanted to raise her child better than Ida did her. She believes that Elgin or anyone else is an obstacle with raising her child well.

• Chapter 14

The doctors tell Christine that she only has six months to live because she wore her liver and pancreas out. The doctor suggests that she makes a plan for her daughter, but all she asks for is a deck of cards. When christine is resting, she knows that Rayona is coming to visit. But she is not looking forward to it, because there is going tobe trouble with Christine's passing. WhenRayona arrives, Christine braids her hair. Christine then realizes how different Rayona is compared to her. Then Elgin shows up for a visit and delivers a volare. But Elgin seems as if he does not want to talk much. Christine wanted Elgin to stay, so when he leaves she is feriuos, but hides her emotions under the sheets. After Elgin and Rayona are gone, Chrstine steals some nurse's clothes and escapes. Chrstine and Rayona go to the Point Defiance Zoo of Tacoma, where Christine pulls over the car and starts fighting with and kicks Rayona out of the car. Then Christine realizes what she has done to her child and turns around to pick her up. They go to Aunt Ida's because Christine wants her to look after Rayona after she dies. Christine wanted to give Rayona something special but realized she did not have anything that great. Then she remembered about Village Video, she rented a movie with some significance. Rayona did not get it at first and thought that it was dumb, Rayona then understood. After the movie, they went to Aunt Ida's, but a mile away the volare dies, so they decide to walk the rest of the way. When they arrive Aunt Ida is mowing the lawnand Christine asks Rayona for different openings for Aunt Ida. Instead Cristine insults her mother and turns and leaves.

• Chapter 15

Christine is running as fast as she can, pushing her body to her limits. While she is running a truck stops to pick her up. Christine's cousin, Foxy Kennedy Cree, is driving and offers her a ride. Christine does not know where to go at first, she thinks of all the possibilities and decides to go to Dayton's. Foxy drops Christine off at Daytons and offers her one more chance to change her mind, she declines. Christine is hesitant to enter Dayton's house, when she does Christine takes in all the photos and things among the house. Christine is alone in the house and falls asleep on the couch, when Dayton arrives she fakes being asleep until she feels that Dayton is ready for her to wake and notice he is home. Christine explains why she is there and where Rayona is. A few weeks go by and Christine is out of her medication. Christine's medication is delivered to Aunt Ida's house and she asks Dayton to take her over there when she thinks that no one is there. They arrive and Ida is watching television. Ida is unaware who is at her house and then Christine asks how Rayona is. Ida and Christine have an argument, Ida tells Christine that she never wanted her to begin with. Christine is completely hurt from this and Ida takes off walking across the property to a place where nobody can see.

• Chapter 16

Christen and Dayton settle into a routine in his home as if they are married, Dayton goes to work and Christen keeps the house clean and cooks. Christen feels her strength dwindling, and she notices herself getting weaker every week. Christen tried to figure out if Aunt Ida was apologetic in an exchange of the last words they spoke. Father Hurlburt drives Aunt Ida to Christine's to inform her that Rayona had run away, and asked if she had heard from her. Christine then calls Elgin about Rayona's disappearance, but his line was disconnected, and Charlene was on vacation. Christina finally talks to Dayton about Rayona's and the situation of being gone from the reservation. Dayton begins to talk about Rayona if she was their child. Dayton also asks Christine if Rayona will like him. It is Fourth of July, Foxy goes over to Dayton's to help load Dayton's horse for the rodeo. Dayton says his goodbyes to Christine and the two leave for town. Christine stayed home for the night and took a bath. The next day Dayton was early coming home from the rodeo, he surprised Christine as she was taking her pain pills. Christine was surprised again as she saw who was getting out of the truck with Dayton. At first Christine saw Lee standing there, but it was actually Rayona. Christine and Rayona exchange a few hurtful words. Christine was angry that she had run away without a word to Aunt Ida. Rayona was upset that her mom left her and only came back for her pills. Dayton interrupts the two from their argument takes them both inside. They are sitting in silence watching the TV and Rayona's story was on the news about the rodeo. Christine again saw her brother Lee instead of Rayona and it was too much for Christine to handle so she went to bed, Dayton helped her to her room. Dayton ended up coming into Christine's room that night and holding her has she slept. He was gone before she woke up. Over the rest of the summer they all worked together around the house. Aunt Ida came over for dinner, and to Christine's surprise she was quite pleasant. She spoke English in front of Dayton. She brought Christine her old yearbook from school so Christine could remember and share it with Rayona. Later they sat around and watched Ida's TV show. Cristina was getting weaker and could handle only one task a day. Dayton fixed her old car and Christine and Dayton decided to teach Rayona how to drive the car and Dayton's manual transmission truck. Dayton finds a stud add in the paper for his mare and takes Rayona to the ranch to drop his horse off. While they were gone Father Tom appears at the house. Christine was surprised by the visitor, Father Tom hands her a bottle of pain pills and leaves quickly after Christine starts to say that Aunt Ida had mentioned something about him. When it was time to pick up Dayton's horse the two girls talked Dayton into picking up the mare from the horse breeder. They had breakfast at a dinner and Christine gave Rayona one of her rings and they both realized they needed each other. They had trouble getting the horse into the back of the truck because they horses had fallen in love. They finally got her in the back; Rayona and Christine drive back listening to the Top Country Hits on the radio.

Ida

• Chapter 17

This is the start of Aunt Ida's section. Ida reflects on her life and how she would have changed it if she could have said no to her father Lecon, Aunt Clara, and Willard. Clara arrives on the reservation to help with Annie, Ida' sick mother who is ill with a bad heart, Ida and Pauline are excited to have her in the house. Clara cares for Annie, even doing her nails; it picks her spirits up a little. Clara and Ida would talk on the roof where Ida was comfortable. Ida would talk about the other girls having boyfriends and she was alone, she wanted Willard Pretty Dog but he was joining the army. Papa was able to work more and received bonus money, and was back in shape. Pauline swayed away from Clara presence and helped the nuns at the mission because Clara and Ida were close and Pauline was not. Clara admired Pauline's rosary beads and asked to borrow it, saying that the beads were most likely scrap. Pauline never touched the rosary again. As time moves on Clara and Ida become close, Clara helps Ida with her homework, and Ida admires Clara. Now, just before Christmas Ida brought presents home that she made at the mission. She realized there was trouble at the house, her mother was crying and Clara was in her bedroom. Clara was pregnant from Lecon. Everyone was placing blame on each other; Clara stated "it was an accident". The decision was made Clara would have the baby, and Ida would raise it. Lecon called on Father Hurlburt for help. Lecon lied about the origin of the baby's father. He told the Father Hurlburt that Clara had been raped by a stranger. Father Hurlburt made arrangements for the girls to go to Denver, Colorado to have the baby at a mission.

• Chapter 18

While at the Nunnery posing as Clara's sister, Ida pays for room and board by doing chores for the nuns. The nuns want Clara to give up her baby for adoption so she can become a nun herself. Ida looks forward to returning home and going back to a normal life. One day Ida receives a letter from Pauline, telling her about how their parents are fighting and how Pauline hates living with them. Clara had a baby girl that the nuns named Christine. When the nuns came to bring Ida the news, she pretends not to speak English well enough to understand. Ida demands to see Clara, and although the nuns say no, Ida refuses. Clara tells Ida that she is wants to give Christine up for adoption. Ida was not okay with that at all. So when Ida threatened to tell the nuns the truth about the baby's father, Clara lets Ida take Christine. Ida goes back to the reservation and the next two years are hard for Ida. Her mother's health continues to get worse as well. Meanwhile Ida makes Christine call her "Aunt Ida," because this name allows Ida to distance herself from Christine. Ida hopes though that one day Clara will come and that she might try to take Christine with her. Later on Clara finally shows at Ida's house, exactly four years after she last had seen her. Clara had only come to see Christine, so she goes and wakes her up. Ida stayed in the kitchen and is so caught up in thought that Clara is with Christine that she accidentally burns her cheek with a hot ladle. Clara tells Christine that she is her mother. Christine accepts it without any questioning or anything, because she does not understand the word mother.

• Chapter 19

Ida's mother dies, and Lecon runs off a month or so later and Pauline marries Dale Cree. Ida leases her land and installs electricity and plumbing in her house. Around this time, Willard Pretty Dog makes a return from the war. Willard was once the most attractive boy on the reservation, but now rumored to be hideously deformed from accidents during the war. Willard had even gone so far as to painting the windows of his car so no one can see him as he going into town to the hospital. Ida asked Father Hurlburt about Willard, and he says she should go over and pay a visit to him. Willard is so ashamed of his appearance that Father Hurlburt knows he will never see anyone at his house, but thinks he might be able to persuade Willard to stop by Ida's on the way back from the hospital. The day of Willard's visit, Ida has Pauline take her to the store, where she spends a lot of money on groceries. Ida cooks dinner and puts Christine to bed just before her guests arrive. When Father Hurlburt arrives, he had to try and coax Willard from the car. Ida hears him from inside and goes outside without even taking a look at Willard, and drags him inside the house. Willard adjusts and settles. Willard asks what Ida knows about anything, so Ida tells him her whole story, and that night they sleep together. Willard then begins to live with Ida, but Ida denies she is sleeping with Willard, even though she obviously is. They came into a problem about three months later, when Willard's mother stopped by Ida's house and says that she has heard rumors about her son and Ida. Willard's mother acts as if Ida is Willard's nurse, although it is clear that Ida and Willard are romantically involved. Ida gets news from Father Hurlburt that her father Lecon is dead. Soon after Ida realizes she is pregnant, although she is not ashamed of the idea of being pregnant, she keeps it secret. Ida rides with Father Hurlburt and Mrs. Pretty Dog to the hospital. When the doctor removes Willard's bandages, everyone is surprised to see that he is nearly as handsome as he was before the accident with the land mine. Mrs. Pretty Dog assumes that Willard will no longer need his "nurse," but Willard says he will be going back to Ida's anyway and tells his mom that Ida was never his "nurse". Mrs. Pretty Dog argues that Willard can have any girl he wants now. Ida no longer wants him because he had said she was not very smart nor beautiful when his mother was telling him he could have any girl he wanted now after his reconstruction surgery. Later on, people begin to say that Willard must be the father of Ida's unborn child. She never denies it outright, or denies any of the accusations of who the father of her child is. The only denial Ida actually makes is when Pauline asks if Father Hurlburt is the child's father. Ida still continues to associate with Willard, but she no longer falls for him. She wants to show Christine that it is all right to act strong in front of any man. Ida has a baby boy and Pauline wants her to name it after their parents. Ida is reluctant to do so but names her boy Lecon and is nicknamed Lee.

• Chapter 20

Ida understood Catholicism but was unable to keep the calendar updated truly not a practicing Catholic. Lee was a very demanding baby, while Christine was very over bearing towards her baby brother; Ida appreciated Christine's absence when school started so she could teach Lee patience and self-control. Pauline praises Christine's ability not be jealous and how Lee is such a good baby. Ida was content with a simple, quiet life with the exceptions of the occasional obligations when the priest would visit. Ida made improvements to the home slowly year after year showing her sensibility. Questions Lee and Christine had about why they were different and who their father was, were skirted by Ida. Ida led Christine to believe indirectly that she was her mother never revealing that Clara was Christine's biological mother. Ida never contacted Clara because of her fear that she might return with yet more mistakes more than Ida could bear and that Clara would steal Christine's love away from her. Christine's devotion to Catholicism was curious to Ida and envious Ida believed she was punishing herself because her farther had abandoned her meanwhile trying to make a mends. Lee was astounded by Christine's achievements and looked to her as his mentor. Ida knew of Christine's defiance to prove her place with the other children but never discouraged her to stop but ask Lee not to participate because he would find himself making his own mark in other ways but Lee's confidence was over shadowed by Christine's bravado. Christine's nerve was challenged with the introduction of the "Portugal letter" by sister Alvina suggesting fire and brimstone in order to control subservience with in the congregation. Ida sympathetic to Christine's concerns of the end of the world in the letter so Ida participates and encourages lee to understand Christine's wishes, the end never comes to fruition. Ida consoles with Father Hurlburt as she begins to brad her hair in the early hours of the morning on the roof top, Father Hurlburt unaware of the correlation that braiding and life have in common.

Characters in A Yellow Raft in Blue Water

• Rayona Diane Taylor – a main protagonist; daughter of Christine and Elgin
• Christine George Taylor – a main protagonist; mother of Rayona
• Aunt Ida George – a main protagonist; legal mother of Christine
• Elgin Taylor – Christine's (separated) husband; Rayona's father
• Lee George – Christine's brother
• Dayton Nickles – Lee's friend
• Father Hurlburt – priest at the reservation mission; Ida's close friend
• Father Tom Novak – assistant priest at the reservation mission.
• Pauline George Cree – Ida's sister
• Dale Cree – Pauline's husband; Foxy's father
• Polly Cree – Dale's mother
• Buster Cree – Dale's father
• Willard Pretty Dog – a reservation man and veteran; biological father of Lee
• Mrs. Pretty Dog – Willard's mother
• Kennedy "Foxy" Cree – Rayona's cousin; son of Pauline
• Annabelle Stiffarm – Foxy's girlfriend
• Clara – Annie's sister; Christine's biological mother
• Annie George – Ida and Pauline's mother; Lecon's wife
• Lecon George – Ida, Pauline, and Christine's father; Annie's husband
• Ellen DeMarco – lifeguard at Bearpaw Lake
• Mr. and Mrs. DeMarco – Ellen's parents
• Norman "Sky" Dial – owner of the Conoco gas station near Bearpaw Lake
• Evelyn Dial – chef at Bearpaw Lake; wife of Sky
• Charlene – Seattle pharmacist; Christine's friend and neighbor
• Mr. McCutcheon – Bearpaw Lake maintenance supervisor
• John, Andy, and Dave – other Bearpaw Lake employees

Book reviews

Publishers Weekly

Veteran narrator Rosenblat displays remarkable vocal versatility in narrating Dorris's cross-generational story of three Native American women in Montana who must come to grips with the past. Divided into three first-person narratives, the book follows teenage Rayona; her mother, Christine; and her grandmother, who both the others call Aunt Ida. Rosenblat gives each a distinct voice, perfectly capturing the youthful yet determined attitude of Rayona and the wizened, sardonic tone of her mother. The syncopated, husky voice she adopts for Aunt Ida, who is said to have a pronounced accent, isn't spot-on, but it isn't distracting either. Ida's story is the shortest of the three, and Rayona's is the longest and most immediate, as the other two are actually monologues that supplement and expand on the events of the first part of the book. Rosenblat ably gives voice to the secondary characters, switching easily from a chummy, awkward priest to the bullying young Foxy Cree, but it is her excellent portrayal of dopey, sweet Sky and world-wise Evelyn, a couple who take in Rayona when she runs away, that serves as an index to the overall quality of this laudable production. ^[1]

"Earns admiration from first page to last...Suspenseful, constantly gripping, original in its characters and settings, and finally, profoundly moving." People ^[1]
Library Journal; 3/1/2004, Vol. 129 Issue 4, p126-126, 1/9p. ^[2]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} http://www.amazon.com/Yellow-Raft-Water-Michael-Dorris/dp/product-description/1883332966/ref=dp_proddesc_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1329333670&sr=8-1
2. ^ Rasmussen, R. Kent, and Ann Burns. "A Yellow Raft In Blue Water (Book)." Library Journal 129.4 (2004): 126. Academic Search Complete. Web. 15 Feb. 2012.
   http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=5&hid=7&sid=3829f0f8-6d23-4ff8-9715-832c21f3b949%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=a9h&AN=12389506

• Dorris, Michael, and James Patrick. Duffy. A Yellow Raft in Blue Water Michael Dorris. New York: Spark Pub., 2002. Print.

External links

• SparkNotes
• Books of the Times, Multiple Perspectives
• Eccentricity was all They Could Afford
• Michael Dorris Dies At 52, Wrote of His Son's Suffering
• Alcohol's Child a Father Tells His Tale
• At The Movies
• NY Times Books Reviews
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