Secret of the Andes

Cusi, the protagonist of this novel, is a young Incan Indian boy who has lived in a hidden valle, high in the Andes Mountains, all his life. He knows nobody but his guardian, Chuto. Together thy herd and breed llamas.

Every year they shear the animals so that Chuto can take the llama wool to market. While Chuto visits the cities below, Cusi has never been off the top of the mountain.

But things are about to change. For the first time, Cusi is invited to go with Chuto to take the llama wool to the city. Instead of looking down at a distant family home to see other people, now he'll be able to walk among them and talk to them.

In this novel Cusi is able to make two trips to the city. He learns lessons about people, about his parents, and about himself.

The theme of this book is the powerful urge to know family, to be part of a culture group, and to know your purpose for being alive.

At the beginning of the book Cusi doesn't know who his parents are. He's never been with anyone but Chuto, so far as he can remember. He gets to meet a woman who might be his mother but also has to accept her death. He learns that his purpose does not lie with the others who live outside his mountain paradise.

It seems that a lot of Newbery Medal winners are chosen because they illuminate various world or historic cultures. This book is an excellent introduction to Andean culture for young readers. I was surprised, however, at the frequent mention of Coca leaf use by Cusi and his guardian, Chuto. I always considered Coca leaves to be the natural form of cocaine. I did some research on this and discovered that Coca leaves are for sale on the internet, and it is not illegal for Americans to buy them. Coca leaf tea is said to energize, brighten moods, help digestion, regulate the metabolism of carbohydrates, and alleviate fatigue and altitude sickness. It is an important part of Incan culture that Ann Nolan Clark wanted people to know about.