Toby is twelve years old and lives at Fort Gibson, in the Indian Territory (what in present day is the State of Oklahoma). There are no boys at the fort his age, and he finds himself lonely for someone to spend time with. When a tragic event strikes his family, he finds himself spending more time alone in his grief.
One day, he unexpectedly meets an unlikely friend in Bearpaw. He has never known an Indian personally before, and many at the fort don't particularly like them. Toby becomes best friends with Bearpaw as they share fun activities together and learn from each other. How does he tell his family about Bearpaw though, and what will they think?
There are a few older boys at the fort who make fun of Toby and try to bully him. Toby has a good heart, is honest and hardworking, and can usually avoid trouble.
The Western Frontier was hard in many ways. Just surviving the harsh elements, some unsavory people, new family dynamics, and scary life-and-death situations made for interesting and sometimes stressful times in Toby's life.
Bearpaw and his grandfather White Cloud were Cherokee. They arrived at their present location by having to walk the Trail of Tears. The White people governing our nation at that time forced the Cherokees and other Indian tribes from their homes in the southeastern part of the US. They had to walk all the way to where they now live. Thousands died along the way, especially in the winter, when they became sick with pneumonia and other illnesses.
White Cloud doesn't trust White men because of the way his people were treated. Can Bearpaw convince him that Toby isn't like that?
Will they always have to hide their friendship, or can the difference in the color of their skin, prejudices, and culture be overcome?
To make things even more interesting, there is a mystique surrounding White Cloud.
