Geronimo’s Bones

On February 17, 1909, in the dark heart of winter, the great Apache leader, Geronimo, dies of pneumonia after 23 years as a prisoner of war of the United States. Days later, a young, highly decorated Marine Corporal named Frank Kidd learns about Geronimo’s death. Kidd’s real name is Chaco, and he believes he is Geronimo’s nephew. Orphaned at birth, Chaco was toughened by the cruelties of the white man’s Indian school, battle-hardened by guerrilla warfare, and severely wounded in the 1906 Cuban Pacification Campaign.Chaco returns to Fort Sill’s Apache POW camp, where his adoptive mother is dying, and his sister is trapped in a brothel. Long-held secrets are soon revealed: Chaco is the old warrior’s last son, and his father’s final wish was to be buried in the country that knows my name. To honor that request, Chaco must rescue his sister and liberate Geronimo’s bones from the Apache Cemetery.During the escape, two white men end up dead. Once an honored hero, now a hunted outlaw, Chaco and his sister race west in a stolen motor car. As the last Apache warrior, he must pay the price of freedom with blood, in one of the largest manhunts of the 20th century. Geronimo’s Bones is both evocative and rich in history. Bryant’s U.S. marshal steps off the pages. The ending haunts me still. -Jodi Thomas, bestselling author of 48 novels set in Texas.