WINGS OF AN EAGLE

Themes of overcoming adversity and of giving back beat steadily through this profile of the first American to win Olympic gold in the 10,000-meter race.

Mills (Oglala Lakota) begins at the starting line in the 1964 Olympics, then rewinds to describe how pursuing a dream at the behest of his father carried him past challenges ranging from racial prejudice to sudden attacks of physical weakness—later diagnosed as hypoglycemia and borderline diabetes—to athletic excellence. Along the way to the finish line, he recalls ceremonies, particularly the Traditional Giveaway, in which powwow attendees give gifts to the community. He also remembers a college coach’s belittling comment, his exclusion from a group photo of all-American athletes for being “dark-skinned,” and the refusal of a corporate sponsor to give him a pair of running shoes at the ’64 games. Returning in triumph to the Pine Ridge Reservation with a resolution to “share my thanks and blessings, / and to spread the wings of others,” he went on, as part of his own giveaway, to found Running Strong for American Indian Youth, a nonprofit whose work is described in a closing photo spread. Along with stylized images of symbolic birds and wings, Nelson (Hunkpapa Lakota) surrounds the downcast but determined runner with groups of competitors or racially diverse community members and supporters. A more detailed biographical summary in the backmatter joins substantial personal statements from both the lead author and the illustrator.

A strong, stirring tale of perseverance.