Pushing the Bear: A Novel of the Trail of Tears

Maritole hopes that Williams will attempt to find her when they arrive in Oklahoma, but Luthy claims that the men will not permit this. Maritole worries about this as they arrive at a trading post where an Indigenous man’s hand is burned to the bone from a stove. Meanwhile, Knobowtee worries about Maritole’s infidelity with Sergeant Williams, but his brother eventually tells him he should consider forgiving Maritole. However, Maritole feels as though she has lost her husband to the trail. They both continue to mourn for their daughter. As Maritole tells her father a story about birds and other animals being pushed from an overcrowded sky, her father dies. Tanner must bury him. Knobowtee helps Maritole and her family before asking Maritole to pray with him for his mother. However, he soon loses his mother due to an illness, and he must then bury her with his brother.

To find the strength to continue the journey, people choose different methods to motivate themselves. Luthy likens herself to the earth and focuses on her connection with the land. War Club dreams of fighting against the soldiers, and he claims that spring is around the corner.