O'Dell's books are known for their evocative and distinctive style. However, this, his final novel, contains fewer of the vivid and detailed descriptions that characterize his earlier works. This might be because the novel was completed by his wife, using notes he had been developing before his death. While the dialogue in his previous books was descriptive and added a unique dimension to his characters, in this work, it primarily narrates events. One reviewer, Margaret Bush, comments on the novel: "Events and characters are sketched quickly, and the many short scenes of the trek and the fighting become a sort of awful travelogue." There is minimal space for descriptions of the natural harmony between the people and their land, possibly because such harmony is no longer achievable.

The tale of Chief Joseph stands as one of the most renowned episodes in Western history. Consistent with his earlier works, O'Dell portrays white settlers as foreign despoilers. This raises questions about the potential idealization in O'Dell's depictions of Native American life and characters. How accurate are these portrayals? Are they influenced by the eighteenth-century concept of the "noble savage"? Are the settlers overly characterized as morally corrupt? Do O'Dell's stories reflect a historical period or merely a nostalgic recollection? How do they compare to other notable Westerns like Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales and McMurtry's Lonesome Dove (1985)? Additionally, a discussion on the settlement of the West might lead to broader topics, such as the doctrine of Manifest Destiny.

1. A strong sense of fate permeates Scott O'Dell's final novel. From the outset, Chief Joseph declares that his people's tragedy is inevitable and only a matter of time. Why does he hold this belief? Even as the Indians achieve victory after victory, a sense of impending doom lingers. Does this imply that Chief Joseph was an ineffective leader or simply a realist?

2. Sound of Running Feet is less developed compared to O'Dell's earlier Indian heroines. What role does she play in the novel? Why did O'Dell choose to narrate the story through the perspective of a young girl rather than Joseph or one of his warriors? Would the narrative have been different with another narrator?

3. The tragedy of the Nez Perce is closely tied to Chief Joseph, but Sound of Running Feet and Swan Necklace endure the hardships and nearly reach Canada. Swan Necklace, however, dies at the hands of hostile Indians instead of white soldiers. What is the purpose of this episode in the novel? Why did O'Dell choose this fate for the character? Swan Necklace is not a historical figure, and the manner of his death is a creation of the author. Why does O'Dell not allow the young characters to start anew, as he did in Sing Down the Moon?

4. In his earlier novels, O'Dell often explores the theme of harmony between humans and nature. This theme is absent in Thunder Rolling in the Mountains. Does the author suggest that such harmony is no longer possible? How has the situation changed since Karana created a life for herself on a deserted island, and Bright Morning began rebuilding her life in the canyon with one sheep and one lamb?

5. Much like the heroes of classic tragedies, Chief Joseph witnesses the disintegration of his world. What is his tragic flaw?

In his earlier novels about Native Americans, O'Dell seems to present a glimmer of hope. His young characters endure hardship, but by the end, they glimpse a brighter future. In Sing Down the Moon (1970), this future becomes possible when the protagonist and her husband abandon civilization and return to their traditional way of life....