Introduction

Ben Mikaelsen has authored many young adult novels and won the International Reading Association Award. While researching this novel, the author had a 300-pound male Spirit Bear come as close as twenty feet from him. He and his wife live in Montana with a 700-pound bear they adopted and have raised for seventeen years. Touching Spirit Bear was published in 2001.

Plot Summary

Cole Matthews, a troubled 15-year-old from Minneapolis with a history of violence, finds himself handcuffed and on a boat to a remote island in Southeast Alaska as part of a Native American justice system called Circle Justice. Instead of jail, Cole opts for banishment to the island, where he must survive alone for a year. 

Cole's journey begins with defiance and a lack of remorse for his actions, particularly for beating a peer named Peter, which landed him in this situation. Despite the guidance and trust extended by his probation officer, Garvey, and a Tlingit elder named Edwin, Cole plans to escape his punishment as soon as possible.

Upon arrival, Cole's anger leads him to burn the shelter and supplies provided for him. Left with nothing, he encounters a mystical white bear, the Spirit Bear, which he tries to kill but instead is mauled nearly to death. This encounter initiates a transformation in Cole. Faced with isolation, injury, and the raw forces of nature, he begins to reflect on his life, actions, and the concept of true healing.

Months pass, and Cole, now physically disabled from the bear attack, is rescued and rehabilitated. His journey of introspection continues as he grapples with guilt, the desire for forgiveness, and the difficult process of change. He convinces the Circle Justice members to allow him a second chance on the island, promising genuine efforts towards rehabilitation.

Back on the island, Cole works to rebuild his life, constructing a new shelter and engaging in the daily routines Edwin and Garvey teach him, including a morning ritual of soaking in a pond to calm anger and reflect. He carves a totem pole, symbolizing his experiences and learnings, leaving a space at the bottom to represent what he still needs to understand about his anger and how to help Peter heal.

Peter's condition worsens, leading Cole to suggest that Peter join him on the island to confront his fears and find healing. Despite initial resistance, Peter is eventually brought to the island, where the boys slowly navigate their strained relationship. Cole's patience and changed demeanor gradually influence Peter, who begins to express his anger and pain.

Through shared experiences and the symbolic presence of the Spirit Bear, Cole and Peter start to forge a tentative friendship. They engage in the island's rituals together, including the ancestor rock and soaking in the pond, symbolizing their journey towards forgiveness and healing. Their final act of carving a circle into Cole's totem symbolizes the interconnectedness of life and their mutual journey toward healing.

Cole's story is one of transformation from a violent and angry youth to someone capable of empathy, understanding, and the hard work of genuine change. Through his experiences on the island, facing both the beauty and harshness of nature and the wisdom of the Spirit Bear, Cole learns the value of forgiveness, accountability, and the strength required to face one's demons.