The Buffalo Soldier
July 19, 2009
The Buffalo Soldier by Chris Bohjalian is the story of Alfred, a 10-year-old black boy who is a foster child to a white couple grieving for the daughters they lost to a natural disaster. Excerpts from the book Alfred is reading about the Buffalo Soldiers – blacks who served in the Civil War – are woven into the present-day narrative. The book offers complex relationships, beautiful prose, and a satisfying and redemptive conclusion.