Reviews for Tinnemaha Creek

The average rating for Tinnemaha Creek based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2008-08-31 00:00:00 Melissa Petsch When two young girls encounter a mountain lion in the eastern Sierra it sets in motion a conflict that divides families and neighbors. Though Stephanie McClintock and Adriana Kramer are not endangered, the encounter brings changes to their lives as well as the community in which they live. Stephanie will experience a deeper insight into life and nature while Adriana will'for the first time in her young life'question her father's authority. While it made no attempt to harm the girls, some see the cougar as a threat to humans and livestock and want to destroy it. Others, like Mac McClintock, Stephanie's father, and Lester Farley, her grandfather, have a respect for the animal and speak out for its right to live. Tragedy is the natural outcome of the reaction between the various groups. When Mac brings Cobra Stevens, a wildlife biologist, into the mix, it creates more conflict. A beautiful and independent Paiute, Cobra's efforts to move and save the cougar are resented by those who want it dead. Mac's and Cobra's attraction to one another does not go unnoticed by his wife, Sarah, and creates more trouble. This is a short novel with a lot packed into it. If there are drawbacks, they are minor. The author has a tendency to change point of view within the same scene, which may be distracting or confusing for some. And I found his wife's change of heart about Mac's attraction to Cobra a little too easy. Sure, she loves him but I think a roving eye would earn most men more than one night on the couch. Nick Taddeo has crafted a finely tuned, poetic novel. Beautiful and thought provoking. I think anyone with an interest in people and nature would enjoy it.

Review # 2 was written on 2008-04-02 00:00:00 Mylon Knaus Two twelve year old girls, Stephanie McClintock and Adriana Kramer, are out looking for wildflowers in the Eastern Sierras. Unbeknownst to them, someone is watching them. A lone cougar. Fortunately, the girls get away from the incident with nothing more than a good scare. The situation could have been so much worse. Nonetheless, the incident sparks off debate in the community about human safety versus wildlife protection. Tinnemaha Creek does a really good job of illustrating both sides of the wild protection issue. Are we the intruders into their natural territory or the rightful heirs to all that we survey? Can we find a happy balance between keeping natural habitats and enjoying nature for our own purposes?