Nick of the Woods The novel is set in Kentucky in the 1780s and revolves around the mysterious figure of "Nick of the Woods", dressed as a monster, who seeks to avenge the death of his family by killing numerous Indians, carving a cross on the body of all he slays. "Nick" is revealed to be Nathan Slaughter, a Quaker by day who should by nature and creed avoid all violence. Bird's brutal depiction of Native Americans (the Shawnee) was very hostile, and in part a reaction to the more positive representation of Indians by James Fennimore Cooper in the Leatherstocking Tales. The novel
Tales from Watership Down "Watership Down", Hyzenthlay, a doe, rises to the position of Co-Chief Rabbit with her mate, Hazel. A reviewer for "The New York Times" wrote that while it was a "lighthearted companion piece" to "Watership Down", it was "a little disjointed as a stand-alone volume". The book was praised by another reviewer at Salon.com, who wrote: "The pure, unfamiliar feelings evoked in "The Story of the Three Cows" and in the gory "The Hole in the Sky" — just two of the stories here—persist for quite a while after you've finished reading them". Tales from Watership Down Tales from Watership Down