Day One: Birth is a Death Sentence

Characters

There were many characters included in this book, five of which stood out to me.

Kachada Toscano was a complex character. His mixed Comanche and Sicilian ancestry lent him a unique appearance, as well as a set of unique life skills. Cursed with a photographic memory, he remembers everything he’s ever seen, even things that bare not thinking about. Throughout the book, I noted that he had a silent power to his presence; a kind of natural dominance that provided a unique sense of tension in his interpersonal interactions. I found him to be tough, resilient, and reckless. However, qualities such as his deep love of art and the care he had for his family lent an occasional gentleness to him which helped to balance his darker qualities. Despite his doctor’s assertions that he wouldn’t live for more than two years after his cancer diagnosis, Kachada defied these expectations and led a rich and somewhat wild life.

Kachada’s mother was an interesting character, although we don’t see much of her throughout the book. She was a highly intelligent woman, though was not the sort of woman I would picture when I think of mothers in general. She was a reserved individual, who didn’t show much outward affection for her son, however, the reasons for this became clear over the course of the story as I learned just how much she had been through. Her reserved nature appeared to be her way of dealing with everyday life and its various horrors.

Hayri Sadik, at first glance, appeared to be no more than a shabbily dressed businessman. His first meeting with Kachada was a strange one, however, as Hayri became a bigger part of Kachada’s life, he became like a close friend or confidante, always looking out for him. Hayri was always full of information, as though he had eyes and ears everywhere. He was a firm friend to Kachada and I found myself liking him all the more as the story progressed.

Chief Peta of the Comanche tribe (Kachada’s grandfather) played an important role throughout Kachada’s life, firstly with training him in the ways of the Comanche warriors, and secondly by offering guidance to him as he grew up and visited the tribe. Chief Peta was a dear mentor to Kachada, with a tough but fair attitude, boasting decades of learned wisdom about the natural world. The Chief’s special gift with art, especially painting, saw his more natural way of life connected with the modern world and their museums, where his work was proudly displayed. Kachada learned a lot from him and, in my opinion became a better man for having spent time with him.

Finally, we come to Aponi, a girl rescued by Chief Peta, only to later become Kachada’s wife. She was a beautiful, confident, and charismatic woman, who was full of passion and spirit. As an upcoming Comanche model, she was often described as exotic and inspiring, but her real depth lay in her devotion to family and to Kachanda in particular. Their bond was stronger than any other in the story and could be felt whenever they shared a scene in the book.