Race to the Sun

Mac is Nizhoni’s younger brother and her partner in completing the Hero Twins narrative, even though, with 10 months between them, the two are not actually twins. Mac is artistic and saves his allowance for expensive art supplies. He also has a rivalry with school bully Adrien Cuttlebush, though the novel never discloses the origin of this feud. Roanhorse characterizes Mac as sillier and more immature than his older sister. He frequently fixates on minor details (such as his desire for snacks or dislike of being out in the rain) over the more dramatic and impactful elements of their quest, which adds comic relief and a tone of levity to the increasingly dire circumstances the siblings face on their quest, drawing Nizhoni into playful sibling banter during tense moments.

Roanhorse indicates Mac’s closeness to Nizhoni by making him the ally she trusts with the knowledge that she can see monsters before she tells anyone else, including Davery. His youth (and comparative immaturity) mean that Nizhoni also feels responsible for protecting him; she does not, for much of the novel, reveal to Mac that their father has been kidnapped, for example. However, Roanhorse also frame Mac’s youth as an asset when the Begay children reunite with their long-lost mother. Mac finds forgiveness much easier to access than does Nizhoni, who struggles with feeling betrayed by Bethany’s abandonment despite understanding her mother’s motivations. In contrasting Nizhoni’s conflicted feelings with Mac’s easy forgiveness, Roanhorse presents the siblings’ personalities as complimentary to each other—twin souls, if not literal twins.

Davery, Nizhoni’s best friend and ally, plays the role of helper on Nizhoni’s quest and provides support as she learns to embrace her role as a monsterslayer. As a highly responsible and dedicated student, Davery founds an Ancestor Club at their middle school in which students give presentations on their backgrounds (including their specific families, lineages, and traditions, as their school is attended by Native American students from various tribal groups).

Davery plays a supporting role to Nizhoni for most of the text, helping her whenever the quest necessitates it. Before they depart Albuquerque, he helps her research Navajo legends and buys train tickets so that she and Mac can escape Mr. Charles’s clutches. After they begin their quest, Davery becomes the primary interpreter of the song (gifted to the children by a Holy Person at the train station). Roanhorse characterizes Davery primarily by his intelligence. The “weapon” he is given at the House of the Sun is a book that describes how to defeat the monsters, rather than an overtly physical weapon.