Knots on a Counting Rope tells a story of courage and hope in the face of darkness, in this case, a young boy’s blindness. Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault craft a Native American tale of facing challenges and overcoming them with faith and family.  Ted Rand’s illustrations make me long for Arizona. You can almost smell the horses. The titled knots in the rope mark time and the boy’s memories. These markers give the boy strength to move forward, race the darkness, and win.