From an award-winning author and Choctaw storyteller comes a riveting tale set in turn-of-the-century Indian Territory.Who would show up for their own execution?1892, Indian Territory. A war brews in the Choctaw Nation as two political parties grapple between old tradition and evolving issues—with eighteen-year-old Choctaw Ruth Ann Teller caught in the middle.In a small but booming pre-statehood … middle.
In a small but booming pre-statehood town, Ruth Ann’s mixed blood family owns a controversial newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune, infamous for its dedication to unbiased truth. Ruth Ann wants to help spread the word about critical issues, but there is danger for a female reporter on all fronts—socially, politically, even physically.
But is the truth worth dying for? When this quest leads Ruth Ann and her brother Matthew, the stubborn editor of the fledgling Choctaw Tribune, to the farm of a condemned murderer, it also brings them to head on clashes with leading townsmen who want their reports about what really happened silenced no matter what.
With the execution fast approaching, truth itself is on the line. When the dust has settled, who will survive to know the truth? And can the truth itself survive when all else is lost?
The Executions is a story of friendship, faith, and family in a gritty western setting with characters that fight for truth against all odds.
“Among the many pleasures of Sarah Elisabeth’s writing are her attention to character, language, and period detail. In The Executions, a story grounded in history and the complexities of pre-statehood Oklahoma, she brings to life, with great heart, the compelling mix of cultures, faith, and political intrigue in the old Choctaw Nation. An intriguing read.”—Rilla Askew, author of The Mercy Seat
About the Choctaw Tribune series:
The Choctaw Tribune series lets you explore the old Choctaw Nation with Matthew and Ruth Ann Teller, a Choctaw brother and sister pair who own a newspaper called the Choctaw Tribune. They’re in the midst of shootouts and tribal upheavals with the coming Dawes Commission in the 1890s. These changes in Indian Territory threaten everything they’ve known and force them to decide if they are going to take a stand for truth, even in the face of death.
A historical fiction series with a Western flair, the Choctaw Tribune series explores racial, political, spiritual, and social issues in the old Choctaw Nation—and beyond.
Books in the series:
1. The Executions
2. Traitors
3. Shaft of Truth
4. Sovereign Justice (Coming August 2021)
more
he Executions (Choctaw Tribune Series #1) is Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer’s story of a Choctaw family as they move to a small Oklahoma town, to make a new life after the loss of their Husband / Dad. Along the way, we learn a lot about history and culture of the Choctaws, as well as the 1892 Oklahoma. The executions mentioned in the title relate to holding accountable those believed to have committed horrible, violent crimes, but who are treated inhumanely, themselves. The violence is depicted honestly, yet without being unnecessarily graphic. As always, Sawyer fairly shows all sides of situations and issues, so that we glimpse the complexity involved, as well as learning the perspectives of all involved. She does a good job of developing the characters of our protagonists, Matthew and Ruth Ann, who overcome obstacles as they work hard on publishing their fledgling newspaper, the Choctaw Tribune. I highly recommend this book, and I look forward to reading the next two installments. I would love to see a network (Hallmark?) make a mini-series from this series.
The Executions by Sarah Elisabeth Sawyer is a marvellous Christian historical novel and the first book in the Choctaw Tribune series.
I was completely engrossed from the start as I travelled back to 1892 and Indian Territory. The novel surrounds the Choctaw people. They are a peaceful people with the two main characters being in charge of the local paper. “We need people to stand up and speak truth.” They will not sugar coat the news, they tell the facts and reveal the injustices. This makes them unpopular with the local white people.
The reader witnesses the horrors of the times – the lynching’s, the racial prejudices, belief that the white man is supreme. It is a time of ignorance and poor choices for some. “Things didn’t just happen. They resulted from a chain of choices that eventually… shackled a man.” We will always have the choice to do the right thing.
The leading lady is a forward thinking, brave young woman. She is ahead of her time going to places of horror to reveal the truth. She faces opposition from white males who believe a woman’s place is in the home. Our heroine believes “a woman’s place is anywhere God puts her.”
I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new ‘friends’. It is on to book two to continue the tale now.
I will leave you with this powerful quote:
“Jesus. He wasn’t just friendly, kind and good. He went to places others wouldn’t.”
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.
The bravery of people in history is amazing. Learned so much about settlers in the West and the men and woman who made there futures in spite of national origin, finances, political standards. Indian culture challenges was especially informative. So hard to put down. I will definitely read another book from this author.
The author did an excellent job of portraying period characters and captured the essence of the time and place.
This author’s use of Choctaw history & events as the basis for her ideas to play out, helps us visualize the realities of her race as well as genders. “The Executions” will bring these issues, on so many levels for all races, to the forefront for you; and you won’t be able to keep yourself from comparing them to the current environment in the world!!
Provides historical insight into life as it existed in the Indian territory before Oklahoma became a state.
This book was free on Kindle and I did read it through to the end, hoping for unity and resolution. The individual episodes of the handsome half-Choctaw brother and his beautiful sister striving to make their Choctaw Times newspaper a success were interesting, but I was disappointed in not finding more of a narrative arc to tie them all together. I thought a possible plot might involve some romance, but, although there were hints of it, every hint fizzled out. There’s a beautiful Jewish girl who is very close to the sister but the brother barely seems to note her existence. He is momentarily attracted to a mail-order bride but she goes off with her husband-to-be and writes back that she is happy. And Ruth Ann, the sister, is interested in another telegraph operator until she meets him and discovers he’s older and married. So there seem to be little temporary hints at romance, but violence and the newspaper take priority. There are also statements about faith in God and the idea all races are equal, but they could be more fully dramatized. I was a little taken aback at the changes in point of view—the novel switches sometimes to the POV of even minor characters. Perhaps a resolution is reached in the later books in the series, but this book just ends with the last episode. Still, it gives interesting insights into Choctaw culture.
Incredible story – so well researched and written that you can begin to understand the challenges of living in a world that doesn’t want you and to admire the strength and integrity of the Choctaw who knows God. Beautifully told, this story has everything, as mentioned by others. It shows that we are more alike than different if we have love.
Fantastic story of a young Choctaw woman and the things going on around her in the small town of Dickens in Indian Territory.
There are some serious matters and a few light-hearted moments. Lots of adventure and lots to think about.
No spoilers. You’ll want to read this one yourself.
Choctaw Tribune Series:
The Executions #1 – Set in Dickens, Indian Territory, in September, 1892, this historical novel follows the lives of a Choctaw family, their friends and the happenings in and around their territory as far away as Paris, Texas. The interesting storytelling brings together the struggles of a Choctaw family and their community blended with the history of that time. The fight for and against statehood; the treatment of ethnic groups and sexes; and the fight for truth, honor and doing right, make a tightly woven story difficult to stop reading.
The characters run the gamut and fit all the mindsets, common and disruptive for that period and place. The events range from good to extreme barbarism. In the midst of all the turmoil, strife and just surviving, a young Choctaw woman faces maturity as she struggles to save the family business, overcome her fears and deal with the atrocities she sees and experiences while learning to be a newspaper reporter. 4*
Traitor #2 – This story picks up around August, 1893, in Dickens, Indian Territory and follows the storylines set in Executions. More storylines and characters are added and there is a lot of happenings, discoveries and even redemption. While history plays a big part, the Teller family is strong and survive much. While most readers will know the basics of what the Native Americans faced from the white man, their everyday life after placement on reservations is not commonly known. Executions is a good story but Traitor is meatier and more substantial in contents. 5*
Danger on the Red River – This short story takes place on Christmas Eve in 1893, about a month after Traitor ends. More family members of the Grandmother are introduced and there are two men close to death in the Red River. 4*
Choctaw Tribune Series end.
Anumpa Warrior: Choctaw Code Talkers of World War I – This is the first book I read by this author and I like it. While the code talkers of WWI were new to me, the rest of the history of that part of France was correct. I had read a lot about the Choctaw people, and other Native Americans, as a child, teen and adult but never came across anything about their military service as code talkers.
I married a Choctaw but he did not know about the Trail of Tears. His family never talked about their heritage, their customs or spoke their language, although he, his father and his grandfather went to the yearly meet in OK until the mid-Sixties.
Anumpa Warrior is a must read whether from a historical point of view or as a novel. The lives of these Americans and what they still faced in the early 1900s is interesting, intriguing and heartwrenching. To experience their lives from childhood through WWI is educational to those who do not know American or Native American history. The writing style does not harp on about the injustices but presents the historical events in an easy to understand storytelling style. No whiners in this story.
The story is well thought out and carries the reader along through history at a steady pace. It is difficult to put this book down. The characters are real. Their dialogues are real. Their emotions are real. The horrors from many different sources are experienced by the reader as if there in time.
I cannot say enough about how well done, how accurate and how much this is an important read. It is easy to turn this into a book report but it would be so unfair to the interested readers. Step back in time and read about how many overcame the times they lived in and became the people for all Americans to be proud to have as fellow Americans. These people helped make our country great even after the horrors their Nations endured from the arrival of the Europeans to the Americas. I found this book on Booksprout. 5*