In the early days of the American Pacific Northwest, small settlements dot the wilds of streams and dense woods. Isaac Evers, a community leader and former militiaman, has established a small colony on Whidbey Island. Though the area appears calmer than in the past, the northern indigenous clans still threaten the livelihood of Isaac’s growing family. While Isaac is away on expeditions, his wife … wife Emmy tends to the many duties required of a property owner on Whidbey Island. Bold and assertive, Emmy has little time for the restraint of social mores. But as times on the island become more turbulent, her constitution and conviction are tested. Elsewhere, Haida native Anah-nawitka feels the rush of his first kill and the satisfying vengeance cast from his hand to the head of the invading white colonists. Basking in the praise from his tribemates, Anah starts down a violent path that will alter a great many lives. Meanwhile, the British and the U.S. Army are quietly grinding against each other following a boundary dispute, leaving men like Captain George Edward Pickett in a tight situation. In charge of the nearby Union fort, Pickett does his best to maintain his authority while he struggles with tragic events in his past. Weaving these story threads together into a powerful whole, Gerard LaSalle tells the story of an unforgettable American adventure.
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Widow Walk is book one of Gar LaSalle’s HISTORICAL FICTION SAGA. Told in the FIRST PERSON POV, the story takes place in 1867, a time of high tension in the American PACIFIC NORTHWEST between indigenous native Americans and colonists― conflict roused after the PUGET SOUND’S WAR and the TREATY OF MEDICINE CREEK in 1854. The Treaty preserved native American’s ancestral land but appropriated prime native farmland.
Mr. LaSalle’s writing is a superb depiction of historical facts filled with descriptions of land, sea, and air of the new country unfolding around characters. This is a treasure for the history buff, as well as a wonderful story revolving around the EVERS FAMILY.
Emmy, Isaac, and their two children, Sarah and Jacob, have arrived at WHIDBEY ISLAND during dangerous times with threats of aboriginal marauders killing settlers in the area. Emma, a refined Boston-breed woman, is not faint of heart, but a strong, hard-working, and courageous woman who manages the farmstead, and cares for two children during her husband’s absence. Although dismayed by her new surroundings, Emmy remains strong for her children.
During this period, settlers fear for their lives, but most of all, they’re terrified of one Haida Warrior, Anah Nawitka Haloshem (a.k.a. “Black Wind”).
“To know him was to fear him, whoever he was, the one they called “Black Wind.” Few outside of his small clan, however, really could identify him beyond a vague description as that of a tall, well-muscled, heavily tattooed warrior with an aggressive bearing and disturbingly dark presence. No one, neither non-native settlers nor the peaceful peoples along the coast, was safe from his predation. He and his clan seldom left tellers behind.”
Anah Nawitka leads marauders on vengeful kills against colonists. A vengeance fueled not only by SETTLER’S LAND ENCROACHMENT, but also because of personal loss―the death of his mother from measles brought over by white men, and the kidnapping of his sister by Boston sailors. Brutal, bloodthirsty, and triumphant, Anah Nawitka never returns to his village without a token.
“By the time the Haida raiding party returned to its small village on the Queen Charlotte Islands… Anah had acquired three more heads and a reputation for mutilation of the dead.”
When Anah Nawitka comes for Isaac Evers, Emmy’s world is devastated. Not only does she lose her husband Isaac to a brutal beheading, but also her six-year-old son Jacob, Kidnapped by Anah. Barely, surviving a miscarriage, and the death of her husband, Emmy summons all her strength and seeks the help of men who know the territory and can help her track and retrieve her son from the merciless Anah Nawitka.
“Emmy had moved as quickly as she could along the low riverbank, avoiding catching herself on exposed tree roots… she heard hollering from downriver, several rounds of rifle shots…Emmy ducked, but the blade sliced through her parka…Pushing herself back, she heard herself scream, “Get away from him!”
Mr. LaSalle’s story is WELL-WRITTEN, SUSPENSEFUL with GREAT CHARACTERS, and a COURAGEOUS FEMALE PROTAGONIST set during the American colonization of the Pacific Northwest. It is also a story of a MOTHER’S LOVE and courage and persistence to find her son in the dangerous wilderness and OUTWIT A FEARED WARRIOR. If you’re a history buff looking for a captivating read, I highly recommend Widow Walk.