Red Clay, Running Waters - Softcover

Simmons, Leslie K.

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798888241714

Publisher: Koehler Books, 2023

Synopsis

• Feathered Quill Book Awards - Finalist, Historical Fiction
• American Writing Awards - Historical Fiction Finalist
• CIBA Laramie Award (Americana Fiction) - Semi-finalist

"An immersive and engaging story of a prominent figure in Cherokee history . . . a consistently enjoyable literary experience." - Kirkus Reviews

"...A fabulous example of the [Historical Fiction] genre - very well-written and really interesting [with] well-developed characters who drew me in . . . ... an engaging story that held my attention throughout...I loved it!" - Feathered Quill Book Awards judges

". . . the creation of something sweeping yet intimate, historically accurate yet reflective of current issues, and, through it all, written with precision, grace and lyrical elegance. This is a splendid, splendid work." -Greg Fields - Author of Through the Waters and the Wild

"An extraordinary achievement. Red Clay, Running Waters is an old-fashioned novel in the best sense: rich in its portraiture and heartbreakingly true to history." Jodi Daynard - Author of The Midwife's Revolt

"The true-life saga of the Ridge family--the most dramatic, tragic, as yet untold story of America's conflict with first nation's people--is the stuff of legend. The author has devoted a lifetime to telling it like it demands to be told. I don't know a more powerful American story that reveals more of who we are, and how far we must travel to heal from our troubled past." -David Marion Wilkerson - Author of Oblivions Altar

In 1824 John Ridge, promising son of a Cherokee leader, returns from his New England education with his White bride, Sarah Northrop, burning to defend his people's humanity and rights, and realize the dream of an independent Cherokee Nation.

Peace at home evades when tensions rise between the Southern states and the federal government, pulling the Ridges into the crossfire of a divided country on the brink of civil war. Faced with expulsion from their homeland during the 1830s Indian Removal crisis, and with options eroding, and Andrew Jackson in office, John and Sarah must forge a path to save the Cherokee Nation in the midst of tyranny and deceit.

A timely saga of one family's search for justice, this true story of profound love, sacrifice, and the meaning of home weaves the complex strands of politics, race, religion, and love into the tapestry of the turbulent times before the Trail of Tears.

About this title

About the Author

Leslie K. Simmons writes about extraordinary people at the center of crucial turning points in American history. She is particularly fascinated by outliers and the lesser known (but no less incredible) stories that slip through history's cracks. After decades of research, she followed a path marked by serendipities to the true story of John and Sarah Ridge and her debut novel, Red Clay, Running Waters.

Edition details

• Publisher: Koehler Books
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798888241714
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 684