Status
Available
Series
Publication
Avasta (2015), 2nd ed.
Description
Fiction. Historical Fiction. HTML: 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 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..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Pattymclpn
This book is a new release for May 2013 from Greenleaf Book Group. I obtained this book as an ebook for my kindle from NetGalley. This is Gerard’s first novel. He is already planning a sequel call Isthmus.
This book is based on real life events. It takes place in the wilds of British Columbia in
Emmy takes a dangerous journey along the pacific coast with a guide into Indian territory to look for Jacob. There are headhunting savage Indians and Indians who capture whites for slaves. There is to be a big potlatch. This is a big celebration for the marriage of Amawaal’s son of the Tsimshan tribe. Potlatch means to give. There will be an exchange and sale of goods. Jacob will be taken there by the natives for sale. What will Emmy do when negotiations to buy her son back fail?
I really liked this book. The chapters were short and well thought out. The story telling shifts from person to person, but it is a smooth transition and not confusing. I finished the book in a couple of days. It has maps of the area on the inside flaps of the dust jacket. There is a wealth of information about the local Indian tribes, the Haida, Tslinget, Squamish and others. In The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland I was introduced to many of these native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. The information in the book reminded me of the travels of Emily Carr the painter. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
This book is based on real life events. It takes place in the wilds of British Columbia in
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1858. Emmy Evers is left a widow on Whidbey Island when native Indians kill her husband Isaac. If that wasn’t bad enough the Indians also steal her son. Emmy is used to running her home alone on the frontier and she is very independent. She is a woman on a mission to find her son, Jacob. She boards a ship and seeks out General Pickett (yes the American civil war general) for help, but he refuses to help her. He is there to resolve a conflict with the British. The British and American armies are vying for control of the land and the aboriginal people there. He sends her to an Indian friend, MaNuitu ‘sta. MaNuitu ‘sta states that his son JoJo will be her guide if she teaches him to read English. She accepts the challenge.Emmy takes a dangerous journey along the pacific coast with a guide into Indian territory to look for Jacob. There are headhunting savage Indians and Indians who capture whites for slaves. There is to be a big potlatch. This is a big celebration for the marriage of Amawaal’s son of the Tsimshan tribe. Potlatch means to give. There will be an exchange and sale of goods. Jacob will be taken there by the natives for sale. What will Emmy do when negotiations to buy her son back fail?
I really liked this book. The chapters were short and well thought out. The story telling shifts from person to person, but it is a smooth transition and not confusing. I finished the book in a couple of days. It has maps of the area on the inside flaps of the dust jacket. There is a wealth of information about the local Indian tribes, the Haida, Tslinget, Squamish and others. In The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland I was introduced to many of these native peoples of the Pacific Northwest. The information in the book reminded me of the travels of Emily Carr the painter. I give this book 3.5 stars out of 5.
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LibraryThing member kekauoha
Having visited the northwest recently, I was totally drawn in to the book and story. The trials the protagonist endured was heart wrenching and the savagery of the the antagonist was unbelievable. Based on true events, the movement and colonization of the northwest surely took a toll on all
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involved. Show Less
LibraryThing member BellaFoxx
"Widow Walk is a historical fiction depicting real and fictional characters and events.
Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey (Isaac Evers in the story) did take a company to the Palouse to fight.
Captain George E. Pickett, who later achieved enduring fame during the War Between the States, almost provoked an
The two statements above were taken from the book, I edited them to remove any potential spoilers. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is well written fictionalized account of a historical event. I enjoyed reading it. There were some questions that remained at the end of the book, but there is a follow-up book Isthmus which I haven’t read. I would think some of these unanswered questions will be answered in the follow-up book.
Having lived in the Northwest, the setting of this novel, I have been on Whidbey Island, I have stood on the bridge over Deception Pass so it was fun reading about places I’ve been even though the events took place several generations before my family lived there. I am a little embarrassed to admit I know very little about the history of the area, but it is obvious that Mr. LaSalle has done his research.
The first few chapters introduce us to the main characters, each chapter from the point of view of one person. This allows for excellent character development, it doesn’t take long for us to get to know the characters in the book. At the same time we are ‘meeting’ the characters, we are also learning about the area, and the relationship between the settlers and the indigenous people. There is a good mix of people in this book, good, bad, mentally ill, courageous, greedy and unscrupulous. Mr. LaSalle has done a good job with the people in this book, he does not resort to making them stereotypical characters. You feel for the characters, bad and good, and even though I thoroughly disliked some of them, I understood why they did the things they did.
The history of the actions of the settlers vs the natives is also explored, showing the good and bad on both sides. It is a fact that the whites or “the men from Boston” as they are referred to in this book, tried to wipe out the native population. It is touched on briefly in this book.
I believe this book will appeal to readers of historical fiction, those who are interested in the history of this country.
Colonel Isaac Neff Ebey (Isaac Evers in the story) did take a company to the Palouse to fight.
Captain George E. Pickett, who later achieved enduring fame during the War Between the States, almost provoked an
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international war with his standoff of the Brits at San Juan Island."The two statements above were taken from the book, I edited them to remove any potential spoilers. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This is well written fictionalized account of a historical event. I enjoyed reading it. There were some questions that remained at the end of the book, but there is a follow-up book Isthmus which I haven’t read. I would think some of these unanswered questions will be answered in the follow-up book.
Having lived in the Northwest, the setting of this novel, I have been on Whidbey Island, I have stood on the bridge over Deception Pass so it was fun reading about places I’ve been even though the events took place several generations before my family lived there. I am a little embarrassed to admit I know very little about the history of the area, but it is obvious that Mr. LaSalle has done his research.
The first few chapters introduce us to the main characters, each chapter from the point of view of one person. This allows for excellent character development, it doesn’t take long for us to get to know the characters in the book. At the same time we are ‘meeting’ the characters, we are also learning about the area, and the relationship between the settlers and the indigenous people. There is a good mix of people in this book, good, bad, mentally ill, courageous, greedy and unscrupulous. Mr. LaSalle has done a good job with the people in this book, he does not resort to making them stereotypical characters. You feel for the characters, bad and good, and even though I thoroughly disliked some of them, I understood why they did the things they did.
The history of the actions of the settlers vs the natives is also explored, showing the good and bad on both sides. It is a fact that the whites or “the men from Boston” as they are referred to in this book, tried to wipe out the native population. It is touched on briefly in this book.
I believe this book will appeal to readers of historical fiction, those who are interested in the history of this country.
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LibraryThing member KerryMarsh
I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. Widow Walk tells the tale of a family of settlers in the Northwest during the time when Northern Indian tribes routinely sent raiding parties south. Being Australian, I am not familiar with this historical period but I am
The heroin, Emmy is strong, intelligent and a bit of a rebel in a time where women were suppressed and oppressed. When her husband is killed and her son taken prisoner by Indians she sets of to broker a deal to buy him back. Needless to say that things don’t always go as planned, but Emmy is a resourceful woman in a period of history that was often violent and harsh. Great read.
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aware that the author was meticulous in his seamless blending of fictional and factual characters and events to create this story. The story and characters are so well written it prompted some research of my own. The heroin, Emmy is strong, intelligent and a bit of a rebel in a time where women were suppressed and oppressed. When her husband is killed and her son taken prisoner by Indians she sets of to broker a deal to buy him back. Needless to say that things don’t always go as planned, but Emmy is a resourceful woman in a period of history that was often violent and harsh. Great read.
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LibraryThing member KerryMarsh
I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for my honest review. Widow Walk tells the tale of a family of settlers in the Northwest during the time when Northern Indian tribes routinely sent raiding parties south. Being Australian, I am not familiar with this historical period but I am
The heroin, Emmy is strong, intelligent and a bit of a rebel in a time where women were suppressed and oppressed. When her husband is killed and her son taken prisoner by Indians she sets of to broker a deal to buy him back. Needless to say that things don’t always go as planned, but Emmy is a resourceful woman in a period of history that was often violent and harsh. Great read.
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aware that the author was meticulous in his seamless blending of fictional and factual characters and events to create this story. The story and characters are so well written it prompted some research of my own. The heroin, Emmy is strong, intelligent and a bit of a rebel in a time where women were suppressed and oppressed. When her husband is killed and her son taken prisoner by Indians she sets of to broker a deal to buy him back. Needless to say that things don’t always go as planned, but Emmy is a resourceful woman in a period of history that was often violent and harsh. Great read.
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LibraryThing member iadam
I received an advance review e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This is very well written historical fiction with real and fictional characters and events that portrays the difficulties and hardships encountered in the settlement of the Pacific Northwest. Emmy Evers is portrayed
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as a very strong, independent, and self-sustaining woman living during a time in our country when women made few family decisions and were very dependent upon a man. The characters are fully developed and the author writes in a very descriptive and colorful manner. I found this book fascinating and entertaining and had difficulty putting it down. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. Show Less
Awards
Eric Hoffer Book Award (Winner — 2015)
Language
Original language
English