Charity, along with a few others, is taken captive during an attack by Shawnee warriors on the Shenandoah River Valley settlements in Virginia during the Fall of 1764. Wicomechee hates the English settlers who have invaded his people’s hunting grounds. He is steadfast in his determination to fight against their ever-increasing numbers and hinder their progress ever westward. But when he spots the fiery-haired, spirited young woman meandering among the colorful autumn leaves he knows that she is the treasure he has been promised.

This is a beautifully written story filled with adventure and suspense. I became fully invested in the lives of the characters as the story unfolds at a fast pace. The author kept my attention engaged, and my mind spiraling trying to predict the next direction the story would take as the myriad of secrets were revealed. There were times when I, too, felt like shaking some sense into the impetuous young Charity but then she would quietly give her explanation, defending her actions, and my heart would just melt away to goo - her reasons were always so honest, sincerely innocent, and utterly believable.

The author weaves a story of deep complexity. The descriptions of life among the nomadic tribe are simply without parallel. It is difficult to explain how deeply touching I find it to be. In the Afterward, Ms. Trissel confides that her ancestors settled in the Shenandoah Valley and that the family records document that some relatives were killed in Indian raids and others were taken hostage and later adopted into the tribe. It seems clear that this story is exceptionally well-documented historically. I found it to be entertaining, thought-provoking, and educational. This book touched my soul even as it provided a thrilling fictional escape into a period of history I have always found fascinating.