Kindle Edition Amazon Dale Swanson, Author dale-swanson author Category:  Action/Thriller Type: Fiction ISBN-13: 9780986326721 Price: $9.95 (eBook) The Thirty-ninth Man is a historical novel culminating with the Dakota War of 1862 and the mass execution of thirty-eight men. History tells us little of the thirty-ninth man sentenced to die with the others, and he is largely ignored in all accounts of the executions. This novel by D. A. Swanson weaves fictional events around historical facts creating a tapestry filled with accurate depictions of people from Minnesota’s past. Men like Lawrence Taliaferro, Josiah Snelling, John Jacob Astor, and a host of others share the stage with protagonist, Anton McAllister, and the thirty-ninth man, Tatemina—Round Wind. The story begins in 1804 and concludes on December 26, 1862. The novel’s flap copy hints at the books content: “Article I: There shall be a firm and perpetual peace between the Sioux and Chippewas; between the Sioux and the confederated tribes of Sacs and Foxes; and between the Ioways and the Sioux.” On August 19, 1825, in a place called Prairie du Chien, Michigan Territory, under the guise of concern but wrapped in a cloak of deceit, the federal government began a series of treaties with the Sioux Nation that would lead to the outbreak of the Sioux Wars, and the end of a way of life. In 1862 with the beginnings of the Sioux Wars in the Minnesota River Valley, a mixed blood named Anton McAllister balances on the razor thin line separating corrupt Indian agents, unscrupulous fur traders, the U.S. Army, and powerful chiefs from the Chippewa and Dakota nations. When his best friend is falsely accused of war crimes and sentenced to die, Anton finds himself in a race to save his friend from the gallows. Years of research and scrutiny of historic records make possible the blending of fact and fiction in a manner designed to enlighten and encourage readers to delve into the cause of the war and the destruction of a way of life.

The Thirty-Ninth Man
KIRKUS REVIEWS TITLE INFORMATION THE THIRTY-NINTH MAN A Novel of the 1862 Uprising D.A. Swanson Rainy River Press (254 pp.) $7.99 e-book ISBN: 978-0-9863267-1-4; June 1, 2013
BOOK REVIEW
A debut historical novel details the events that led to the Dakota War in the 19th-century Midwest. Swanson begins his tale as a Native American surrenders his daughter to a white fur trader as bounty on a lost wager. About nine months later, the “half-breed” Annawon “Anton” McAllister is born to the forfeited daughter. Anton is raised by his mother, who teaches him many of her Algonquin ways, including hunting and tracking. His mother dies when he is still young, and he must make his own way. As he matures, he straddles the worlds of whites and Native Americans.
He works for many years as chief hunter and scout for the Army, growing close with some of its members, visiting trading posts, and learning the ways of local fur traders. In Anton’s young adulthood, a friend named Tomawka, a Native American, is killed by a wolf. Anton feels responsible for the man’s wife, Star Woman, and the couple’s infant son.
Quickly becoming attached to the widow and child, Anton resolves to settle with them and forge a new family.
Meanwhile, tension builds between the Dakota (part of the Great Sioux Nation) and the American government. In his engaging story, Swanson shows the U.S. repeatedly failing to honor treaties it has with the Dakota. As the Dakota lose land and concomitant hunting rights, hunger ensues, followed by increased violence. The author graphically depicts the bloodshed and hostilities that result as the Dakota take their revenge on white settlers. This lengthy and well-researched tale is so specific that it often reads more like a historical account than a novel, providing comprehensive exposition on one topic after another. Chock full of details about the Midwestern territories, the different Native American tribes inhabiting the region, land disputes, cultural differences, and methods of fighting, the book delivers an engrossing education for readers seeking to learn about this period.
An unforgiving look at the battles between the white settlers of the mid-1800s and the Dakota, offering an illuminating perspective on Native American history.
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE – Reader listed as BEST BOOK READ


Tears Of Sorrow
WHISPERING STORIES BOOK BLOG
After a five year wait Dale A. Swanson has now published Tears of Sorrow as a follow-up to his excellent The Thirty-Ninth Man. The story picks up shortly after the end of that book with some of the familiar characters. I have read both books and whilst my knowledge of the characters helped my understanding, Tears of Sorrow would also work as a stand-alone read.

The book has some wonderful descriptions of the majestic countryside of Dakota with its rocky peaks, wooded hills and lush valleys. He also describes the Native American lifestyle which could be brutal at times yet warm and affectionate on other occasions. There is also a wonderful sense of time being irrelevant, mainly because their needs are generally simple: food, shelter and warmth.

As before, Swanson describes historical events through the eyes of fictional characters and I felt he has produced a smoother narrative on this occasion. In my recent review of The Thirty-Ninth Man I commented that at times the joins between fact and fiction were a little obvious. This did not apply to Tears of Sorrow because the author kept the action within the perspective of his fictional characters.

The other variation was that this book covers a shorter span of time which again helps to maintain the flow.

What both books have in common is Swanson’s love of Native American history and his understanding of the problems from all viewpoints. I know that many of today’s US citizens accept that their government could have handled the situation better but Swanson also describes how many of the younger braves had an unrealistic view of their abilities against the US Army.