CALL OF THE WHIPPOORWILL is the story of the trials and passions of BEN HOLT, a youth thrust by violent events into the 1740s wilderness mountains of North Carolina. As he adapts to the hostility and freedom of the boundless woodlands, he loves and loses WILLOW, a Cherokee girl whose unique allure is the source of Ben’s strength and perseverance. In his quest to find her, he encounters HAWK, a Mingo sub-chief whose tribal pride bolsters his selfish motivations to destroy Ben.
Excerpt:
His hand closed over his rifle that lay on the borrowed blanket.He stood, not raising the rifle higher than his waist.He weighed his chances.Elias’ rifle stood propped against a hickory tree within easy reach.He would go for it as soon as he detected Ben’s intention.Elias could get to his knife or hatchet at his waist even quicker.Yet, all Ben had to do was bring his dead father’s rifle to his shoulder, thumbing the hammer back in the process.A second was all it would take.Could he move fast enough to match the big woodsman’s survival reflexes?Again, he looked at the necklace, barely swaying in the morning breeze, winking at him in the sunlight, clear evidence of murder.
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Reviews for "Call of the Whippoorwill"
Reviewed by Tracey L. O' Very
3/5/2006
Michael Gibbs' novel, Call of the Whippoorwill, owns the reader's emotions from
beginning to end. The research behind the work is obvious in the descriptions and
details depicted. The plot turns the pages.
Thrust by violence into the unforgiving realm of the Western Woodland Indians, the
protagonist, Ben Holt, enters the wilderness to revenge the destruction of his family
and their wild wood home. Here is a story of the heart. of fate, of adventure and of
history, which comes alive in the earliest days of America. Although quite graphic
in parts, Call of the Whippoorwill reminds us of the differences in the native tribes that
once thrived upon unspoiled lands. Michael brings forth for full inspection the demonic
power that came with the hatred among tribes and toward the white settlers.
Entwined within this story of romance, prejudices and battles are the intricacies of
Indian values, customs, bravery and methods of daily survival. The story is worth the
reading simply for the woods lore contained therein.
I highly recommend Call of the Whippoorwill to readers sixteen years of age and
older. The powerful impact of this book will leave such readers with a respect for a
memorial story well told and with an ending that brings a smile.
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