I loved this book! It was a very interesting read. It was written during the time when the
United States as we know them do not exist.
The colonist’s had come and taken over land in the name of the
Crown. The Indians in the area agreed to
stay in their areas and colonists were to stay in theirs. It didn’t last long
though, the Indians were not happy as the colonists were hunting and making
their hunting land non-existent when it came to game to be found for them to
feed their family’s. During one fracas
at the downfall of the Fort William Henry one Major Reginald Aubrey’s wife had
just delivered a son, unknown to her the son was dead. There was a woman in the Fort who had just
delivered twin boys. The Major didn’t
think twice about it as the woman lay sleeping she had two boys one looked
white like her and the other looked like his Indian Father. The Major took his dead son and put it in the
place of the white baby. He found that
it was more than he can live with the rest of his life. He also found a little girl left in a wagon
her family gone, but she was alive. He
named her Anna and took her home with him.
His wife never found out what he did so that she would have a live son
when she awoke.
The Indian woman knew what happened to her
second son, and she sends her son to spy on the Aubrey land to find out what is
happening with her other son. Her
husband wants his son back. They go to
the edge of the woods only to have Anna find them there. They don’t tell her
why they are there. They find out from Anna that the son known as “William” has
gone away to school in England.
Their son travels many times to the edge of
the woods to meet with Anna to hear how William is faring in England and he
tries to find out when William is expected home. He never tells Anna his real reason for
visiting. Eventually he is visiting to find information on William but also
because he is interested in her. They fall in love and telling her Father, seems
like an impossible task.
During the time William is gone; Anna has
been learning the trade of midwifery and healing with herbs which I find
fascinating in and of it.
There is of course a huge blow out when Two
Hawks parents wish to speak to the Major in regard to their missing son and
eventually Two Hawks must speak to Major Aubrey of his love of his daughter
Anna. They want to be together. That was just not done during those days. I had to keep reading I wanted to find out
what happened to Anna, Two Hawks, William and Major Aubrey.
I give this book four stars. The history of the area and what was
happening during that time period was studied by the author. She took pains to make sure the book was true
to many aspects of the history of the time. I love to read about the authors
and what drives them to write the books they write. It is always interesting.
More About The Book:
At the wood’s edge cultures collide. Can two
families survive the impact?
The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.
On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.
When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?
The 1757 New York frontier is home to the Oneida tribe and to British colonists, yet their feet rarely walk the same paths.
On the day Fort William Henry falls, Major Reginald Aubrey is beside himself with grief. His son, born that day, has died in the arms of his sleeping wife. When Reginald comes across an Oneida mother with newborn twins, one white, one brown, he makes a choice that will haunt the lives of all involved. He steals the white baby and leaves his own child behind. Reginald’s wife and foundling daughter, Anna, never suspect the truth about the boy they call William, but Reginald is wracked by regret that only intensifies with time, as his secret spreads its devastating ripples.
When the long buried truth comes to light, can an unlikely friendship forged at the wood’s edge provide a way forward? For a father tormented by fear of judgment, another by lust for vengeance. For a mother still grieving her lost child. For a brother who feels his twin’s absence, another unaware of his twin’s existence. And for Anna, who loves them both—Two Hawks, the mysterious Oneida boy she meets in secret, and William, her brother. As paths long divided collide, how will God direct the feet of those who follow Him?
More About The Author: Lori Benton was
raised east of the Appalachian Mountains, surrounded by early American history
going back three hundred years. Her novels transport readers to the eighteenth
century, where she brings to life the Colonial and early Federal periods of
American history. When she isn’t writing, reading, or researching, Lori enjoys
exploring the Oregon wilderness with her husband. She is the author of Burning Sky,
recipient of three Christy Awards, and The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn.
