Ana was meant to die in the Alaskan forest, a naked newborn left with moss in her mouth to keep her quiet while her mother lay screaming and fighting to keep Ana’s brother. The babies were born with a deadly condition; they were twins.
Because of greed, Ana is secretly sold and raised in a Spanish California mission where she longs for someone like a mother. When she bonds with a native Ohlone healer who saves her life, the mission sends her back to her homeland, not knowing the dangers that wait for her there. Shocked by everything, she sails with Captain George Vancouver on Discovery and finds love in Hawaii where they winter. Now she must decide if she will perform her duty for the mission and possibly find her family or stay in Hawaii.
This 18th century, multi-cultural historical novel begins with Ana’s young Tlingit mother whose fierce love for her warrior husband and son launches a change for future generations.
Tight muscles quiver down her spine, telling her legs to run, but she predicts the attack it would provoke, the teeth, the tearing flesh. Her breath stops, ready to fight. She jerks awake . . . and she can’t escape, naked and trapped in her prison, her tiny cell where she’s to become a woman.
She
grips the rail in a tight fist, standing exactly where
Captain Vancouver
had directed her to stand. Amid the harried activity and shouts of
officers and crew and the flurry of gulls, she keeps her eyes
attached to the shoreline and tells herself to breathe. In her
mind, she relives Miguel and the soldier coaxing her onto the ship.
She had frozen into stone, and they’d had to load her like a new
calf, swinging her in a net over the water!
A wild ride . . . one of the strongest pieces of historical fiction I’ve ever encountered . . . a brand-new aspect of the world. Ana is a bold, brilliant character . . . so many gorgeous, literary aspects . . . it warrants multiple reads to understand the depth and level of work that Shea has created here. –Writer’s Digest: Judge, 29th Annual Self-Published Book Awards
A wonderfully complete and beautiful picture of a society that was uncompromising and tough . . . that functioned perfectly well before the arrival of the “civilizing” Europeans. A powerful tale I truly appreciate because it is told through the eyes of the indigenous people. I can highly recommend this read. –Readers’ Favorite: Grant Leishman
A wonderful discovery . . . I loved the characters. It reminded me how important it is for everyone to try to be a hero in life. –Mrs. Bea Ticked, UK (on Amazon)