A leaf in the river

by Stone, Connie S.

A Leaf in the River Connie S. Stone Historical novel focusing on four Kentucky Cherokees after the passage of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. The story is told by Little Flower, a young woman caught between the traditional Cherokee beliefs of Saquu, her new husband, and the ideals of assimilation her brother Nathaniel holds. Sharing the turmoil is her best friend, Mary, who is a mixed blood trying to bridge the two cultures and to find a place for herself in both. The shifting roles of Cherokee women and the effects of the assimilation efforts of both the Cherokees and the United States government are explored. Historical events surrounding the Cherokee National Council, Treaty of New Echota, and seizing of the press of the Cherokee Phoenix force a decision upon the four to flee into the mountains, a choice made by other members of the Cherokee Nation in 1838. Stone/Leaf in the River 1 Connie S. Stone 505 Virginia Avenue Rainelle, WV 25962 irishndn@hotmail.com A Leaf in the River