COMING JUNE 2023 from She Writes Press
Distributed to the trade by Publishers Group West
“Linda Ulleseit brings together her triple-stranded narrative incredibly well to create a novel about the American frontier that is unlike anything I have encountered. There is something quintessentially feminine about the work, which is rooted in motherhood and sisterhood. This gives the story a deep emotional grounding, yet it extends far beyond the realms of typical women’s fiction and offers a universal message about society, culture, acceptance, and banding together for a better tomorrow. I particularly loved the dialogue and found it deeply compelling to hear the different perspectives and how the narrative skill of the author molded itself to each woman to speak accurately about her experience and heritage. I think that perhaps Day Sets was my favorite of the three central women, although every reader will find something touching to cling to in this rich tale. I would not hesitate to recommend The River Remembers to historical fiction fans everywhere. You won’t regret it.” ~ Reader’s Favorite 5-star review
“Storyteller Linda Ulleseit shares a fabulous account of frontier women —white, Native and black —in a variety of social statuses, tenderly conveyed. Taken from actual histories, each woman seeks independence and thinks she is willing to endure the consequences. Linda brings to life the Prairies of Michigan Territory and the emotional demands on lives changing day by day. I read well into the night and didn’t want to let these women go! Neither will readers everywhere.” ~Jane Kirkpatrick. NY Times best selling author of The Healing of Natalie Curtis.
“The River Remembers follows the intertwining histories and intersecting cultures of three young women — Day Sets, Harriett Robinson and Samantha Lockwood — on the prairie. Ulleseit’s powerful storytelling enlightens readers to the compelling women who have been missing from our history books for far too long. A captivating and worthwhile read for all fans of historical fiction.” ~Samantha Specks, award-winning author of Dovetails in Tall Grass
“In this richly layered story, three women: a white settler, a slave, and a Dakota, seek their own desire for the freedom to be who they want to be. The River Remembers is a refreshing look at pre-Civil War America with well-known historical figures weaving in and out.” ~J.L Oakley, award-winning author of The Jøssing Affair and The Quisling Factor.
Three women.
Three cultures converge.
Serve Samantha’s HONEY COOKIES to your book club!
Speaking of Book Clubs, here are some Discussion Questions for the book.
Summary
Samantha Lockwood, Day Sets, and Harriet Robinson come to Wisconsin Territory with very different backgrounds. At Fort Snelling in 1835, however, the world is changing faster than they can keep up. Samantha struggles against her father’s choices for her husband. Day Sets demands that her white husband create a school to educate their daughter. Harriet learns what it means to be a slave in a free territory. They all must find a way to direct their own future and leave a legacy for their children.
Samantha Lockwood refuses another suitor her father has chosen for her, so he banishes her to live in the territory with her brother. She is determined to find her own husband, even when her choices go awry.
Day Sets demands that her white husband create a school to educate their daughter, supporting her father’s belief that his people must learn the ways of the white man in order to ensure the tribe’s future. Until events prove her father wrong.
Harriet Robinson’s life in the territory is more like that of a free person than anywhere she’s lived. She even falls in love with Dred Scott and dreams of a life with him. But they are both enslaved, and she keeps being reminded of how little control she has over her own fate.
As their cultures collide, each of these three women must find a way to direct her own future and leave a legacy for her children.
