A note from Chris James
This is a story about Native Americans, the first people to colonize this continent. The Oneida Indians were originally to be found on land that stretched from the St. Lawrence River down to the modern day Pennsylvania border. Archaeological remains indicate that they have been living in this area for up to 10,000 years.
In research for this story, begun long before I wrote Nathaniel Smiley in 2009, I came across some pretty visually compelling ideas. "The standing stone was a granite column, about fourteen feet high and six inches square, covered with strange characters, which were the sacred records of the Oneidas ... "
I couldn't resist that image, and although this is a story about a uniquely talented Indian boy, this story revolves around just such a stone. The native characters in the story are fictional and do not represent any persons alive or dead. There are some real historical figures included as they impacted the lives of the Oneida people and lend credibility to the story.
As always, I like to place my characters in a romantic and adventurous setting rather than portray gratuitous sexual scenes. This is a love story with two unequal partners, and yet the reader will discover that not everything you will be led to think is true. Chris James, 2010