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Illuminating History’s Shadows Through Fiction

Illuminating History’s Shadows Through Fiction

An Unsanctioned Love, a Nation Divided, a Plea for Justice

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Weaving the complex strands of politics, race, religion, and love into the tapestry of the turbulent Antebellum era and the fate of Native Americans, Red Clay Running Waters is the little-known story of John Ridge, a Cherokee man dedicated to his people, and his White wife, Sarah Northrop, a woman devoted to his cause.
In a timely saga of one family’s search for justice defending Cherokee sovereignty in the 1830s Removal Crisis, this story of profound love, sacrifice, and the meaning of home propels readers across true events to a haunting and moving conclusion.
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  • Haunting and eminently readable, moving and infuriating, Red Clay, Running Waters is an epic tale of love, justice, and betrayal, and is a vivid portrayal of an episode of American history too many would prefer to be forgotten.

    — Susan Higgenbotham - Author of John Brown’s Women

  • The true-life saga of the Ridge family--the most dramatic, tragic, as yet untold story of America's conflict with first nation's people--is the stuff of legend.

    — David Marion Wilkerson – Author of Oblivions Altar

  • A fabulous piece of work, done with intelligence, pathos, sensitivity, insight and precision.

    — Greg Fields – Author of Through the Waters and the Wild

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THE AUTHOR

Leslie K. Simmons

Like many people, Leslie grew up believing History was like Disneyland – a magical, beautifully decorated destination populated by people in costume. Even after the real world dispelled that myth, her desire for connection to the past continued to drive her to look behind the scenes. Fascinated by the outliers and their lesser known (but nonetheless incredible) stories, Leslie uses the power of Historical Fiction to examine how the past we didn’t live shapes the lives we live today.

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