Coming of the Storm: Book One of Contact: The Battle for America by Kathleen O’Neal Gear
This book was FANTASTIC. I first saw the cover (and it’s a gorgeous one) on a GoodReads ad and, after looking it up, decided I needed to add some Native American stories to the books I read. I don’t think I could have picked a better book to start off with.
At first I was a bit intimidated by its size and wasn’t sure if I was going to really be in the mood for it, as I’ve had it checked out for a few weeks from the library. Now I’m kicking myself for not reading it more quickly (and hating that it ended so fast despite its 480 pages). I am eagerly awaiting the sequel and in the meantime fully plan on checking out the Gears other series named The First North American.
These authors are a husband and wife team, both of them archaeologists and it’s very easily apparent that their love is the Native American culture. This story dealt with what it would have been like to have the “Kristianos” invading our country. The story follows that of an outcast, “Black Shell” who is a Trader and a man of strong faith and a woman he meets, “Pearl Hand”, who, in her own rights, is as strong and full of faith as he is.
The story is brutal, frank and doesn’t mince words. Faults and strengths are laid bare and the atrocities committed were eye-opening. My sole experience has been history novels and nothing I’ve read compared to the story told in this book.
I didn’t know the Gears had a new series starting – thanks! I’ve read all the ‘People of the …..” books and love them.
@Cat I plan to check out those books next. This was a good book and I hadn’t heard of them before!