Synopsis:
In 1849, mercurial Rollin Ridge leaves his family behind to avoid hanging after avenging his father and grandfather’s assassinations.
After his crime, Rollin runs west with his brothers to mine California gold, packing sin and grief in his saddlebags. Through letters home, he finds his justice only after unearthing how the father’s sins have followed the son. Within the frame, from 1827-1835, Rollin’s parents, Cherokee John Ridge, and his white wife, Sarah, uncover illicit slave running, horse theft, and whiskey dealings across Cherokee territory. To end these inhumane crimes and fight Cherokee removal with President Andrew Jackson, John runs for Principal Chief, opposing the incumbent, Chief John Ross. John and Sarah must decide-fight discrimination and land greed, defy Georgia’s violent pressures and remain on his people’s ancestral land, or sign a treaty and uproot a nation and their family west.
Favorite Lines:
“Under diagonal sheets of rain, falling beneath a canopy of God’s smoke, I rode one life back into another.”
“To rise from the ashes, one has to burn.”
My Opinion:
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
If you have been following along with my most recent reviews, you would notice that this is the second historical fiction review in a row and I couldn’t be more pleased with the trend. This book seems to be a follow up to Miller’s other novel, Tho I Be Mute, which I have not read nor does it seem to be a requirement to follow along with this book. However, I will certainly be reading it after this!
This story is told from the perspective of John “Rollin” Ridge, the son of John and Sarah Ridge but also includes narratives from John and Sarah. John is Cherokee while Sarah is white and they have mixed children which is relevant because this book primarily deals with the era of the Cherokee removal from Georgia and the events that took place during that time. Miller doesn’t sugar coat the realities of the time period but does handle them in a beautiful way. While I found this book to tragic and sad, I thought this was an extremely well written book full of complex topics that mostly surround human nature and all that it entails.
I wanted to take a moment to recognize the beauty of Miller’s writing style. It has been quite some time since I have had my breath taken away simply by the way an author tells their story. Miller has a way with words that I think any description other than the word “breathtaking” would simply not due it justice. I hope readers experience the same sense of profound awe that I felt reading this story. Miller’s writing ability is simply a gift.
Summary:
Overall, I thought this was a tragic but beautiful book and I am excited to see what Miller has in store next. If you are a fan of historical fictions including Native American history fictions and/or American history fictions, then this book could be for you.
Check out Yellow Bird’s Song here!
Likely Story 