Go back in time to the Minnesota frontier of 1862 in Candace Simar’s Abercrombie Trail for the often neglected American history account of the Sioux Uprising. In this riveting historical fiction novel, relive the experiences of Norwegian immigrant Evan Jacobson who drives a stagecoach between two outposts, delivering dispatches and news to settlers as the Civil War erupts and the Sioux Uprising explodes. Meet the immigrant families that Simar has crafted, struggling to carve out new lives on the rich Minnesota prairie. In a courageous act, Evan turns back from safety to warn Fort Abercrombie of the uprising. Experience the heart pounding fear being perused by Indians until safely within the garrison, only to discover the outnumbered settlers must hold off 500 Sioux warriors until reinforcements arrive.
There’s much to recommend this book. The historical research brings the customs and details of the time to life. Simar also explains the reasons that led the Sioux tribes to rebel against the government and punish the settlers. Her prose spans a breadth of emotions from the horror at the brutal deaths of settlers on the frontier to the love Evan feels toward a Norwegian immigrant wife cruelly treated by her husband. The beauty of the prairie, the effects of both the Indian and Civil wars, the indomitable spirit of the settlers—it’s all here, and I was totally immersed in this book from the beginning. You will be, too.
Abercrombie Trail is the first in the Spur Award winning four book series that I’ll be reviewing. Look for the review of book two, Pomme De Terre, coming soon.
Find out more about Candace Simar at http://candacesimar.com
You can buy Abercrombie Trail at http://www.amazon.com/Abercrombie-Trail-Novel-1862-Uprising/dp/0878393196
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
You are welcome! I’m getting ready to post a review of Pomme De Terre on my website and on FB and have already starting reading Birdie. I’m really caught up in the story 🙂