Ouabache

by David A. Lottes

Ouabache is the old French spelling of Wabash, the Algonquin word waapaahšiiki, the name the Miami Indians gave to the river that runs for 491 miles through Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. This is a novel about life in the Wabash Valley during the French Colonial period. It has been over three centuries since the first of these French-speaking adventurers paddled their canoes down the Wabash River and the details of their everyday lives are still largely a mystery. The novel is based on a mix of facts and folklore, designed to entertain readers and inspire them to learn more about the Wabash Valley. Told from the perspective of a boy and his mother surrounded by actual characters and events in history including the establishment of the first permanent European settlement in present day Indiana now known as Vincennes.

302 pages, Paperback

First published April 14, 2011

About the author

The son of a history teacher and descendant of a family that settled in Indiana before the war of 1812, David grew up along the Tippecanoe River. David attended Vincennes University where he earned an Associate of Science degree and later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ball State University. David currently resides on the Salt Fork of the Vermilion River in Central Illinois.

Reviews

[Sherrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my book clubs choice for March. Since I live in Indian, I thought this book could give me a bit of a history lesson. And it did! The names of Native Americans that living around the Wabash River at the time. One of which was the Miami's. My grandmother was of the Miami tribe. This story follows the French and English that were trying to settle this area at the time. The Forts that were there and the men and women who where solders and settlers. Really good book.

[Jennifer Stranger · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was helpful to have attended the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon at Fort Ouitenan prior to reading the book. This was a book club selection, not one I would have read on my own. It drew you in at the opening, but got bogged down at times. We agreed more maps, and chapter titles with dates would have been beneficial to the story.

[Kris Petry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought a copy of this book from the author at a festival in Southern Indiana. I consider myself very knowledgeable on the subject of Indiana History and was pleased to find it had new insights for me. I especially liked the bibliography and character biographies at the end of the book. These were a great help sorting out the fact from the fiction and pointing me towards more resources. It's a fiction story but eye opening all the same.

[Janet Moulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

My book club selected this title. All of us enjoyed the content and we became more familiar with the early beginnings of our surroundings. I enjoyed the character development and use of historical facts used throughout the book. I would recommend the book be edited. There were multiple punctuation and grammatical errors which disrupted the flow of the read. It was quite choppy. Everyone in the book club had the same problem. Otherwise, it was well worth reading.

[Alissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well researched, this work of historic fiction teaches in my favorite manner. There is no better way to learn than while reading an interesting and personable story. I look forward to reading more of the author's works.

[Kristina Franken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book for anyone

FTC: I received a free copy of this book and was not reimbursed in any other way.