Catharine, Queen of the Tumbling Waters

by Cynthia G. Neale

"I'm not like your white women who lose their tongues and wits in a house full of men."

So says Catharine Montour to her white captive during the Indian depredations of the 1750s. Catharine Montour, a métis, born during Pennsylvania's Long Peace, is nurtured by her grandmother, the celebrated Madame Montour, an interpreter for the British colonies. Her uncle, Andrew Montour, is also an interpreter and sits on the Council of the Iroquois. The Montours are an unconventional, yet highly regarded family who host diverse and fascinating assemblies of fur traders, missionaries, Indians, and colonial leaders in their home.

As the Long Peace ends and the French and Indian War, and eventually the American Revolution occur, Catharine, desiring only to live quietly by a waterfall in New York, becomes a fearless, determined, and passionate leader who demands loyalty to peace in her village and for all. And then in 1779 when General John Sullivan leads the campaign to destroy all Iroquois villages, Queen Catharine, heroically guides her people to Fort Niagara.

Today as American exceptionalism prevails against the recognition of indigenous peoples, Catharine's relevant and fact-based story spans two wars and enlightens and makes visible the unwritten truths of early American history.

Genres: Historical Fiction

390 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 19, 2023

About the author

I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of New York state where I climbed trees and sat on their wide welcoming branches to read. I dreamed of word making in a magical and lush landscape. The many waterfalls throughout the area sang stories of the original natives. The Chilean poet, Gabriela Mistral wrote, "No, I don't believe that I will be lost after death. Why should You have made me fruitful, if I must be emptied and left like the crushed sugar canes? Why should You spill the light across my forehead and my heart every morning if You will not come to pick me, as one picks the dark grapes that sweeten in the sun, in the middle of autumn?"

Our ancestors cheer us on...the Celtic mind believes there is a thin line between life and death. I want to cheer on our ancestors and make them known through my writing. We are the sum of our ancestors and we heal and become empowered with compassion when we tell stories.

We can't sanitize and remake history, nor should we become stuck in the rage of the past, but remembrance through stories that are threaded with truth is redemptive and inspirational.

I have four historical novels about the Irish Famine and immigration.The Irish Dresser series begins with 'The Irish Dresser, A Story of Hope during The Great Hunger (An Gorta Mor, 1845-1850)' published by White Mane Publishers. The second book is 'Hope in New York City, the Continuing Story of The Irish Dresser,' also published by White Mane Publishers. The third book in the series is 'Norah, The Making of an Irish-American Woman in 18th-Century New York' published by Fireship Press. My last book in the series is 'The Irish Milliner,' also published by Fireship Press. Beginning with the Famine right through to the end of the Civil War, this is historical fiction that breaks the lock on the vault of history's stereotypical agitprop about Irish women. It is historical fiction that is a vivid sketch of one woman in the 1850s becoming liberated from impossible circumstances.

My fifth historical fiction is 'Catharine, Queen of the Tumbling Waters,' that is being published by Bedazzled Ink Publishers in spring of 2023. A story of another strong woman, a real life Native American with French blood who lived in the 1700s in Pennsylvania and New York during the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. Catharine Montour, obscure, but a heroine in our history, meets Benjamin Franklin and leads her people to safety when the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign to destroy all Iroquois villages is enacted. Another strong woman who breaks the lock on history's understanding of Native American women.

For light, delicious, whimsical reading, 'Pavlova in a Hat Box, Sweet Memories & Desserts' is published by Amazon. Another cookbook is in the making, to be co-authored by Margaret Mitchell, a Scotswoman with a B&B in New Hampshire. 'Transatlantic Tarts, Wee Tales and Recipes by Two Celtic Cake Queens.'

I've also written a screenplay series adapted from The Irish Dresser Series, as well as a screenplay, Blue Vega, adapted from a true coming of age story about a single singing blues and jazz mother raising six children in the 60s and 70s in a small town in upstate New York. Also, a musical play, Diamond Juba, adapted from my second novel, 'Hope in New York City,' about the Irish dancer, Jack Diamond and the black dancer, Master Juba (William Henry Lane).

I speak at festivals, bookstores, schools, libraries, shelters, organizations. I write in the cover of my books, "Hope dances in the darkness and believes in the Lover who casts light at our feet."

Reviews

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Held my interest from the first page to the last

[Masheri Chappelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

With my busy schedule as a professional Story Guide, Chair of NH Writers' Project, a nonprofit org for writers, and Indie Publisher for PortalStar Publishing, I have very little time for recreational reading. When I first heard of the story I was immediately drawn. I am part Native American and I wanted to read about a powerful Native American Woman in a time when women normally did not have leadership roles.

Cynthia Neale delivers a wonderful and dimensional recounting of an Iroquois and French woman that will touch your heart, your mind, and your soul. Cynthia's writing is detailed and ripe with historical information that does not weigh the reader down. Instead, Cynthia's literary craft, which deftly merges history and storytelling, enlightens the reader.

The journey we go on with Catharine is not only historical but also spiritual. Neale's storytelling delivers painful but insightful empathy for Catharine, the Six Nations, and other Native Americans as we watch them systematically lose their land and their way of life. There is a riveting and infuriating moment with Benjamin Franklin that I will never forget-don't worry no spoilers here- that delivers the true sentiment and perspective of how Native Americans were viewed and therefore treated. The issues and lies surrounding the treaties were reminders of how much work we still need to do today. When I reached the end of the book, I quickly realized that not much had changed for Native American People. While frightening, I feel it is the reason why this book was written. "Lest we Forget."

[S. Jeyran Main · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Catharine, Queen of the Tumbling Waters’ is a historical fiction about Catherine Montour and her life, which was filled with turmoil, perseverance, and bravery. It is a compelling story set in the mid-1700s when Catherine was young and expected to follow in her grandmother’s footsteps as an interpreter for the British colonies. Throughout the book, you gain a better understanding of the Native Americans as Catherine is a descendant of a family that was close to the Indian tribes and missionaries.

Catherine’s personality is very relatable and lovable. Her demeanour and how she navigates her life through everything that happens are admirable. The book is written well, and the author has skillfully allowed the reader to imagine everything that is described.



I recommend this book to those who like female-led stories and fictional stories.

[Nancy Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Author Cynthia Neale poignantly captures and honors the life of a fascinating and relatively unknown woman of early American history, Catharine Montour. Meticulously researched, the story illuminates the real-life relationships among Indigenous people and white colonists in the mid 18-century. And it does so with brutal honesty and not a few surprises. Through it all, Catharine’s voice sings in beautiful, lyrical language that emanates from her deep connection to the natural world and the culture of her people, the Iroquois. The story offers readers a valuable and eye-opening lesson about our country’s so called “founding.” A remarkable, important historical novel that deserves wide recognition.

[Michael Cimino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynthia Neale's book of historical fiction is chock full of beautiful imagery that reveals tons of history about the area I now call home. Like Catharine, I too have been drawn to the tumbling waters of the Finger Lakes and NY's Southern Tier where I have attempted to live in peace while being surrounded by the chaos of the outside world. Neale's writing is almost poetic, and brings to life our complicated American history - which is especially poignant right now as America is torn, once again, by those who wish to enforce their will on others. Queen of the Tumbling Waters is well researched and unfolds at a steady pace giving clarity to the realism of our brutal past, and the potential of our great nation. This is one of the few books that I will revisit again. An extraordinary read.

[Judy Blachek · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just did not grab me. I found the travels of Catharine Montour to be confusing and I didn't think the book provided a good explanation of what she actually did that makes her remarkable. I felt like we knew more about her grandmother's diplomatic skills than hers.

I grew up in that general area of Pennsylvania, so I found that part interesting and could imagine what it would have been like then.

I may also be influenced by another book I read recently, The Seed Keeper, by Diane Wilson. While it is a novel that focuses on the life of Native and mixed race women, it is not based on a real woman. I absolutely loved that book and thought it was beautifully written.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written. author’s research is clearly well done. Highly recommend.

[AT · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just reading the preface to Cynthia's book has me entranced. Her connection to the subject is visceral, and gives me shivers.
Right off the bat, I am drawn into the energy of the main character - the exuberance of her youth, the sensory descriptions. And then: the young woman is a vessel in which her grandmother places her secrets. Trying to sleep, Catharine's mind gallops into the past. Tumbling Waters seems like the right image for this young queen-to-be right from the get-go.
The meeting of the two cultures (clash, if you will) is handled so gracefully right from the start.

I have enjoyed Cynthia Neale's other books, enjoying the Irish connection. This one will hit even closer to home in New England. I am reminded of the vivid story and characters in Ernest Hebert's The Old American, another favorite book.