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Losing St. Christopher
In 1953 Albert Speer, Germany’s Minister of Armaments & War Production during World War II, wrote from his cell in Spandau Prison, West Berlin, regarding the genocide of the American Indian. The Nazis’ study of the treatment and eradication of the American Indian was an element in the plan for the “Final Solution” - the eradication of European Jews and others deemed undesirable or a threat to the Aryan order. Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Eichmann, and others who administered the Nazi Holocaust had looked to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the subsequent actions of the United States Government as the blueprint for annihilation of a people, a culture, and a way of life.
In Losing St. Christopher, Totsuhwa, the revered shaman of the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white world of men he sees as invaders. The colonists, along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a barbarous threat. When Totsuhwa’s visions show him the outcome, it is as black as his deep set haunting eyes. Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife following study at a missionary school and the shaman’s fears seem realized. Conflicts between cultures and within the family erupt when Totsuhwa’s only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears. In the chase that follows, an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions.
“History is written by the victorious, but when almost forgotten historical characters are brought to life, and their stories told, they are preserved through the ages, and in this preservation David-Michael Harding has succeeded.”
- Principal Chief Bill John Baker,
Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK
In Losing St. Christopher, Totsuhwa, the revered shaman of the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white world of men he sees as invaders. The colonists, along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a barbarous threat. When Totsuhwa’s visions show him the outcome, it is as black as his deep set haunting eyes. Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife following study at a missionary school and the shaman’s fears seem realized. Conflicts between cultures and within the family erupt when Totsuhwa’s only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears. In the chase that follows, an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions.
“History is written by the victorious, but when almost forgotten historical characters are brought to life, and their stories told, they are preserved through the ages, and in this preservation David-Michael Harding has succeeded.”
- Principal Chief Bill John Baker,
Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 4, 2014
2 people are currently reading
155 people want to read
About the author
David-Michael Harding
11 books116 followersDavid-Michael Harding is a life-long writer whose novel, How Angels Die, received critical acclaim. A former semi-professional football player, his writing is hard hitting and passionate. He holds a master’s degree in education and is a former adjunct professor of writing. Most of his days are spent writing from the cockpit of his sailboat, Pegasus, somewhere off the Nature Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.
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June 5, 2014
Losing St. Christopher
Book Two in the Cherokee Trilogy
Indian Removal Act 1830 (Annhilation)
Continuing with the tale of the Cherokees as set forth in the first book “Cherokee Talisman,” the author set forth in his next epic novel his hours of historical research to bring forth a culture and people who substantially share in our colonial history. As in the first novel, he continued to bring to life some of the more famous Cherokees, their laws and codes and dramatized it in such a manner that the story was alive to the reader.
The hero in this tale was Totsuhwa, a war chief, shaman, healer, wise man and visionary. After seeing how the colonials made treaties and not keep them, how they were consumed in greed for the best lands and gold of the Cherokees, he absolutely had no intention of dealing with them or trusting them. He was so well known as a mighty warrior that even his own tribe, who spoke Tsalagi, were most respectful of him, understanding that he lived life walking with Spirit and his patience was short.
Totsuhwa fell in love with an Indian maiden, Galegi, and they had a son whom they named Chancellor. It was Galegi’s intention that in order for the Cherokee to survive with the white men, they must understand and live their ways. She made Totsuhwa promise that when he was old enough Chancellor should be sent to white man’s schools. White men raped and killed Galegi, which almost killed Totsuhway and he mourned for months, but he did send Chancellor to a missionary school and he lived with a family of mixed blood. Chancellor, like his father, grew into a large strong man, trained in the healing use of wild medicinal plants, the strategies of a warrior and hunter, plus being exceptionally intelligent. Eventually he went to a higher school of learning, but there was some strain of the Whites towards the Indians. Two of the Indian boys fell in love with White girls, eventually marrying them, but other Whites locally violently harassed the girls and the Whites let it be known that they could tolerate a White man marrying an Indian woman, but not an Indian marrying one of their girls. Chancellor and a White girl, Monterey fell in love and she moved to Chancellor’s Cherokee village. They had a daughter, Kathryn, whom Totsuhwa quickly took in hand, teaching her Tsalagi.
As before, the story continued with the lives of these main Cherokee individuals and their attempts to assimilate into the White culture. But the Whites never relented in taking by force that which the Cherokees owned by treaty, which was the thrust of this plot. There were vivid descriptions of the “Trail of Tears” experiences.
As with his first book, the author included some of the loveliest descriptions of the way the Indians viewed nature and cooperated with it. I totally immersed myself in this story to its end. As with the first book, it leaves one deeply thinking about the struggles of all people, regardless of the culture. I heartily recommend this book as a segment of our American history.
I was given this book free for an honest review.
Book Two in the Cherokee Trilogy
Indian Removal Act 1830 (Annhilation)
Continuing with the tale of the Cherokees as set forth in the first book “Cherokee Talisman,” the author set forth in his next epic novel his hours of historical research to bring forth a culture and people who substantially share in our colonial history. As in the first novel, he continued to bring to life some of the more famous Cherokees, their laws and codes and dramatized it in such a manner that the story was alive to the reader.
The hero in this tale was Totsuhwa, a war chief, shaman, healer, wise man and visionary. After seeing how the colonials made treaties and not keep them, how they were consumed in greed for the best lands and gold of the Cherokees, he absolutely had no intention of dealing with them or trusting them. He was so well known as a mighty warrior that even his own tribe, who spoke Tsalagi, were most respectful of him, understanding that he lived life walking with Spirit and his patience was short.
Totsuhwa fell in love with an Indian maiden, Galegi, and they had a son whom they named Chancellor. It was Galegi’s intention that in order for the Cherokee to survive with the white men, they must understand and live their ways. She made Totsuhwa promise that when he was old enough Chancellor should be sent to white man’s schools. White men raped and killed Galegi, which almost killed Totsuhway and he mourned for months, but he did send Chancellor to a missionary school and he lived with a family of mixed blood. Chancellor, like his father, grew into a large strong man, trained in the healing use of wild medicinal plants, the strategies of a warrior and hunter, plus being exceptionally intelligent. Eventually he went to a higher school of learning, but there was some strain of the Whites towards the Indians. Two of the Indian boys fell in love with White girls, eventually marrying them, but other Whites locally violently harassed the girls and the Whites let it be known that they could tolerate a White man marrying an Indian woman, but not an Indian marrying one of their girls. Chancellor and a White girl, Monterey fell in love and she moved to Chancellor’s Cherokee village. They had a daughter, Kathryn, whom Totsuhwa quickly took in hand, teaching her Tsalagi.
As before, the story continued with the lives of these main Cherokee individuals and their attempts to assimilate into the White culture. But the Whites never relented in taking by force that which the Cherokees owned by treaty, which was the thrust of this plot. There were vivid descriptions of the “Trail of Tears” experiences.
As with his first book, the author included some of the loveliest descriptions of the way the Indians viewed nature and cooperated with it. I totally immersed myself in this story to its end. As with the first book, it leaves one deeply thinking about the struggles of all people, regardless of the culture. I heartily recommend this book as a segment of our American history.
I was given this book free for an honest review.
July 3, 2014
In 1953 Albert Speer, Germany’s Minister of Armaments & War Production during World War II, wrote from his cell in Spandau Prison, West Berlin, regarding the genocide of the American Indian. The Nazis’ study of the treatment and eradication of the American Indian was an element in the plan for the “Final Solution” - the eradication of European Jews and others deemed undesirable or a threat to the Aryan order. Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Eichmann, and others who administered the Nazi Holocaust had looked to the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the subsequent actions of the United States Government as the blueprint for annihilation of a people, a culture, and a way of life.
In Losing St. Christopher, Totsuhwa, the revered shaman of the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white world of men he sees as invaders. The colonists, along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a barbarous threat. When Totsuhwa’s visions show him the outcome, it is as black as his deep set haunting eyes. Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife following study at a missionary school and the shaman’s fears seem realized. Conflicts between cultures and within the family erupt when Totsuhwa’s only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears. In the chase that follows, an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions.
“History is written by the victorious, but when almost forgotten historical characters are brought to life, and their stories told, they are preserved through the ages, and in this preservation David-Michael Harding has succeeded.”
- Principal Chief Bill John Baker,
Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK (From Amazon.com)
Biography: David-Michael Harding is a lifelong writer whose prior novel, How Angels Die, received critical and commercial acclaim. A former semi-professional football player, his writing is hard hitting and passionate. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education and is an adjunct professor of writing. His respect and admiration of the Native American culture inspired this novel.
Harding is a life-long writer whose work has appeared in national publications and has been recognized by the international writing community. He is a collegiate writing instructor and former semi-professional football player. His experiences provide readers with well researched, crushing fast-paced action. Most of his days are spent writing from the cockpit of his sailboat, Pegasus, somewhere off the Nature Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. (From Amazon.com)
“Epic” is not a word I use frequently or carelessly. However, after reading Losing St. Christopher, it’s the word that immediately leaps to mind. David-Michael Harding has woven a compassionate and compelling story of the inexcusable and contemptible treatment of the Principal People by the European settlers of North America.
Harding has managed to carefully present both sides of the conflict while telling a very well-developed story of the ill-fated attempts of the Cherokee people as they resist the insatiable appetite of the settlers for land and resources. Despite all attempts to assimilate and embrace the “white ways” in an attempt to live peacefully with their new and unwelcome neighbors they are the recipients of lies, broken promises, and constant encroachment.
The true and well researched history of the displacement of the Principal People is woven into the fictional story and equal treatment is given to the settlers who resisted the unstoppable offensive.
Losing St Christopher, like the first book in the series, Cherokee Talisman is difficult to put down. It’s even more difficult to stop thinking about the shameful history of our nation. I would very much like to see this series on the list of required reading in every school in America. While it is too late to rectify what was done, we should never, ever forget the atrocities of our ancestors.
In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that the book was given to me by the author in return for an honest review.
Losing St Christopher is available at Amazon and I give it my unreserved recommendation to all readers, both young and old.
In Losing St. Christopher, Totsuhwa, the revered shaman of the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white world of men he sees as invaders. The colonists, along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a barbarous threat. When Totsuhwa’s visions show him the outcome, it is as black as his deep set haunting eyes. Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife following study at a missionary school and the shaman’s fears seem realized. Conflicts between cultures and within the family erupt when Totsuhwa’s only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears. In the chase that follows, an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions.
“History is written by the victorious, but when almost forgotten historical characters are brought to life, and their stories told, they are preserved through the ages, and in this preservation David-Michael Harding has succeeded.”
- Principal Chief Bill John Baker,
Cherokee Nation, Tahlequah, OK (From Amazon.com)
Biography: David-Michael Harding is a lifelong writer whose prior novel, How Angels Die, received critical and commercial acclaim. A former semi-professional football player, his writing is hard hitting and passionate. He holds a Master’s Degree in Education and is an adjunct professor of writing. His respect and admiration of the Native American culture inspired this novel.
Harding is a life-long writer whose work has appeared in national publications and has been recognized by the international writing community. He is a collegiate writing instructor and former semi-professional football player. His experiences provide readers with well researched, crushing fast-paced action. Most of his days are spent writing from the cockpit of his sailboat, Pegasus, somewhere off the Nature Coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. (From Amazon.com)
“Epic” is not a word I use frequently or carelessly. However, after reading Losing St. Christopher, it’s the word that immediately leaps to mind. David-Michael Harding has woven a compassionate and compelling story of the inexcusable and contemptible treatment of the Principal People by the European settlers of North America.
Harding has managed to carefully present both sides of the conflict while telling a very well-developed story of the ill-fated attempts of the Cherokee people as they resist the insatiable appetite of the settlers for land and resources. Despite all attempts to assimilate and embrace the “white ways” in an attempt to live peacefully with their new and unwelcome neighbors they are the recipients of lies, broken promises, and constant encroachment.
The true and well researched history of the displacement of the Principal People is woven into the fictional story and equal treatment is given to the settlers who resisted the unstoppable offensive.
Losing St Christopher, like the first book in the series, Cherokee Talisman is difficult to put down. It’s even more difficult to stop thinking about the shameful history of our nation. I would very much like to see this series on the list of required reading in every school in America. While it is too late to rectify what was done, we should never, ever forget the atrocities of our ancestors.
In the interest of full disclosure I should mention that the book was given to me by the author in return for an honest review.
Losing St Christopher is available at Amazon and I give it my unreserved recommendation to all readers, both young and old.
June 22, 2014
This second book of the Cherokee Series opens with a disturbing premise. It seems that Albert Speer, a Hitler henchman, got his idea of ethnic cleansing from early white settlers in American history, those who were determined to get rid of the American Indian race no matter what the cost. It’s not for this reviewer to deny or agree with this horrific reality, but it is for the reader to follow the notion in this novel. Educated, so-called Christians are eager to have Cherokee men and women become educated, actually take part in the spread of Christianity among the Cherokee nation, but there the positive mission ends!
Chancellor is the son of well-known, respected leaders of the Cherokee nation. His mother dies tragically but makes Chancellor promise to get an education among the white men. He does so with much vigor and agrees to go along with all he is asked to do, although he finds it impossible to reconcile Christian principles of the “three in One God” with what he knows of the One Spirit God his Cherokee nation has believed and followed for many, many years. He is unable to share his skills in medicine, learned at the knees of his mother as they scouted nature to find herbs and plants of curative value, because white men cannot pray to the Spirit as they should while they administer this medicine. Ironically, it is this medicine that works many times when white doctors’ remedies are fruitless and actually cause harm rather than healing.
Tensions loom large when Cherokee mission students begin to marry and date white women. Prejudice is large with death threats, tarring and feathering, and other repulsive practices, meant to frighten the young Cherokee men into submission and obedience, which basically means to “stick to your own kind.” Monterey is a young woman with whom Chancellor has fallen in love; however, they must separate for a while.
Meanwhile Totsuhwa, Chancellor’s father, has survived his personal, spiritual crisis and travels to New Ocheta to meet his son. Both have matured with age and knowledge of the white man’s ruses, Chancellor in particular unjustly accused after a maritime altercation. On and the story goes, with one injustice after another told in a very real way, without drama and yet carrying the weight of slowly increasing defeat, all the way to the momentous last journey. The spirit of these incredible warriors is stronger than the travesties forced upon them by white men. Unique to this depiction is the process of how the Cherokee learned to read and write the white man’s language, which inspired them to create their own alphabet based on sounds and eventually allowed them to create a newspaper in which they strengthened the union of their people, a strategy quickly squelched again by the white man.
Losing St. Christopher… is a solid, fascinating read that depicts the degradation of the Cherokee nation, evidenced by the experiences of Totsuhwa, Chancellor and his family, and other notable Cherokee men. While many are guilty, the author gives credit to those who refused to take part in the extermination of an Indian tribe and gave respect and honor where it was due.
Daniel Michael Harding has crafted a series that deserves to be required reading in classrooms throughout the United States. Although it is fiction, it is clearly well-researched, carefully written historical fiction of the highest quality, a revelation of truths beyond comprehension that need to be understood and preserved as a permanent part of American history. Finely written, David Michael Harding!
Chancellor is the son of well-known, respected leaders of the Cherokee nation. His mother dies tragically but makes Chancellor promise to get an education among the white men. He does so with much vigor and agrees to go along with all he is asked to do, although he finds it impossible to reconcile Christian principles of the “three in One God” with what he knows of the One Spirit God his Cherokee nation has believed and followed for many, many years. He is unable to share his skills in medicine, learned at the knees of his mother as they scouted nature to find herbs and plants of curative value, because white men cannot pray to the Spirit as they should while they administer this medicine. Ironically, it is this medicine that works many times when white doctors’ remedies are fruitless and actually cause harm rather than healing.
Tensions loom large when Cherokee mission students begin to marry and date white women. Prejudice is large with death threats, tarring and feathering, and other repulsive practices, meant to frighten the young Cherokee men into submission and obedience, which basically means to “stick to your own kind.” Monterey is a young woman with whom Chancellor has fallen in love; however, they must separate for a while.
Meanwhile Totsuhwa, Chancellor’s father, has survived his personal, spiritual crisis and travels to New Ocheta to meet his son. Both have matured with age and knowledge of the white man’s ruses, Chancellor in particular unjustly accused after a maritime altercation. On and the story goes, with one injustice after another told in a very real way, without drama and yet carrying the weight of slowly increasing defeat, all the way to the momentous last journey. The spirit of these incredible warriors is stronger than the travesties forced upon them by white men. Unique to this depiction is the process of how the Cherokee learned to read and write the white man’s language, which inspired them to create their own alphabet based on sounds and eventually allowed them to create a newspaper in which they strengthened the union of their people, a strategy quickly squelched again by the white man.
Losing St. Christopher… is a solid, fascinating read that depicts the degradation of the Cherokee nation, evidenced by the experiences of Totsuhwa, Chancellor and his family, and other notable Cherokee men. While many are guilty, the author gives credit to those who refused to take part in the extermination of an Indian tribe and gave respect and honor where it was due.
Daniel Michael Harding has crafted a series that deserves to be required reading in classrooms throughout the United States. Although it is fiction, it is clearly well-researched, carefully written historical fiction of the highest quality, a revelation of truths beyond comprehension that need to be understood and preserved as a permanent part of American history. Finely written, David Michael Harding!
June 8, 2014
Harding steps up to the position of First Rank in history novels
When an author has the ability to transfer intensive research into a subject planned for a novel and then transform that historic information into a thrilling and eloquently written work, it is a feat of passion for writing and for the topic about which the book is conceived. For those who have had the distinct pleasure of reading David-Michael Harding's recreation of WW II in HOW ANGELS DIE, then this recreation of American history from 1775 to 1821 and the manner in which America destroyed the Native Americans in order to take over the land being wrestled from British colonization will not come as surprise. Here, finally, is a two sided view of what really happened during that now embarrassing and shameful period in our country's history.
The story is fact, embellished by Harding's poetic prose. It is a touching tale of the legendary Cherokee war chief Tsi'yugunsini, the Dragon, taking a little orphan boy, Totsuhwa, under his wing. It is this passage of rights and power that places Totsuhwa in a world where he must be the one to defend the very existence of the Cherokee nation against the terrifying odds of facing General Andrew Jackson. The story is powerful, enlightening, and told with the force of a spear headed right for the heart. But despite the fact that the historical aspects are so clear, it is the language with which Harding tells the story that makes it a monumental achievement.
In LOSING ST. CHRISTOPHER Harding continues the story of Totsuhwa and it is best to serve the author with his own distillation of the plot: `Totsuhwa, the revered shaman of the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white world of men he sees as invaders. The colonists, along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a barbarous threat. When Totsuhwa's visions show him the outcome, it is as black as his deep set haunting eyes. Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife following study at a missionary school and the shaman's fears seem realized. Conflicts between cultures and within the family erupt when Totsuhwa's only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears. In the chase that follows, an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions.' Those words , of course are the bare bones of a story so gripping that reading this book , especially after reading Part I, will alter the way we think about the ugly secrets of this country's past.
The release of this book is so timely, with the recent death of the last of the Navajo Code Talkers. Other Indian tribes took part in this important aspect of the result of WW II and Harding's book honors that element of our history as well as a general homage to a great people forsaken by invaders. David-Michael Harding is not only a fine writer, he is also a humanitarian who is helping to restore the dignity of the American Indian.
When an author has the ability to transfer intensive research into a subject planned for a novel and then transform that historic information into a thrilling and eloquently written work, it is a feat of passion for writing and for the topic about which the book is conceived. For those who have had the distinct pleasure of reading David-Michael Harding's recreation of WW II in HOW ANGELS DIE, then this recreation of American history from 1775 to 1821 and the manner in which America destroyed the Native Americans in order to take over the land being wrestled from British colonization will not come as surprise. Here, finally, is a two sided view of what really happened during that now embarrassing and shameful period in our country's history.
The story is fact, embellished by Harding's poetic prose. It is a touching tale of the legendary Cherokee war chief Tsi'yugunsini, the Dragon, taking a little orphan boy, Totsuhwa, under his wing. It is this passage of rights and power that places Totsuhwa in a world where he must be the one to defend the very existence of the Cherokee nation against the terrifying odds of facing General Andrew Jackson. The story is powerful, enlightening, and told with the force of a spear headed right for the heart. But despite the fact that the historical aspects are so clear, it is the language with which Harding tells the story that makes it a monumental achievement.
In LOSING ST. CHRISTOPHER Harding continues the story of Totsuhwa and it is best to serve the author with his own distillation of the plot: `Totsuhwa, the revered shaman of the Cherokee Nation, struggles against the assimilation of his people into the white world of men he sees as invaders. The colonists, along with Cherokee who are trying to bridge both worlds, see him as a barbarous threat. When Totsuhwa's visions show him the outcome, it is as black as his deep set haunting eyes. Chancellor, his son, takes a white wife following study at a missionary school and the shaman's fears seem realized. Conflicts between cultures and within the family erupt when Totsuhwa's only grandchild is forced onto the Trail of Tears. In the chase that follows, an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions.' Those words , of course are the bare bones of a story so gripping that reading this book , especially after reading Part I, will alter the way we think about the ugly secrets of this country's past.
The release of this book is so timely, with the recent death of the last of the Navajo Code Talkers. Other Indian tribes took part in this important aspect of the result of WW II and Harding's book honors that element of our history as well as a general homage to a great people forsaken by invaders. David-Michael Harding is not only a fine writer, he is also a humanitarian who is helping to restore the dignity of the American Indian.
September 3, 2014
"Losing St. Christopher" is the second book in Harding's excellent series about the Cherokee Indians and one of the most difficult, disheartening, and saddening times in American history. While in the first book, "Cherokee Talisman," is the story of shaman, Totsuhwa, coming of age in a rapidly changing world. Most of this book is about Chancellor, Totsuhwa's son. The stakes are even higher for the Cherokee's this time around and their world is changing even more than before.
Like I said, this book is the second in a series and while "Losing St. Christopher" is very much a standalone novel, it would be really helpful for you to read "Cherokee Talisman" to provide a little bit more context to this story. Aside from the history intertwined in this book, the second largest theme is probably family. It was very interesting to me to see how Totsuhwa's family changes and forms between the previous book and this one. It definitely gave you an appreciation for how rapidly things changed for the Cherokees.
Most of this story is taken up with the events that followed the Indian Removal Act of the mid-1800s. If you know anything about history, this act is part of one of the most difficult parts of American History. Chancellor, Totsuhwa, and their family are swept away by this act. What they go through is so heartbreaking. I really thought that Harding captured it well.
Overall, this book is well written. There are a lot of characters and it gets really difficult to keep track of everyone but in the end it works out. I loved the historical detail in this one! This is a good pick if you don't mind heavy stories with true meaning.
Like I said, this book is the second in a series and while "Losing St. Christopher" is very much a standalone novel, it would be really helpful for you to read "Cherokee Talisman" to provide a little bit more context to this story. Aside from the history intertwined in this book, the second largest theme is probably family. It was very interesting to me to see how Totsuhwa's family changes and forms between the previous book and this one. It definitely gave you an appreciation for how rapidly things changed for the Cherokees.
Most of this story is taken up with the events that followed the Indian Removal Act of the mid-1800s. If you know anything about history, this act is part of one of the most difficult parts of American History. Chancellor, Totsuhwa, and their family are swept away by this act. What they go through is so heartbreaking. I really thought that Harding captured it well.
Overall, this book is well written. There are a lot of characters and it gets really difficult to keep track of everyone but in the end it works out. I loved the historical detail in this one! This is a good pick if you don't mind heavy stories with true meaning.
August 11, 2014
An arrogant people, moreover an arrogant nation, seeks to remove a particular group of people. Losing St. Christopher is from the point of view of Totsuhwa, a highly respected Shaman of the Cherokees, but many Indian tribes were affected by the Indian Removal Act of 1830. At the start of this novel, he is nearly sixty years old. He had parted with his son, Chancellor, many years before sending him to school as his wife, Galegi, had desired for him. Chancellor had learned much from his father about the ways of the Cherokee. He kept these things close to his heart and he incorporated the teachings of the white man. When Chancellor saw his father again, he was an adult and the Indian Removal Act was about to be implemented. Chancellor had met and fallen in love with Monterey Mason, a white young lady, while in school. The news of this match dissatisfied Totsuhwa. However, Chancellor takes her as his wife.
This is a compelling story of our young nation fighting for and taking land that had been the homeland to the Indians for thousands of years. It is a thorough historical fiction account and it is very thought provoking. The author gives ‘skin’ to the history we’ve read about and makes it authentic and life-like. Mr. Harding does as well with scenes of men clashing and fighting as to those of tenderness and love. I rated Losing St. Christopher at 4.5 out of 5.
http://www.fictionzeal.com/losing-st-...
This is a compelling story of our young nation fighting for and taking land that had been the homeland to the Indians for thousands of years. It is a thorough historical fiction account and it is very thought provoking. The author gives ‘skin’ to the history we’ve read about and makes it authentic and life-like. Mr. Harding does as well with scenes of men clashing and fighting as to those of tenderness and love. I rated Losing St. Christopher at 4.5 out of 5.
http://www.fictionzeal.com/losing-st-...
October 11, 2014
Losing St. Christopher is the second volume of a trilogy telling the sad tale of the Cherokee Nation from the time of the American Revolution through it's ultimate removal from it's ancestral lands in the Mid-Atlantic region. The first book in the series, Cherokee Talisman was exceptionally moving and powerful and this book is no less so. It picks up as the son of Totsuhwa is learning the ways of the white man by living with a family who accepts him and his culture. He knows he needs to assimilate but does not want to leave generations of beliefs to die. Chancellor ultimately marries a white woman but learns that there will never be full acceptance for him or his children in this new world.
The book is extensively researched and well balanced showing both sides of the story but this was a shameful period in this country's history and the Native peoples were treated as less than human in the colonist's grab for land. The book details the Trail of Tears and that is not easy to read in a history tome so be prepared for some emotional moments when dealing with a this horrifying event in the hands of a skilled writer.
I believe that books like this should be read and are necessary to remind us exactly how this country was built - it is a great nation but it has both good and bad in its history. We cannot forget the bad to only remember the good for what do we learn from that? I will await the third volume to continue my walk with the Cherokee.
The book is extensively researched and well balanced showing both sides of the story but this was a shameful period in this country's history and the Native peoples were treated as less than human in the colonist's grab for land. The book details the Trail of Tears and that is not easy to read in a history tome so be prepared for some emotional moments when dealing with a this horrifying event in the hands of a skilled writer.
I believe that books like this should be read and are necessary to remind us exactly how this country was built - it is a great nation but it has both good and bad in its history. We cannot forget the bad to only remember the good for what do we learn from that? I will await the third volume to continue my walk with the Cherokee.
June 30, 2014
Losing St. Christopher should be required reading in all US high schools. Beyond the history lesson, the students will learn to love really well written historical fiction like LSC. I had been expecting it would make it on my beach trip next week but I tore through it in 2 days. I was a big fan of the first book in the series and this second picks up with the same layered characters and satisfying plot. I'm a huge fan of the historical fiction of Ken Follett and Harding's prose, pacing, and storylines are just as good. Check this one out....Harding genuinely delivers again. The revered shaman totsuhwa and the up and coming chancellor are characters you'd like to see on the big screen. Also, it's a great break from WWI/II historical fiction btw which has become a little played out (for me now anyway). (That said, one of Harding's earlier books is WWII and it also is really good.) How Angels Die is that WWII book that may be my favorite but I also really cannot wait for the 3rd book in this series to come out.
July 2, 2014
I loved this book! This is a must read for high school students! It just amazes me how awesome the Tsalagi people were. It also deeply saddens me the way they were mistreated and perhaps what a different world we would live in today if they were allowed to live peaceably among us. I love the connection and relationship between the grandfather (Totsuhwa) and his granddaughter (Kathryn). These people were steadfast troopers and supported each other to the bitter end a fine trait to embody. I would highly recommend this book and I can't wait for East of the Cherokee Strip!
July 9, 2014
David-Michael Harding’s, Losing St. Christopher, is a fascinating story told from the Cherokee Indian perspective about romance and the brutal life for the Indians during implementation of the Indian Removal Act of 1830. It was difficult to put the book down as I awaited the fate of Chancellor and his lover as “an estranged love fights to stem the ugly flow of racism that is moving in two directions”. And, it was shocking to learn what would become of some of the Indians that accepted their destiny and attempted to assimilate with the white ways, as well as the whites that accepted them.
November 26, 2016
I loved this book! This is a must read for high school students! It just amazes me how awesome the Tsalagi people were. It also deeply saddens me the way they were mistreated and perhaps what a different world we would live in today if they were allowed to live peaceably among us. I love the connection and relationship between the grandfather (Totsuhwa) and his granddaughter (Kathryn). These people were steadfast troopers and supported each other to the bitter end a fine trait to embody. I would highly recommend this book and I can't wait for East of the Cherokee Strip!
July 2, 2014
David-Michael Harding has continued the saga of Totsuhwa. Through his historical fiction, Harding weaves the sad tale of the loss of a culture. Exciting and fast-paced, yet instructive, Losing St. Christopher will keep you turning pages and have you looking forward to the release of the third installment of this fabulous trilogy!
August 8, 2014
First time reviewer of any book I have read. I was so compelled, I just had to. I absolutely loved this book. I learned so much about the Cherokee and our country while reading. I loved how Harding has written this story from a few different character perspective only to join those perspective together, really a masterpiece. I will definitely look at Harding's other pieces of work
November 14, 2014
Losing St. Christopher, the sequel to Cherokee Talisman, is another well-written tale by David-Michael Harding. The characters pick right up from the first novel and advance to new heights. This novel has it all. From a great love story to great action, and lessons to be learned by all. Well done Mr. Harding! Great ending!
July 21, 2014
Excellent in-depth research. Readers interested in Cherokee history should definately read this second book in David Michael Harding's Cherokee triology.
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